Saturday Night Recipe

It's that time of the week again.

I wanted to keep my new recipe night on Fridays, but yesterday I had plans to try this Portuguese restaurant that Cookie and I have been wanting to try for months now. Braseiro is a quaint, little restaurant on St-Laurent in the Villeray/Parc-X area. They boast the best chicken in town, so that's what the four of us got. I NEVER get chicken when I go out to a restaurant - unless it's in a wrap of some sort, but it was delicious! It's made on the grill, so it taste like BBQ chicken, which just brought me back to summer evenings in my parent's backyard. The only downside was that we didn't think of making reservations and had to sit at the bar. Oh well, no biggy and now we know.

So I tried my new recipe last night. I hadn't given it much thought during the day, because I was busy with an ad adaptation assignment. By the time I started thinking of what I could make, it was 5:30 and I was starving and in no mood to go to the grocery store (it's been really cold lately and I've really been putting off).

I thought we had squid ink left over, and I thought I could try some squid ink risotto. So after rummaging through the pantry, I realized that The Boy must have thrown it away. I was scrambling around the kitchen, trying to figure out what I could make. And then I found the saffron. Saffron risotto doesn't sound as elegant (or digusting, depending) as squid ink risotto, but I never made risotto at all. I had to substitute the white wine for red and at first I thought it would ruin it, and I had to use the fake parmesan cheese, but all in all, it turned out pretty well.

It's actually pretty simple to make, it just needs your constant attention because you need to pour in the chicken stock about 1/2 cup at a time, wait for it to absorb and add more stock. Don't, say, write a blog post while you're making it - that's a bad idea.

It's best to get rice that's especially for risotto - I had Arborio. Chop up some onions, add them to pan with oil. When the onions are transparent, add the a cup of rice and a cup of white wine. When the wine's gone, you're supposed to add boiling chicken stock, but I didn't bother boiling it. When the stock is all absorbed, mix in some butter and parmesan. Remove from heat and cover for about 2 minutes. Mmm, mmm good.

Now I definitely want to try making squind ink risotto - and if I can find a good recipe - some barley risotto.  

As soon as it warms up, I'll make getting supper more of a priority. 

Random Things About LMG

When I was a toddler my brother tied me to a tree to stop me from running away.

I like guy's names for girls.

People who clip their nails in public places is one of my pet peeves (the subway is NOT your bathroom!).

I don't have a favourite number, nor do I understand why people think I should.

I dream of living in France.

I think brussels sprouts exist for the sole reason of making other food taste infinitely better by comparaison.

I like frogs.

Vintage

I really like mixing the old with the new. As it is now, our apartment is mostly the old with the older so I'm half way there. But getting the the new stuff is easy-peasy, it's the old stuff that's the challenge. I don't really have a good eye when it comes to looking around thrift stores, but I do have my own little treasure island when it comes to knick-knacks with a history - most of us do. Our parents home!

My parents have the tendency to hold on to a lot of stuff, which annoyed me when I was growing up. I didn't appreciate the quality and timelessness of everything. They just don't make things like they did 30 years ago.

from the best vintage boots, the warmest jacket ever to the 1965 edition of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (that just smell wonderfully old) and the leather purses my father made - I HEART all this things that have such tremendous sentimental value!

Rummaging through thrift stores and checking out garage sales is more like a hobby than just a thing to do on a boring Sunday  -which it can also be, of course - sometimes there's nothing decent to be found and sometimes you really need to use your imagination to envision how to turn one man's garbage into another's gold (or however that saying goes). I, for one, don't really have the patience to look for those amazing finds, but I would like to. There's so many great things to be found out there!

What have you unearthed in the depths of your parents basement? or a thrift store...

Friday Night Recipes

I watched Julie & Julia a few days ago and thought how much I would like to be able to cook. I mean really cook. When I first moved out of my parents house, I could barely boil an egg. For the first few weeks, I just depended on The Boy to make supper. As the days went by, I became annoyed with my culinary deficiencies, so I began trying a few recipes. Simple things at first and I hoped that with practice I would become quite the cook.

What happened instead is that I became comfortable with a few basics and just mixed and matched. After watching Julie & Julia, my hopes for my cooking talents were reawakened. I've decided to try a new recipe at least once a week, I'm thinking of making it a Friday night thing, but I don't want to promise myself anything...I hate breaking promises, especially to myself.

Anyway, last night I tried my hand at stuffed chicken rolls. I remembered seeing a delicious-looking recipe in HELLO Magazine (which has some fabulous recipes). So I dutifully made my way to the grocery store, got some chicken breasts, pesto and roasted pepper. I pounded the chicken (which is a great way release any tension, pent-up anger or feelings of anxiety at the thought of making rolls with the chicken) mixed some cream cheese with the pesto and shopped rosted peppers; spread it on the chicken and rolled it up.

Rolling it was tough, getting it to stay that way was even more challenging. Roughly 30 toothpicks later, it was time to bread the thing...at this point I didn't think I could do it. As I was preparing myself for a supper of mac&cheese, I managed to bread and brown the rolls and carefully move them onto a baking sheet and stick them in the oven without incident. Brilliant! I had timed the potatoes all wrong and they were done by the time the chicken started to cook, but that was just a small hitch in an otherwise very successful meal.

It doesn't look very appetizing in this terrible picture, but trust me it was delicious - even the potatoes.

I'm quite proud of myself. I realize that some people can do this kind of thing with their eyes closed, but this was an achievement for me. I think I'm ready to bone a chicken... kidding!

The End of an Era

Ok, most people will claim that this era came to an end years ago, others might argue that this doesn't qualify as an era, but for me it's now and it does.

VHS tapes are a staple of my childhood, but I think it's time to let our collection of tapes go.

I'm finding it especially hard to part with those that I have watched so much that they almost don't work at all anymore.

Like I said, end of an era!

 ... Maybe I'll just hold on to some of these, you know, until I find them on DVD or something...Can't be too hard with eBay, right? Ok I'm going to watch Black Beauty - if the VCR works, of course.

There's Nothing Like...

rediscovering a forgotten piece of clothing. I've had this casual-looking blazer for so long. After I bought it from Tristan a few years ago, I quickly proceeded to go home, stick it in the closet and forget all about it.
So several years and a move later there it still was, languishing with many other forgotten and neglected pieces. Until this morning when, by lack of inspiration, I got desperate and delved into the shadowy depths of "My 2nd Closet" (too much?)

The picture is not great, and consequently the blazer doesn't look like much. It could use a good ironing, but other than that, it's perfect! I love it!! It's not too formal, but can still dress up jeans and a t-shirt; it's light and comfortable; works in summer or winter and everything in between (although I'm starting to believe that these other seasons, "fall" and "spring", people keep referring to are just myths. In Quebec it's either wintry or sweltering).

Today I tried it out with my AE "boyfriend" jeans and my Blondie t-shirt. I rather liked the result.

Topped off with my favourite boots and some of my mom's old accessories. Et voila, le tour est joué! Nothing revolutionary, but classic and comfy.
I guess it goes to show, you should never get rid of clothes you don't wear. Well, that's not really feasible, we don't all have the room for an ever-expanding wardrobe. But you should be really, really careful about what you get rid of. You never know when they'll make a comeback.

The Eagle

Why does this always happen? Just when I vow to never shop again (ok, that's a pretty unacheivable task for me, but isn't it a good thing to set your goals high?), I go on the AE site and fall in love with at least 5 items and all of them new arrivals, of course (I realize the best thing to do when one takes such a vow is to stay the hell away from the one's favourite stores and avoid all temptation, but we are all flawed and sometimes irrational creatures) . Yet when I am actively looking to spend some extra cash, nada!

It was love at first sight for this jean jacket

ae chambray moto jacket

(also available in tan canvas)

This shirt would complete my cowboy outfit (not that I want to look like a cowboy, I just seem to gravitate towards anything with a western feel)

ae chambray western shirt

You can never have too  many jeans, especially AE jeans. TBH, I love all their jeans, I just picked these because of all the styles out there boy fit jeans are the only ones I'm missing.

boy fit crop jean

A pretty summer dress to offset the tomboy-ishness

ae burnout floral dress

Throw in some t-shirts for good measure

ae u-neck t

(available in 6 other colours)

ae striped u-neck t

(also available in "raspeberry thistle"

I can never resist me a loose-fitting yet kinda sexy t-shirt.

God, I love American Eagle!!!

Back to School

The winter semester started about a week ago, so it's back to the books for me...and when I say books, I mean laptop, which isn't much of difference at all. The difference is, however, how I spend my time when I'm at the keyboard. No more wiling away the time by perusing numerous fashion/design blogs, looking through tons of online stores or reading about which celebrity did what this week. Nope, now I get to spend hours reading through government websites and law terminology banks, looking up words and nitpicking every single definition, not to mention attempting to learn the International Phonetic Alphabet.

I took a quick break from all that to spell out how much I miss doing stuff. I realize the semester has only just began, but it's always hardest right at the beginning, especially the winter semester. It's cold, it gets dark insanely early and everyone's broke! No one wants to go anywhere or do anything (including myself, I must admit). We're all in hibernation mode, at least as much as we can be. We go out only when it's absolutely necessary, if that. I can't say how many times I've had cereal for supper because I just couldn't muster the courage to go get some groceries...the real problem is when you run out of  milk. Dry cereal...not so great.

But I digress, I don't miss getting groceries. I miss the freedom of coming and going, of sitting on the balcony, of barbecues. I miss the sun. I miss my summer clothes! I miss wearing skirts and shorts and dresses. And yes, I know I can wear dresses, skirts and even shorts in winter (of course, not the same dresses, skirts and shorts I wear in  the summer), but January is simply that time of the year where I practically live in sweats and pyjama bottoms (there are worse things life, I admit. And I, by no means, am trying to lessen the value of the noble pyjama bottom...or sweats).

Aerie cozy pj pant 

(and they aren't lying! so cozy!)

I'm admiring my closet full of clothing, my mirror draped with necklaces and my jewelry case bulging with earrings and I miss getting dressed up. But evidently, not enough to make any kind of effort to find an occasion to do so. So to assuage my fashion appetite and my guilt at shunning my rather extensive collection of clothes, shoes and accessories, here are some of my most-missed favourites...

outfits...

pieces...

shoes...

 sparkly accessories and the like...

summer jewelry...

And my very favourite, my Zara leather boots

I agonized for -literally- hours before I decided to dish out the money for these. Despite the fact that they broke my teeny, tiny piggy-bank I totally adore them and they were worth every penny.

I gotta admit that I feel a little better. I guess it's just a question of taking some time to rummage through my closet.

Des Reliques

I was walking down the street one day when I saw this little store called Le Reliquaire, and I just kept on walking. Another day I drove passed it. I kept passing in front of this store that looked really interesting, but I just couldn't bring myself to walk in, which is a feeling I frequently get when it comes to small, mom&pop-type shops (I know, it's silly. I'm working on it).
Anywho, one day I was walking down the street with my mum when I told her my desire to see what the store was all about, and that was all it took.
At first it was really disconcerting. Oddly, the store is in what could only be described as an apartment. It feels like you're just walking into someone's home.
It turns out the store is basically just a constant garage sale! It's lovely! They sell all kinds of vintage pieces: furniture, toys, vinyl records, pictures...It's like Salvation Army, only better! For my first visit I just got 2 laminated pictures...

Le Baiser de l'Hotel de Ville by Robert Doisneau

Vermouth Torino by Marcello Dudovich

In fact, these 2 pieces began my wall deco project in my living room.

 

Le Reliquaire is on Promenade Fleury in Montreal. Click here for more information on this store and others on Promenade Fleury.

Stripes & Bows

I love marinière-inspired tops, particularly the ones with bows like this cute top from Etsy shop Penelope Red.

source

and this one from Topshop.

source

Last, but definitely not least this jacket from H&M

source

(and yes, I realize that there are no stripes,

but look how pretty!)

I love this H&M's Fashion Studio. You can dress up the models and mix and match head-to-toe outfits! It's so much fun and is one of those websites that allow me to distract myself from an ever-growing to-do list. Here's a little outfit I semi-concocted just now. Those boots are totally drool-worthy!

Shorts for Winter

We've all seen it by now, this fashion trend involving boots, tights and shorts and quite frankly I don't know what to make of it. When I first witnessed shorts and boots it was much warmer and I wasn't too crazy about it. I couldn't help but be reminded of *gasp* hooker attire.
And have you experienced Montreal summers?! Boots would be suicide!
So I steered clear of this fashion trend...then came the promise of cooler temperatures and the shorts/boots trend stuck, only this time it came with tights in the mix.

source

Ooooh! suddenly I love it! I still think it's a risky outfit. Get shorts that are a modicum too tight and you're back to hooker attire; wear the wrong top and...well, you know...hooker attire. But done right, I absolutely love this look! Take a look at Betty of Le Blog de Betty fame and Tokyobanhbao of Le Monde de Tokyobanhbao. These girls always seem to get it right! Now all I need is the courage to try this look out for myself and the weather conditions to wear my leather boots without ruining them.

source

Evidently, it's a trend that many people dislike and there's a lot that can go wrong.

For example (imho):

...but alas, that is the ever-constant challenge with fashion trends, isn't it?

Stüsh 2Nite is the Shiz!

My very talented, very hot buddy Wiz just came out with a music video Stüsh 2Nite. Give it a listen and pass the word around! I've known Wiz for years and he's a great guy and totally deserves recognition for all the hard work he's put into his music. He can dance (like wow, he can really move!), he can sing and though he isn't pursuing an acting career (to my knowledge) the guy can act.


Check Wiz Kilo (and his video) on his myspace page here or visit the official website here!

Little Things that Make Me Smile

derrière la porte or as it their logo succintly puts it: dlp. For those of you who have never heard of this brand it's a French company that make kitchen accessories, shopping bags and all kinds of other little knick-knacks that make people like me spend a lot of money.
I first came across this company in Casa Luca, a really fun store in Montreal. They had these shopping bags that my friend and I thought were simply hilarious.

"Les fruits sont nos amis"

Bah oui...et on mange pas ses amis

Ca se fait pas

-

"Fruits are our friends"

but people don't eat their friends

That's just wrong

 "Les fruits sont plains de vitamines"

Est-ce que j'ai l'air plein de vitamines?

Franchement

-

"Fruits are full of vitamins"

Do I look full of vitamins?

Come on

I can't find a way off the top of my head to translate it to really retain the "tone", but I think a lot of these products only really work in French and that's what I love about them. They're funny and oh-so-Parisien, I can just hear the accent when I read the little blurbs.

They also have a lot of other "text-free" products.

  

I really love this napkin dispenser - might just be my next purchase.

I found dlp's official website, but it seems to be lacking in the "browse our goods area" (and every other area for that matter). But there are a couple of e-tailers that sell their stuff. Most are based in France and most only have their site in French and some don't seem to ship to Canada, but their still to browse. Retailers in Montreal (that I know of) are Renaud-Bray and, as mentioned above, Casa Luca.

Happy Day

After many years of settling for hand-me-down cell phones, I finally decided it was time to have the "it" phone. That's right ladies and gentlemen, I have officially jumped on the band wagon and got myself an iPhone 3GS!

Initially, I was adamantly set on getting the new Blackberry Bold but once I started really researching the phones and their pros and cons I slowly started to realize that the iPhone suited me much better. The Bold is a great smartphone, but everything's so pretty and shiny on the iPhone! Apple's all about aesthetics and, let's face it, so am I.

2010

I can't believe we're in 2010. Feels like just a couple of years ago that we were getting ready for Y2K! Our New Year's celebration was a blast! When you find a group of people that can make drinking games in a hotel room seem like the best way to ring in not just the new year but the new decade, you know you've found some really great friends!

Happy New Year!!!

Geeky Stuff

A friend of mine just found this awesome blog, geeky stuff. It's basically a list of all kinds of very cool things from various websites. It's all so original! I want pretty much everything that's been posted. Among my favourites are the glass half pint

the pinch light

the street light floor lamp

the Gorge coffee table

the creative library chair

In fact, I've come across a few creative library furniture. They would be perfect for our apartment. We're quickly running out of room for all our books and these pieces would be a really interesting way of taking care of that problem.

The felt stool bookshelf

Malin Källman’s BookCase 

Click here for many more bookshelf ideas (brought to you by likecool.com, another very fun website to visit)!

Being a geek just got a whole lot cooler.