Dinner with Friends

Gone are the days of partying until the sun comes up. Having children kind that wake up earlier than your alarm clock put a bit of a damper on those types of activities. This does not mean that we can't still have fun. Friday night was dinner out at a friends house for a lovely home cooked meal! What was on the menu? Roasted potatoes and carrots with panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese, spinach salad and chicken scallopini! Had I been able to resist the enticing aroma I may have taken a picture first then dug into my meal. Alas I have little willpower and was starving so a few bites were missing as you can see. Add a glass of Pinot Noir and it's a great way to spend the evening. For dessert, my contribution was a "homemade" ice cream cake that because I had worked all day was picked up at the local DQ. My friend however had the patience to make fresh snickerdoodles and white chocolate ginger biscotti. I even received a take home bag. Sorry no snickerdoodles left and just polishing off the last of the biscotti. Delish!

Breakie

During my latest trip to Costco with a shopping list of 2 items.... I left with about 12 extra items. One of them was the most fabulous granola! My new favorite breakfast for my work week is yogurt, fresh fruit or frozen berries topped with this very "meaty" granola. It's located in the bakery section and is full of almonds, walnuts, cranberries, and more. What a way to start the day! Let a large cup of coffee join in and you have a morning boost. Try it out, it gets my two thumbs up!

Smores

If you can believe this I had never tasted a smore until a weekend trip last year. What a shame, they are delicious! So how do you take something as yummy as a smore and make it even better? Easy, add cream cheese! My idea was for a Smore's cheesecake and a friendly gathering was the perfect opportunity to try it out. I started with a basic graham crust and topped it with a decadent chocolate cheesecake made with single origin Tanzanie 70% dark chocolate. What makes it a smore, that was my challenge. I went on a trip to my friendly and chaotic Walmart in search of a blow torch. To my surprise I found a pen shaped torch for only $10. To put the finishing touches I dusted the top of the cheesecake with cocoa powder and broke a Hershey's bar into individual pieces around the edge. Upon each piece of chocolate I placed an individual large marshmallow. The crown jewel, for this I brought out my handy little torch and torched the tops of each marshmallow to a golden brown. I will admit it was extremely rich but perfect for those days where nothing but pure indulgence will do!

Mmmmmm Steak!

For many years I was a vegetarian (sort of). I would not eat any meat or by-products however I would eat seafood, eggs and cheese. From that to commenting on last night's steak dinner has been a big change. I'm always a little unsure of cooking meat and am interested in new techniques and ideas. I purchased large rib eye grilling steaks from Costco and remembered that a friend mentioned doing steaks with a salt crust marinade. Why not try this out? I took the clean steaks and rubbed them with a great deal of rock salt and put them in my fridge for about 2 hours. I took the break to pick fresh thyme and oregano and clean and chop the fresh herbs. I cleaned the steaks of the excess salt and set them aside. I brushed the steaks with a bit of oil and then sprinkled the authentic Montreal steak spice from Schwartz's on both sides. I then took the steaks and pressed them into the fresh chopped herbs to coat them generously on both sides. The steaks were then passed to the grill for their final step. Depending on the size about 3-4 mins per side on high heat. Watch out for the flare ups and prepare to enjoy some very tender meat. The steaks were accompanied by baked potatoes with melted cheese, sour cream and chives, BBQ corn on the cob and beer and wine! What a dinner, anyone have room for dessert?

More than you bargain for!

Have you ever ordered take out and gotten a little extra something in your order. On Friday night I was not in the mood to cook and we decided to order take out from a local Chinese restaurant named Pelican. We ordered our seafood hot and sour soup, fried rice with dried scallop and prawn and mixed veggies. The soup was delightful and I am glad we got through that first. I was tasting the rice and veggies when I looked down at my plate. I am grateful that it was a bug I was normally fond of rather than completely disgusted by but a bug none the less. Needless to say this lady bug stopped my dinner right then and there. I'm sorry to anyone this could offend but ewwwww gross! I don't remember seeing sprinkled with ladybugs on the menu? I can say I will not be eating there again! Can you imagine what I may have already eaten????

Fruit Salad- Mother Nature's answer to winter

What can be more appetizing that a delightful fruit salad. I'm not talking about cantaloupe and pineapple, I mean plethora of layers representing summer in a crystal bowl! What you can't see is the apple, strawberries, pear, Chinese pear, and mango that make up the rest of this splendor. Next time you're at the fruit stand go crazy!

Salad Pick Me Ups

Salad can be so boring when you go out to eat. With the exception of The Naam restaurant I am almost never satisfied with the lack lustre attempt at healthy. I take this into my own hands at home and find new and exciting ways to make salads taste like meals and not rabbit snacks. I'll share some of my favorite toppings to pick up any salad:
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Diced Red/Yellow/Orange Peppers
Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Dried Cranberries
Fresh Strawberries, Blueberries, or any Berries
Marinated Mushrooms
Garlic Shrimp
Candied Pecans (Trader Joe's has some great ones)
Grilled Zucchini cut in strips
Pumpkin Seeds
Maldon Salt

If the mood strikes I love making taco salads with cheese, peppers, ground beef and tortilla chips on a bed of fresh chopped Romaine or Butter Lettuce and top it with corn salsa and sour cream! Who said salads need to be boring? Tonight's dinner consisted of Romaine lettuce, yellow peppers, sliced strawberries, sliced apples, candied pecans and feta cheese. Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, didn't even need dressing! I'm open to any suggestions?? Anyone??

A glass for an occassion

On a recent trip to Victoria I had the time and pleasure to enjoy the city with my son while my husband worked. Lucky for us it was great walking weather. After a bit of a late start I made it to Government Street by about 10am. I was in desperate need of nourishment and coffee as a 17 month takes a great deal of energy and it was better to be alert. Luck had certainly been on my side and by the time I found a quaint little cafe/deli/Internet cafe to meet my needs my little man was snoring. I was able to enjoy my latte without any disruptions while indulging in one of my favorite pass times, watching my son sleeping soundly. Once finished I was on to my next stop, with no clear plans I stopped in a specialty wine store and was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the clerk knowledgeable and enthusiastic about wine but also due to the hour of my wine shopping (11am) had plenty of time to chit chat. It was such a pleasant shopping experience I left with a bottle of Quatrain and bottle of Compendium both from Mission Hill. I bought two for the two reasons we will have to celebrate shortly. The first will be the sale of our first place, our lovely 2 bedroom condo. The second will be the purchase of our second place a 3 bedroom condo! Maybe we will be able to upgrade to a stand up wine fridge in our new place, one can hope! When the papers are finalized we will open these fantastic bottles of wine and I'll share what I thought of them. Fingers crossed that will be soon!

A hidden treasure

How is it that you can live in a city for so many years and not know of a cute little child friendly cafe with amazing food? Oh wait I know, it's because until 17 months ago I was not in the need for a cute little child friendly cafe. Today I spent a wonderful day enjoying a large latte and brioche French toast delicately dressed with braised pears, walnuts and creme fraiche over friendly conversation with family. Not only was the grown up food wonderful but the selection of yummy and healthy kid items including cheesy toast and mac & cheese was delightful. No one is going to give you the "stink eye" if you child is too loud or throws their toy car on the floor because if you look around there adult chairs are almost outnumbered by the number of retro high chairs. Now that I've told you that you can't miss out on this place, wouldn't it be helpful if I told you where it was? Little Nest, just off Commercial. Thanks to my cousin for introducing me to this wonderful hidden treasure and thanks to my other cousin for breakfast!

Tea Party

As you already know I have a great fondness for tea. Well tea and all things caffinated to be exact. What better way to spend a cheery afternoon than with friend having a tea party! After much thought here was the menu I finally decided on:

Assorted Sandwhiches on mini croissants:
Egg Salad
Smoked salmon and cream cheese
Pesto, smoked turkey and Brie

Various Pastries to include:
Chocolate walnut brownies
Nanimo bars
Coconut macaroons
Chocolate and marshmallow bars

Layered fruit salad drizzled with blueberry honey. Now contrary to most typical fruit salads I make mine with a little more flair. Applepear, blackberries, gala apple, anjou pear, blueberries, mango, black grapes, and strawberries! Whatever is in season and tastes good! If you have never tried fruit drizzled with honey I strongly suggest you do. Not only does it add a beautiful natural sheen to your salad but the subtle sweetness is divine!

As a special treat a friend brought over homemade strawberry shortcakes! FABULOUS! A light and slightly sweet scone with strawberries and creme fraiche!

To serve with this, it was decided that a creamy earl grey would be the right choice. I don't imagine we could have made a wrong choice, after all it was tea! Unfortunately we were too full to do a taste test on the Organic Vanilla Oolong that another friend had brought but later was another story!

Tea Time

There is a great deal that can be said for a good cup of tea! Since I was younger, there has always been tea time at home. It is often surprising to others when I mention that my mother is from Costa Rica and she does not drink coffee... after all coffee is synonymous with Costa Rica. None the less my mother is a tea fan which makes me a tea fan as well. Whether it be a headache, stomach ache or a case of the blah's, a good cup of tea has always been the answer!

Hmmm, which tea to have? Most days my tea of choice is Marks & Spencer Fair Trade Gold for it's smooth taste and perfect strength. When I'm feeling a bit more adventurous I enjoy a cup of Creamy Earl Grey or Secret Garden's Secret. On special occasions, and when I have some in the cupboard a lovely cup of Empress Tea (from The Empress hotel in Victoria) hits the spot. What about when you've had too much to eat and you need to digest..... definitely green tea! That and maybe a laxative with a reminder not to do that again ;)

Tea time usually was accompanied with "tea snacks". A little cheese biscuits, Indian tea biscuits, Maria cookies, or palmiers. The choice is endless but well worth exploring much like the many offerings of High Tea! Having had the privilege to experience High Tea at The Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC (2 times) it is hard to come close to the elegance and scrumptious delights. It is worth dressing up and the $ to enjoy it with someone you really love. I shared this experience with my mom for the first time and what an amazing visit. My second choice and more local option is the splendid Secret Garden in Kerrisdale. Make your reservations ahead of time as it is always a busy place and worth every penny. Don't be fooled by the small size of the pastries, you will be full by the time you leave. More than likely you will also have a little box of what you couldn't finish to enjoy later. There are a few more places I need to try and will do so in the coming months....... Stay tuned!

Bean Dip

When my aunty asked me to bring an appetizer, specifically a bean dip to our family dinner this weekend my immediate response was an enthusiastic "sure"! What I didn't realize until after I hung up the phone was that I wasn't sure what kind of bean dip she wanted me to make. I decided to let my imagination run wild. I checked my fridge and freezer to check my inventory and after pulling a guacamole from the freezer, headed to the grocery store. I wandered the fresh produce isle, meandered through the Mexican isle and ended my trip at the dairy isle. I took a side trip to the meat store and headed home. Now where to start? I got my serving dish out, pulled my frying pan from it's hiding place in the oven, selected a good chopping knife and got to work. My idea was to make this a spectacular bean dip and as I started I even danced around the kitchen singing a made up song about my dip.... I can just imagine what I looked like. Diced onions began softening in my pan and I added the fresh ground beef. If you haven't bought ground beef from a fresh meat shop you don't know what you're missing, the flavour and quality is sooooo much better than your run of the mill grocery chain meat. I added my taco seasoning and a small can of diced green chilies to the mix and topped it off with a large can of refried beans. Once I had it just right I scooped this mixture into my dish and topped it with cheddar/mozza grated cheese. I could have stopped there, after all it was now a bean dip but what kind of food enthusiast would I be if I didn't "kick it up a notch". I have obviously watched to much food TV! I debated my options and decided that a good organic salsa would be my next layer followed by a layer of the guacamole. I added chopped red pepper, green onions and fresh cilantro. As we had a bit of a trek to the family gathering I decided to leave the sour cream off until I was to serve it. I'm not sure how it tastes but it smells awesome so I'll have to wait and see.