Fall Favourites List

In light of my recent mishap, there hasn't been a whole lot of cooking in my little green kitchen.  At least not anything blogworthy.  You guys are surely pros at the toasted tomato sandwich and chicken soup.  I'm on the mend, slowly but surely, even hobbling around the house now and then without crutches.  Baby steps, right?  Before you know it I'll be bustin some moves again.  Cross your fingers.  In the meantime, I've rustled up a few favourite things to share with you.  I hope you are smashing through fallen leaves and sipping on pumpkin spice lattés and just generally getting your cozy on.  We'll talk again real soon. xoxo Renée

I took this banana bread along with me to the yurt.  So good! 

If famous writers had Instagram.  Ha!

My friend Amy talked all things preserving on the Food Nerd Podcast. Love it!

Tahini Date Salted Caramels.  'Nuff said. 

Get your pumpkin on with these scones. 

I love Amy Poehler.  So much. 

Next time I feel a tickle in my throat, I'll be making this refreshing tisane. 

Want to infuse more tea in your baked goods?  Start here. 

I stayed up until the wee hours to finish this book. 

It's never too early to think about gingerbread.

Oh my.  Homemade peanut butter cups. 

This song is on heavy rotation in my house. I'm a little obsessed.  

I bought some arugula just so I can make this salad. 

I think all grilled cheese sandwiches should have fig jam. 

The prettiest beet salad.  Ever. 

Cocoa and popcorn.  Together forever. 

This Lip Sync Battle.  The best.  

This blog makes me laugh and crave sugar at the same time.  

If you've got stuff you're totally crushing on, let me know in the comments!  

Fallen: Rustic Almond Pear Galette with Dulce de Leche

When I look back on the year 2013, I will have to say it was anything but boring.  I've never much cared for roller coasters, but this year is quickly becoming one.  You might recall that I recently returned from my yurt adventure, all rejuvenated and rosy cheeked.  Warm, fuzzy feelings of everything being right in the world set in.  It was good times.  Flashback to a week ago when, out on an innocent sightseeing Sunday, I took a tumble and fell, hard.  Too smitten with the South Saskatchewan River to watch where I was going, my foot caught in a rut and I, in all my uncoordinated glory, ended up breaking a bone in my right foot.  At first I thought it was a simple, yet painful sprain, but as the shock wore off the excruciating pain set in and yup, an X-Ray revealed a broken foot.  Oh my.  This was so not how things were supposed to go for me!  I had plans and activities and work to look forward to.  Now, I'm laid up with crutches and an oh-so-sexy walking boot that still scares the bejeezus out of the cats.  Seeing as I'm the pastry chef in a busy kitchen, work is put on hold indefinitely.  I've had to rely on friends to help do simple tasks around the house.  Let me tell you, it's pretty humbling to see someone else sweep your floor, do your laundry and take out your trash.  I'll never again take for granted these simple activities that I wish I could do for myself.  The broken foot has definitely cramped my independence, but given that today is Thanksgiving in Canada, I still have so much to be grateful for.  Like, of all the bones to break in the foot, I broke the right one, requiring only 6 weeks to heal instead of 6 months (that would surely put me over the edge).  I'm grateful to the friends and family to have stopped by with food, comforting words and offers of assistance.  The sign of a true friend is one who will clean the litter box without being asked.  True that.  I've no doubt I'll heal well; the pain and swelling are already decreasing.  Just be patient, the doctor said.  I nodded my head.  Just another one of life's adventures to look back upon when I'm 90 years old and shooting the shit in the seniors' home.  

Petite Retreat: Buckwheat Porridge & Caramelized Apples

We need the tonic of wildness...We can never have enough of nature. ~ Henry David Thoreau

 

I needed it badly.  A getaway from the city; from my busy life.  It seems like ever since June hit I was running full steam ahead, with the new job and side projects and writing and well, life.  Taking a break from this space helped, but not quite enough.  I needed to remove myself from the everyday life and just retreat.  Luckily I knew of just the place to disappear to.  A while back a friend mentioned that she visited a beautiful forest lodge, called Flora Bora, that rented out yurts.  What is a yurt, you ask?  Read all about them here, for a far better explanation than I could ever give.  This place was to be my tonic.