The Great Tulip Growing Adventure : Photos from a Spring Garden
Coffee at Fika Cafe in Kensington Market Toronto
I know many of you are enjoying a day off today, while we in Canada had our three-day weekend last week (for Victoria Day). So on the holiday Monday I met Meghan for a little poke around Kensington Market.
This is a great part of the city that I've been going to since I was a teen, beginning when an art teacher was brave (and cool) enough to take a class of suburban kids to there to sketch when I was in 9th grade. (Btw, when someone in Toronto says they're going to the market, they mean they're going to this part of town, and not to a grocery store, which I believe are known as 'markets' in many places.)
I met Meghan at the pretty cafe she introduced me to during the winter (Fika, shown in this post.)
The Cat in the Mirror
I'm starting with the cat in the mirror. But I'm not asking him to change his ways ... because I love him just the way he is.
Quinoa Salad with Mango and Toasted Pistachio Nuts
Care to try a tasty grain salad?
This recipe is inspired by one I lost. Here's the story - Once while on vacation on the west coast I bought a Vegetarian Cookbook (we aren't totally vegetarian but limit the meat eating). The first recipe I tried when we got home was the Quinoa Salad.
We quite enjoyed this great salad, that had pieces of mango and pistachio nuts in it, and a dressing that called for some yogurt.
Then my brand new cookbook somehow got slipped into a pile of newspapers and tossed into the recycling bin by mistake. I never saw it again, nor had I the chance to try any of the other recipes in it. I don't even know what it was called now (so if this recipe sounds like one you've seen in a Vegetarian Cookbook, please let me know.)
Anyway, memories of that delicious salad and the flavour of the mango, nut and quinoa combination stayed with me. So I've attempted to recreate it, with good results I think.
Dinner at Our Place with Friends
I can tell you now, after we've had some success in fulfilling our goal, that one of our New Year's Resolutions last year was to have people over for dinner more often. For some reason, although we both really like to cook, we haven't had many dinner parties in recent years. We felt they were something we missed so we resolved to step up our game and it has been fun getting back into hosting, from planning the meal to cooperating on its preparation and creating a nice time for friends. Plus it means our home gets a regular cleaning, which is an added bonus for sure.
I hope that my posts talking about these evenings at our place are interesting for you, but please be sure to let me know when you're getting tired of seeing what goes on around that same round dining table! And don't worry, I'll be changing things up soon because we'll be taking it outside very soon.
In fact, when we originally invited new friends, Chris and Kim, over on Sunday evening, we completely thought we would be outdoors. That was a no-go because it was still too cold, so inside we stayed.
You have met them when we went to their place here, and before that here when they came over for the first time. They are a nice couple who we have been enjoying getting to know.
It was a three day weekend in Canada, so with no one having to get up for work the next morning we may have had an extra drink or two. Nick makes a very good tea-based cocktail he invented, which he calls 'Sinner's Tea', I think because it aids in loosening tongues which leads to the sharing of stories of past sinful deeds!
Our table setting included a few thrifted treasures : the tablecloth is the one found during this thrifting trip, the napkins during this one, and the salad-dressing bowl during this one.
