Canada Day Strawberry Cake

Tomorrow is Canada Day, so I thought I'd share a recipe for one of my favorite "themed" cakes - A Canadian Flag Cake! :)

I would have gone through all the steps to make this myself, but I've been a little busy getting ready to head out camping this weekend. Kraft Canada has a helpful video of how to do this cake, but here is a quick recipe on how to make it.

What you'll need:
1 package (298 g) of prepared pound cake, cut into 12 slices
2 cups boiling water
2 packages (85 g each) of Jell-O Strawberry Jelly Powder
3 cups ice cubes
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided
2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping

Cover bottom of 13x9-inch dish with cake slices; set aside.

Add boiling water to jelly powders in large bowl. Stir for 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add ice cubes and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until ice is melted. Remove any unmelted ice with a slotted spoon. Stir in 1 cup strawberries. Pour mixture over cake. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Remove from the fridge and cover with Cool Whip. Refridgerate for 4 hours or until jelly is firm.

Now its time to arrange the remaining berries over dessert to resemble the Canadian flag. Using a toothpick, trace a maple leaf pattern on top of dessert. Place a strawberry slice on each leaf point, then fill in the leaf with remaining strawberries.

The Garden vs The Office

After hiding out at my parents' place during the G20 summit, I've been dreading coming back into the office this morning. I've been enjoying the break up in country, hanging out with friends and family, driving through town on the old backroads. The idea of going back to public transportation, busy streets and loud neighbours (hello, world cup!) just isn't very alluring right now. Trading my office work for digging around in the garden has been a pretty sweet life.

Who wants to worry about the fax machine, when they are looking at a patch of beautiful daisies? 

Or worry about checking their email when they are admiring a cherry tree just starting to show fruit. It won't be long before we're making fresh sour cherry tarts. Yum yum yum!

Being back in the country for a week surrounded by beautfiul flowers and lush green trees has gone to my head. (Speaking of heads, I cannot tell you how many times I have bumped my head on this hanging basket this week. The curse of being taller than your mother who hung it.) 

Whiskey is happy to be in the country as well. Who am I kidding, he loves the city too. Anything that is an adventure. I guess thats a good thing that I like that too. We're a nice match, me and my little buddy.

Surviving the G20 Summit with a little fashion sense

I'm looking forward to life returning back to normal next week once the G20 Summit is done, and all the international diplomats and media head home. I miss the hustle and bustle of downtown which has been notably absent the past week with most people steering clear of the fenced in area. In a city where we don't normally see a big police presence, its odd to see officers at every corner. Its no surprise that it has been named Fortress Toronto for the time being.

On the train the other morning, I read an article in the Metro News that poked fun at fashion during the G20 summit, and I had to pass it on:

Dressing for G20 protests is tricky. Look too corporate and you might be paint-bombed. Dress like a militant protester, you run the risk of being tear gassed.

But have a stylist help you, you look fabulous.

“If you’re leading (these protests) and you know pictures are being taken of you, why not look good?” said Kathryn McEwen, the general manager of Queen Street West boutique Fashion Crimes.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, former RCMP officer and security expert Chris Mathers had more conservative advice. “Don’t go,” he said. “That’s how you should dress.”
So many options.

If you’re the rabble-rousing, tear-gas-loving type who won’t be held back by mere warnings, synthetic fabrics are your best bet since tear gas sticks to natural fibres. Mathers said covering your face with a bandana is an indication to police that you could be trouble. He mused on advice for the protester looking to steer clear of police and militant attention.

“Plaid?” he offered. “I hate to think of people at home in their closet missing the protest because they can’t make a fashion decision.” 

With all the negative energy floating around the city, its nice to laugh about it too :)

Images from Flickr, Sean Marshall

The Impatient Chocolate Cake Recipe

I'm not always the most patient person, especially when it comes to waiting for something delicious to be ready to eat. I burn the roof of my mouth on a regular basis from not letting things cool. And sometimes I try to rush when I'm making a chocolate cake and suffer the consequences. Recently I was up visiting my parents' and decided to make a big chocolate cake for everyone to share, using a recipe from the people at Baker's chocolate. Let's just say that the end results were delicious...but far from pretty.

This is what the chocolate cake was supposed to look like:

And this is how it ended up because I was rushing like a mad woman:

The end result was a puffed up center that looks like my cake has a tumor and icing pouring down the sides, and over the plate. It still tasted fantastic, but there is a lesson here in rushing between steps. And I wouldn't be a good blogger if I didn't fess up to my mistakes. So I still want to share with you this rich, decadent chocolate cake recipe, but I would advise you to do as I say and not as I do in this situation.

What you'll need:

Cake
2/3 cup Butter, softened
1 3/4 cups Flour
1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/4 cups Water
4 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate, melted, cooled
1 tsp Vanilla
3 Eggs

Frosting
4 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Butter
3 1/2 cups Icing Sugar
1/2 cup Milk

Lets get started on the cake first:

Chop the chocolate and melt it in a microwave until shiny and smooth. The only reason that all of this chocolate isn't eaten already is because it is unsweetened. Its a natural deterrent from grabby hands walking past someone baking in the kitchen. If this was semi-sweet or milk chocolate I would have had to chop twice as much. Such is a reality of baking around a chocolate addicted family.

Beat all cake ingredients except eggs in large bowl with mixer 2 min. or until well blended. Add eggs; beat 2 min.

White, Black & Pink

What is it about the month of June that makes for such fantastic weddings? Nice weather. Fresh seasonal food. And of course, beautiful flowers. The varieties that you can get in these warm months makes it perfect for doing some amazing arrangements. Recently I was at a wedding for a friend's sister, and my job for the festivities was to join some of the other ladies to help make the flower arrangements. I was more than happy to oblige. Flowers are by far one of my favorite parts of a wedding (right up there with good food, dancing...and of course seeing the happy couple tie the knot!) This wedding had a fantastic colour scheme with white and black damask details, and fuchsia accents.

For these vibrant centerpieces, the bride's aunt picked this winning combination of fuchsia gerbera daisies, white roses and white hydrangea. Daisies are one of my all-time favorite flowers, so my heart melted a little when I saw these in the big florist buckets. To hold the arrangements, galvanized buckets were filled with river stones to act as not only a way to weigh down the buckets, but to also keep the flowers in place. The metallic surface of the buckets was great for reflecting the beautiful damask table cloths, especially in the evening when the tables were lit with elegant flickering candles.

The bride's aunt, our florist extraordinaire, came up with this lovely idea of making a pink carnation "pillow". She taught me to take a heart shaped glass container, fill it with clear stones, and then cut the carnations super short is that they could fit into the rocks, and just peek out over the edge of the dish. These looked incredibly sweet placed throughout the hall.

And of course the bride's lovable chocolate lab needed some flowers for walking down the aisle as well. How cute is his little wreath?

Working from the Back Porch

With preparations for the G20 Summit in Toronto this week, I've been hiding out at my parents' place up north. The hustle and bustle of the city isn't the same when we're all being corralled like cattle around fences and security.

And considering that this is the view from our backyard, I am happily enjoying this escape from the hustle and the bustle of the city.

Sometimes when I'm up here I forget why I ever moved to the city. There are so many pros and cons for both, that I'm glad that I get to experience each one from time to time.

Whiskey seems to like living in both worlds too. Unlike his usual office duties, this is what Whiskey has been doing this week....lots of bug hunting...

 ...and munching on grass...

 ...patroling the property for wayward birds...

Parsnip Fries

After recently buying some parsnips to make Vegetable Pot Pie, I had a huge bag left over and I needed a quick way to use them up. It got me thinking...why can't you make fries with parsnips like you would with sweet potatoes or turnips? Its a flavourful root vegetable, so it should hit the spot. Turns out that this one was right on the money. With a declicious roasted flavour, and the subtle taste of paprika, these were gobbled up in no time.

Parsnips have even more minerals and vitamins than their close relative, carrots. These are sure to make it into my regular rotation of veggie side dishes, thanks to their ability to be a nutritious alternative to the ever alluring french fry.

What you'll need:
1 lb bag of Parnsips
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Paprika
Salt & Pepper

Peel and clean the parsnips just like a carrot. Cut into fries, removing any "woody" centers if you have them.

Toss parsnips with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.

When Daddy Let Me Drive

Its Father's Day today and I have been lucky enough to spend some of it with my dad and grandfather. But a little whie ago this afternoon, I was driving down some quiet backroads, and Alan Jackson's "Drive" came on the radio, which to me has always made me think of my dad, grandfather and brother. Before I knew it I was driving along, with the windows down, singing as loud as I can, and maybe even getting a little misty in the eyes.

So today I want to say Happy Father's Day to the great men in my life and dedicate this song to them.

Keela the Cutie

There is a new pup in the neighbourhood, and she is stealing hearts one by one. My friend Courtney just adopted a cute beagle/pug/whatever mix that is one of the cuddliest dogs I've ever met.

Despite being so big, she loves to be carried by her Aunt Shauna.

Kisses!

On the first night that she was home all of us girls were having a movie night downstairs watching Brothers, and Keela was crying at the door because her new dad, Dave, was outside with the boys and she missed him. No matter what we did, she kept going back up to the door to wait for him. She'd only known him a few short hours and already she was attached.

And for all his bravado, I'm pretty sure that Dave is getting attached pretty quickly too ;)
Congrats Courtney & Dave on the new pup! Looking forward to a playdate with Whiskey soon!

The Klutz in Me

The klutz in me cringes at this video. I'd have no fingers left if this was my job.



I have the day off, so my sister and I are heading out to the back porch for a nice resfreshing strawberry daiquari. Just the ticket on a hot Friday afternoon. Woohoo for an early weekend :)

Lacing Up My Running Shoes

I've always been a swimmer or a biker. The thought of "going for a run" was absurd to me. Then this year I got talking to a few of my friends who are avid runners...and suddenly I started thinking about it differently. I mean, I walk 35 minutes each way to and from work with Whiskey. I should be able to do this.

One of the big reasons that I hate running (aside from during sports), was that the few times I've been made to do it, I have done too much too soon, get a cramp, hurt the next day and think "Enough of this!". So when my friends started talking about doing interval training and starting out slow and work up to doing 5km, I was intrigued. Thus began my running regime. I'm following the plan called Couch to 5km, and at two weeks in, its been better than I thought it would be. I feel energized and motivated to keep going!

This past weekend I decided to do my run along the lake in my hometown because...1) I thought it would be gorgeous and a nice change of scenery and 2) I don't want my neighbours to see me sweaty and gross. Eww. Women don't sweat...we glisten.

The nice part about running along the lake is that I got to see all the gorgeous cottages across the road from the water. This one has always been one of my favorites.

I think its the turret and covered porch that get me most. I was recently at a friend's parents' house and their mother was telling me that she regretted building a house with a turret because its hard to furnish. They doesn't deter me in the slightest. I'd find a way to decorate it just to have it.

The bright blue of this cottage really makes it stand out against the other quieter toned houses along the street. Reminds me a bit of the blues from the house in Nights of Rodanthe.

Although I'm not crazy about the awnings on this place, I love the simple porch and beautiful gardens. And that Canada Flag is reminding me that we have only two weeks until Canada Day!

A Lovely June Wedding

This weekend my dear friend Sarah got hitched!

Seeing her looking absolutely gorgeous and standing up at the altar with the love of her life, Randy, made me a little teary.

The happy couple!

The bridesmaids and two of my dearest friends - Ashley and Kim.

I love these ladies!

The gorgeous and delicious cake that Randy's aunt made. Does she do birthday cakes? Because I'm going to need one of these in about eleven months.

The tables were set in lovely white and green. I would never have thought of green as an accent colour, but it made everything pop on the table.

The centerpieces were beautfiul and smelled fantastic.

I luckily got to take one home :)

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I've seen a few recipes floating around these days talking about using riced cauliflower as a substitute for rice, but it was this recipe for using it to make a pizza crust that intrigued me most.

The idea of having a low-carb, nutritious option for when I have some of my gluten-free friends over for pizza night sounded great. Little did I know that I would fall in love with this simple, tasty recipe. However, there were a few speed bumps along the way, which I include in this post. We all know that not all recipes work out when you make them and you sometimes have to fiddle around a bit...which can be half the fun ;)

What you'll need:
1 cup Cooked, Riced Cauliflower (see directions below)
1 Egg
1 cup Low-Fat Mozzarella Cheese
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Dried Basil
Whatever pizza toppings you prefer, just make sure that any meats are cooked.

To make the riced cauliflower, you need about 3 cups of raw chopped cauliflower to make 1 cup riced. Place the pieces into a covered microwavable dish (do not add water!) and microwave until it is cooked, approx 8 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully pour out any water and allow to cool.

If you don't have a microwave, follow these directions:

Steam large pieces for a few minutes until they are cooked through, but not soft. Remove the pieces from the pot and let cool until you can safely handle them.

Now for both steamed and microwaved cauliflower, you need to grate the pieces to create a rice-like consistency. You can also use a ricer, food processor or sharp knife. Using your hands, squeeze as much moisture out of the riced cauliflower as you can. You'll be surprised by how much water there really is!

Summer Movie Madness!

As a film student, one of my favorite things about summer are the big movies that come out every year. Its a constant dilemma whether to stay outside to enjoy the sunshine or go seek the comfort of an air conditioned theatre. The solution: Going to the Drive-In! Here are just a few of the films that I'm looking forward to catching this summer.

Christopher Nolan (the director who brought us The Dark Knight, Batman Begins and Memento) is back with another tantalizing film with the much anticipated Inception. My intern in so psyched about this film that he talks about it every day. Its hard not to be excited where there is someone at your office just bubbling with it.

Julia Roberts returns to the big screen with the big screen adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's best selling book Eat, Pray, Love. This may just do to India and Indonesia what Under the Tuscan Sun did for Italy. Woman around the world will be booking flights before the night is over!


Last year during the Toronto International Film Festival I was able to catch a screening of the indie film Ondine with Colin Farrell. I ran into him twice when he was in town for the festival and he is even more handsome in real life. The film is a touching story of an Irish fisherman who finds a beautiful woman in his fishing net and believes that she is a mermaid.

And last but not least, I am going to feed my comedy addiction with Will Farrell and Mark Wahlberg (who will forever be Marky Marky to me) in their new buddy cop comedy The Other Guys. It may turn out to be horrible and cheesy, but sometimes thats the whole point of watching films like that. A little bit of escapism never hurt anybody ;)

What movies are you looking forward to this summer?

An Evening in an English Garden (in Canada)

Today is a dreary raining day here in Ontario, but last weekend when it was gorgeous out, we took a drive through London, Ontario after the car show.

Driving in the '67 Camaro, with the windows down. Pure bliss.

Speeding down all these country roads makes me homesick. Sometimes city living just doesn't cut it.

I've never been to London, Ontario before and I was surprised at how many big beautiful houses were around. I'm not crazy about that big front window, but I love the little porch on the side (and the flowerbeds, of course).

A simple and inviting porch.

Then we got to my mother's friend's house and I fell in love with her place instantly. The big sun room made me crave a nice book and a big glass of ice cold lemonade.

But then I walked into the backyard and it was beautiful and wild and reminded me of England (which makes sense considering that this woman is from England).

Year of the Dog

A year ago today I went to a dog shelter in rural Ontario and picked up this:

He was scraggly and scrawny with a bad case of kennel cough, but I loved him already. He cuddled right into my heart and stayed there. Whiskey was brought up to Canada from a pound in Ohio because if he stayed there he was going to be put to sleep. I still can't believe that this little fella almost didn't make it.

Now looking back on the past year, I think of all the places that he has been and the things that he was done.

He's always up for an adventure, whether its our weekly trip on the train to visit my family for dinner, or just a car ride to Tim Horton's for coffee and Timbits.

He visited the Atlantic Ocean for the first time when we went to Maine last summer.

Lets just say that he wasn't so crazy about the cold, salty water...

 ....he prefered to stay close and cuddle in a towel.

 He visted Historic Quebec City and sat atop a cannon.