Late Again...

Friday Fill-In's are often a Sunday review for me.  Which is fine because we don't have much of anything planned ahead....ever...and yes it stresses the Capricorn in me out...Seeing the Atlantic Pride festival was such a different experience than my Toronto viewing years ago.  While the Toronto one was bigger and grander the Halifax parade was a testament to community.  Watching the parade that was filled with so many community supporters, not just the Pride community, was a teary time.  Everyone from the police, corporate sponsors,  small businesses to the mayor was there!  I was proud to be cheering from the sidelines and dancing to Cher!

1. Life is a stage...put on a good show.

2. Shanghai is one of the best places to people watch EVER because it is absolutely beautiful and insane.

3. If I was going somewhere, the one thing I have to bring is a sense of humour.

4. I will be eating wine and sugar soaked strawberries soon enough. 

5. Next year, I will be in a whole other career place.

6. I came to the East and I found it years behind, which is both good and a learning experience.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to...or reflecting upon, a weekend filled with events from the Atlantic Pride, a ferry ride to World Peace Pavilion, wine and sugar soaked strawberries and grilled zucchini pizza...

G L I T T E R

* image found here

It is no secret how I feel about glitter, it is good.  It is very good.  It is a reminder of the stars, that we are stardust, of fallen stars, of heaven above and magic below...but I don't eat it, intentionally.  But edible stars, pictured here in gold, o oh my.

Kit Kats Again

* image and post info found here

Awhile back I posted about green tea kit kats with a lovely delicate green hue...the image above is cheese flavoured, CHEESE!...Hmmmm trying to capitalize on the cheesecake concept?

Where I'll eat my first beignet...

*Cafe du Monde image found here

* image found here
I have a few too many avocado's in the house and so I made I homemade pizza and sliced some on top after I pulled it from the oven....ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wow, yummy and healthy is the way to be...

Banana Bread

*image found on recipe website
I finally have a perfect basic banana bread recipe to add to my collection...on hindsight I will never make the peanut butter banana bread again, blech.  This recipe is from Food & Whine blog section and aside from adding a banana or two more it's perfect.

*Edit...even better is the Martha Stewart banana bread with sour cream recipe (extra banana's added)...bake at 350
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Bento Boxes

*image found here

Bento Boxes are "single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquer-ware."  To my mind they are little bits of art and I am going to learn more recipes that fit the Bento, this website just bento will be a brilliant start.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento_box

Food Journey's of a Lifetime

Oh wow, wouldn't this add to, simplify and yet deliciously complicate my bucket list..."For pure pleasure, few experiences are as satisfying as a chance to explore the world’s great culinary traditions and landmarks—and here, in the latest title of our popular series of illustrated travel gift books, you’ll find a fabulous itinerary of foods, dishes, markets, and restaurants worth traveling far and wide to savor.

"On the menu is the best of the best from all over the globe: Tokyo’s freshest sushi; the spiciest Creole favorites in New Orleans; the finest vintages of the great French wineries; the juiciest cuts of beef in Argentina; and much, much more. You’ll sample the sophisticated dishes of fabled chefs and five-star restaurants, of course, but you’ll also discover the simpler pleasures of the side-street cafés that cater to local people and the classic specialties that give each region a distinctive flavor.

Every cuisine tells a unique story about its countryside, climate, and culture, and in these pages you’ll meet the men and women who transform nature’s bounty into a thousand gustatory delights. Hundreds of appetizing full-color illustrations evoke an extraordinary range of tastes and cooking techniques; a wide selection of recipes invites you to create as well as consume; sidebars give a wealth of entertaining information about additional sites to visit as well as the cultural importance of the featured food; while lively top ten lists cover topics from chocolate factories to champagne bars, from historic food markets to wedding feasts, harvest celebrations, and festive occasions of every kind. In addition, detailed practical travel information provides all the ingredients you’ll need to cook up a truly delicious experience for even the most demanding of traveling gourmets." Product description found here

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

* Image found here

On a bit of a mission to utilize only what is in our fridge, freezer and pantry this week (until pay day) and finding that I’m enjoying the challenge...but then I haven’t had any wasteful cooking disasters yet. Last night was hamburger, pasta, tomato soup with tortillas for the boys but I’m more excited about baking peanut butter banana bread with no butter or oil on hand! I was a little nervous as I didn’t even have applesauce but the loaf (yes I use loaf and bread interchangeably, it’s been a debate recently) turned out lovely, especially with a bit of rosehip jam. I have of course since misplaced the blog that I borrowed and adapted the recipe from, but if memory serves;

2 eggs, ½ cup of peanut butter, 1 tbsp of baking powder, 4 mashed banana’s, 1 ¾ of flour, cinnamon and vanilla to taste. Mix and bake in stoneware for bout an hour...Ta Da

Little Things Matter

*teapot image found here

*stromboli image found here

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about little blessings, patience and gratitude. While I’m always aiming for more I am aware that to many I (we) seem to have a lucky star guiding us. So I strive to live in this moment and see what I have; most immediately is a free clear teapot with a built in diffuser! It was left in our community lobby and it’s the loveliest thin glass, sleek and yet cozy thing...Also I am trying to cook healthier, yummy foods that are inexpensive and make going out to eat seem like trading down. Aside from the chocolate chip cookies I made yesterday (hey, still cheaper and somewhat healthier than factory made) today’s brunch is a breakfast Stromboli...wow, thank the lord for google and people who post information. I basically used this recipe except I had a bit of tomato sauce left over so I mixed that with the salsa (I'm sure I didn't use the 3/4 cup called for).  I stuffed it with first the sauce, then torn up fresh spinach, minced garlic, red onion, scrambled eggs and cheese (also less/lower fat).  It required a little longer cooking time but basically, wow this will be made again for sure.

Healthy Thoughts, Blah Month

This is Dr. Weil's food pyramid image found here and his amazing website found here. This is, more or less how I eat anyways but I thought it would be interesting to post as he has a wide range of advice and recipes...also we are embarking on a 3-4 week alcohol free period of time. Why we’re choosing one of the dreariest times of year to do this is beyond me. We’re trying to test out whether we’ll feel that much ‘healthier’ for it, although I still wish I had suggested this at a warmer time of year when we could stroll around in the evenings as distraction. On a yummier note I made an amazing cauliflower soup the other night that even my carnivores enjoyed. The recipe can basically be found here with my adaptions being; less cheese, add shredded cabbage, add a bit of Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic and hot peppers for a bit of kick...

Spiced Hot Chocolate

Now this is a woman after my own heart. This scrumptious looking hot chocolate is homemade and spiced just how I like it, isn’t the image just a feast of simple luxury. The recipe along with a zillion other amazing, beautiful food, travel and life posts can be found at The Road Forks .

Jian Bing/Chinese Street Food

This video almost had me in tears.  Oh how I miss Chinese street food.  These crepes, with a bit of green onion, egg and hot sauce are absolute heaven...grab one of these on a cool winter morning and just wander about just soaking in the atmosphere...This site Here attempts to replicate this treat.  I don't know, I'm sure it's quite good but somehow food made at home just seems a little too pristine; it’s missing that street food grit that makes it so yummy. Just a case of the grass is greener I’m sure as I have friends in countries who have access to street food and won’t go near it (see wrinkled up nose = dirty)...

Mu Lan Chinese Cultural Centre

*  Images found here and here

What a bittersweet day. We went to Mu Lan Chinese Cultural Centre and had the yummiest steamed buns, dumplings, noodles and tea. And from the limited time I've spent in China I was thrilled, thrilled to find authentic Chinese food! Had a lovely chat with Chai Chu Thompson the owner (read more about her here) who is an incredibly warm and fascinating person...that is the sweet part of the day. The bitter part is that this lovely, busy lady is hoping to retire and move out to our other coast soon to be with family...understandable and yet terrible! From what I can understand she would love to have a suitable, bi-lingual person step in and keep this cultural haven running...my taste buds had so too.

Ripple effects of Maitland

The drive to Maitland was a challenge for this Lake bred, semi water fearing girl. The views of the ocean, brown as the water churned up the bottom like a mixing bowl, with the tide out left my stomach dropping...the bottom of the ocean was right there, it's soft underbelly exposed and this is just a matter of course for the locals here. On the way 'home' we stopped into the highly recommended Spitfire Arms http://www.spitfirearms.com/ in Windsor, NS for a bite...wow. Unsure of certain brew options, samples were freely offered up. The service was lovely, the atmosphere made us feel at home (hard to pull off in a 'foreign' place) and the food was an amazing blend of downhome local seafood goodness and just plain with the times healthy quality.

Again with the beautiful food...

I have a one track mind right now it seems, the tangling of beauty and food...I found this lovely creation on one of my all time fav. wedding sites http://earthfriendlywedding.blogspot.com/

Orangette~more than a food blog...

While rereading my local library magazine I realized in my haste, exhaustion, preoccupation and blindness that I had missed a spread on culinary literature! This genre has to be one of my favourite area's of literature, yes I am excited about Julie & Julia. So, in this re look I found 'A Homemade Life' by Molly Wizenberg and I must admit that it was, and often is, the marketing, the cover that drew my to find her blog, her story in fact is real. Her blog http://orangette.blogspot.com/ is a perfect blend of food and beauty...and really why shouldn't they go hand in hand...

Dare I say it's the best beer in Nova Scotia?!

Or at least the best I've tried so far. Don't get me wrong, I still love me some Keith's. This beer, Garrison's, was suggested to us at our fav. pub here out east and I have to say it is phenomenal! It will be sent as a gift back home for sure.

A New Obsession

As I really don't like tropical fruits outside of the tropics (too bitter, too woody, too not right) I was thrilled to try grilling them. Grilled pineapple, on a veggie burger is simply amazing. Today I paired it with a creamy/tumeric sauce and just about died. Definately a summer staple.

Easter Beauty

I absolutely adore this chocolate eggs nest from Williams-Sonoma. It gives me hope that Spring really will come again.