A Summer Dinner

These little beauties are destined for the flame of our barbecue. The eventual destiny of the beautiful tuft of dill, I am currently unaware of, but I look forward to it. For a tragically long time I did not like dill, nay, I hated it. I still hate cilantro but I firmly believe that we should constantly try new foods and old foods because you never know when you will walk into your vegetarian restaurant, order the hummus and the sweet hipster in oversized glasses frames will pack a container of dilly hummus in your bag, thus sparking a revolution of taste/likes v. Dislikes for you. Let that be a lesson: Try food all the time. Do it gingerly, brashly or even blindly. Just get out there and do it.

Live blogging: Summer Dinner

We are now in the deep throes of summer. The sunlight has taken on a distinctly baked white quality and it is perfectly acceptable to delve so deeply into the type of book that is guaranteed to draw tears, laughter and sighs of contentment (and the unnerving feeling that you are in some ways like your least favourite character) that your loved one will quietly put away his own reading and gently placed two halves of an onion on the barbecue. Onion halves impart an inelegant image of love, but it's there.

On the go: A Birthday III

Do you want to know why this Tiramisu is so special? Because it is gluten-free? Certainly there is that, but also it was made by my mother-in-law and Miss N and my MIL has making a wonderful effort with her gluten-free baking. Every week Babs* makes the most delicious and crumbly corn muffins that also happen to be gluten-free. She passes it off as nothing but Babs has definitely figured out gluten free baking.

So, this is my creamy, decadent and perfectly crumbly and moist Tiramisu, courtesy of Miss N. and Babs.

* if it weren't obvious already that I have been protecting my loved ones' identities, I am.

On the go: A Birthday II

Mr. and I wandered into Pete's this afternoon and I don't even remember our original reasoning because I was soon mightily distracted. Oh, it was a beautiful, crisp sight of sandwich like no other - the colour was clear and bright, the ripple of feet perfectly formed. I saw only a corner of the beauty but I knew instantly, it is something I have long wanted, many times I have stretched my muscles to the breaking point in search of the perfect macaron. Here it was, happily tucked away. Behind glass.

How opportune to find these on my birthday and I was kind enough to share with Mr. (more than a courtesy share, too! We shared every one). The crunch of the outer shell collapsed into a tangy lemon cream and drew a blissful sigh and hip shake out of me. Even as I write these sentences I desperately want to dash out and weasel my way into that closed grocer and snatch up every macaron.

On the go: A Birthday

I had intended this post to be a series of live, on the go posts throughout the day but I lost track of time and now I am home. Today was my birthday which means I was ridiculosly spoiled, I mean you'd think my family really loved me or something, those lovely folk.

My day of decadence began with this mug. It is not any mug, this one will steep your loose leaf and it is pretty all at the same time.

A quick note: I am trying to figure out my new phone (another part of the super spoiling of me day) and I am writing the post on the phone. I don't know how to format yet ... I'll get it, promise!

Spoiled: An Extravagant Caesar Salad

sautéed romaine • honey chevre • lemon roasted chicken • potato croutons • sabayon

The Humble Pea

Firstly, allow me to apologize for my absence these past few weeks. Mr. has been engaged in an incredibly exciting professional course (it's exciting because we won't be poor students raising children) that has sucked up every last moment of our time; at the end of the day once the kitchen is cleanish and the little people are sleeping I could just about muster the energy to watch Law & Order re-runs. The weather has been beautiful, the sunlight a perfectly muted gold that warms your arms and cheeks but pulls back before it cooks you. That type of weather begs to have children run around in it, happy and free of a cold Nova Scotia winter.

Miss N. and Bubs greatly appreciate a birthday and this past Thursday was Canada's birthday and while we made it down to the fireworks (they were mesmerized and smitten), we spent the early evening eating fresh peas and strawberries. The crazed week of driving around, too much takeout and the scramble to just get around melted away with the snap of each pea. I think this was my favourite part of the day, never mind the excitement of the harbour front, being able to sit with my babies and eat fresh produce from a farm just a short distance away was my highlight.

The giggles, the mess and the sweet sharing between brother and sister who will easily fight over a broken toy was because of the humble pea. The stress of the week, that palpable mess of constant activity without result split apart with each pea and was cast aside into the growing pile spent shells.