St. Joseph

This is our house and we are the buyers that St. Joseph brought forward! Hilarious. Photo of our neighbourhood bakery via Georgestown Neighbourhood Association.

Globe

How exciting: today the Globe and Mail's Life section online is profiling four of our wedding photos! Photography by Sally LeDrew.

BLT

I love a new take on an old standby. Naturally that's why I cannot wait to make this BLT. I've never been much of a bread fan, so this 'sandwich' appeals to me. Doesn't it look yummy? Recipe, photos and details from The Globe and Mail. 

Talent

Fake it 'til you make it; truer words have yet to be uttered as regards my creative abilities. I wasn't born with perfect pitch or poetic vigour. However, I have tried my hand at tap dancing, painting, singing, theatre, violin and ballet. With such a string of ventures (many short-lived), one could come to the conclusion that I give up too easily (and they'd be half right).

While I do feel pangs of jealously when I see others create in ways that seems to be effortless from the outside, I think the most cathartic way for me to release creative energy is through the written word. I don't linger for long with the green eyed monster. While I've enjoyed the other pursuits, I don't feel empty without their accomplishments and embellishments.

This love affair with words began a long time ago. As a child I wrote poetry and preferred to play with books over dolls. In the midst of my teenage angst, I dabbled in online journalism and wrote a short story that to this day I reflect upon fondly. In my university years, I wrote a bi-weekly newspaper column. For a long time I missed that writing, and in fact, many days I still do. Thinking about words (and even fonts) excites me. Thankfully writing, albeit not of the creative bent, is a major component of my current profession.

Greg and I chatted about creative energy on our road trip. We were exposed to poets, actors, musicians and potters. The joy that stretched across their faces when talking about their art was infectious. It got us to thinking about our own energies. In thinking back on that side-by-side chat on a hazy Saturday evening, I write this post as a commitment to myself to delve into writing more thoroughly. I'm sitting at a juncture in my life right now, and I'd like to use my pen more frequently in this next chapter. I'm venturing forward with the intention to write another short story. We shall see where this pursuit takes me. I think this is one of those truck stops.

Image via Janny Brocken.

P.S. I haven't given up on ballet, and hope to continue in the fall.

Sixx

I love the design and life that exudes from this photo. To read more about this busting New York family and their firm Sixx Designs, see here. Photo via Michael Weschler for the New York Times.

Menu

The Globe and Mail's Food & Wine section offers a great feature - Lucy Waverman's Weekend Menu. Wavermen takes inspiration from her own life to develop recipes to spread over a weekend. The recipes all stem from a theme and cover desserts, soups, entrees, and salads. I enjoy trying new recipes and cooking at home on the weekends. If you're the same, and want to shake up your regular rotation of meals, try Waverman's current recipes - mushroom soup, black cod with Jerusalem artichoke and white turnip puree, and blood orange and almond tart - all takes on meals she experienced on a recent trip to Montreal.

 

Spaghetti with Tuna, Olives and Capers

Pasta is a staple in our kitchen. As such, I look forward to trying recipes from the February 21 edition of the column - three easy takes on pasta. The first offering is a spaghetti with tuna, olives and capers/caper berries. While spaghetti may be expected in our home, tuna and capers are certainly not, and I normally pass on olives. The other recipes are easy rustic lasagna with sausage, cheese and nutmeg, and pasta with zucchini and prosciutto. 

Last weekend, I tried a curry zucchini soup that was less impressive than the photo in my recipe book lead me to believe. Zucchini is a little hard to find in Edmonton in early March, but the penne recipe looks delicious. 

Photo via The Globe and Mail.