Urban Thirty Something

How Do I Stay Motivated?

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:07:05 -0400

As we close in on the third week of March, I wonder how many of us are still going strong on those New Year’s resolutions. I am not saying this as a “tisk-tisk” but as a fact of my life. It is so often that I have seen the gym become packed with new and ambitious members the first week after New Year. It is as often that I have seen it thin out in March. I am not immune to this same tapering off of motivation and focus on my goals. I have gone from running about four times per week and spinning once a week to running two times per week and spinning once per week (and some weeks not at all!). Sure, winter weather had something to do with it as I can’t stand running on a treadmill. But let’s be honest, we didn’t have much of a winter here in Toronto.

With two 10 km runs booked for April and May, I need to use the motivation techniques that work for me in order to stay focused.

When I am feeling lazy or even the opposite – completely swamped – I find myself making excuses to get out of running. When I find this happening, I visualize myself running. That’s what I’ve found works for me. You see, I actually really enjoy running, which is key for me being able to stick to an exercise program. I am so lucky that I live close to a running route that is filled with beautiful scenery. Why, during this week’s runs I saw swans, ducks, ponds, the lake and the Toronto skyline.

Picturing myself running alongside the rocky beach often gives me the push I need to get out the door. If this doesn’t work, then visualizing how great I will feel at the end of the run is another motivation trick I have up my sleeve.

I also find that just getting into my running gear is a great way to overcome a case of “The Lazies”. If I can just get into the dorky pants, hat, and runners, the rest seems to take care of itself. Of course, a motivating playlist is also part of my running gear.

Another technique I use is to think about all the ideas I have come up with while running. This is a great way to give myself permission to take time away from other priorities, and to get out for some exercise. During a run, I have been able to brainstorm solutions to problems and come up with creative ideas! Ideas that just weren’t flowing for me while staring at my computer screen trying to will the brilliance out of the recesses of my mind. It’s often when I am jogging along a beautiful path with a free mind that an “ah-ha!” moment happens for me. I come back to my work or personal project with inspiration and a renewed sense of excitement.

For me, having a system to track my progress is another big motivator. I personally use Nike + iPod to monitor my distance, speed and progress. I need to know how each run stacks up against the last. I also find that thinking about being able to share a new milestone reached or a nice photo from a run over Twitter or Facebook can give me the kick I need to run an extra kilometre or two.

It can be hard to stay positive when I’ve fallen off track. I start to think about how behind I have become on achieving my goals and fall into a further funk. When this happens, I have to remind myself that it only takes one session of exercise to “get back on track”. That first session back usually provides the motivation I need to keep going.

Exercise is such an important contributor to my physical and mental health. A good run is as soothing as a great conversation with a close friend (or therapist!). I am happier and find the ups and downs of life that much easier to handle after a spin around the lake.

What techniques do you use to stay motivated to work toward your goals?

Cocktail Hour

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:50:00 -0500

What is it about drinking a Manhattan that makes me feel like I am adding glamour to my life? Perhaps it is the romantic notions? The nostalgia I have for certain periods in history? For the times when people dressed to the nines to head out on the town: cocktail dresses, red lipstick and hair done, just right.

I think mostly it has to do with the idea of taking time to put myself together. To spend an evening with friends. To live life away from a computer screen.

A few weeks ago, in order to celebrate a good friend’s entry into her thirties I put on my new cocktail dress and pulled out my curlers and red lipstick. Once dolled up, I felt ready to hit the town with my husband. We headed to The Comrade near Queen and Broadview in Toronto for a night of great conversation and classic cocktails. Served in crystal glasses and garnished with sour cherries, the cocktails at The Comrade are reminiscent of glamorous times past. The drink menu is quite extensive and includes classics like the Manhattan, Old Fashioned and Sidecar.

In an attempt to recreate this experience at home I have also been mixing up classic cocktails using my cocktail bible Shaken: 250 Very Sexy Cocktails. The great recipes and photography in this book are enough to inspire some great party ideas.

Manhattan Dry

Ice cubes
60 ml (2 oz) rye whiskey
15 ml (1/2 oz) dry vermouth
Dash of Angostura bitters
Sour or Maraschino Cherries

Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the whiskey, vermouth and bitters and then shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with cherries.

Sidecar

Ice cubes
30 ml (1 oz) brandy or cognac
15 ml (1/2 oz) Cointreau
30 ml (1 oz) lemon juice
Lemon twist

Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the brand, Cointreau and lemon juice and then shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a twist of lemon.

Old Fashioned

1 sugar cube
Dash of Angostura bitters
Soda water
Ice cube
60 ml (2 oz) bourbon
Orange twist (optional)

Place the sugar cube in an old-fashioned glass. Add the bitters and let it soak into the sugar. Add a splash of soda water and enough ice to half-fill the glass. Pour the bourbon and stir to dissolve the sugar. Garnish with a twist of orange if you wish.

Recipes from Shaken: 250 Very Sexy Cocktails (You can find reasonably priced used copies of this book on Amazon.ca or a preview of the book on Google Books by searching ISBN 1740453603).

The music you play during your cocktail party is as important for setting the tone as the cocktails themselves. I personally choose to relax to the music of jazz masters like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington or, the classic crooners like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Fred Astaire.

Sometimes I think there is nothing more perfect than bourbon paired with the soul penetrating voices of Etta James or Billy Holiday.

Other times, I prefer a modern twist to my lounge music from such series as The Verve Remixed or Mushroom Jazz (DJ Mark Farina). To me, a well-curated playlist is almost as good as a time-machine.

What are some of your favourite classic cocktail and music combinations?

DJ Skate Night at Harbourfront

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:00:05 -0500

If you’ve been following my posts since January, you’ll know that I am trying hard to have it all. I am working to stay healthy and social, while making room for indulgences.

One of my goals as stated in my Strength in Numbers post is to make more of an effort to suggest active and healthy social outings. I know that I tend to suggest events that mostly revolve around food, drinks and merriment. While these types of events are not off the table, I want create more balance in what I do when I get together with friends and family.

So, this past Saturday evening a group of us put on our brave faces, dusted of our skating skills and headed to Harbourfront Center for DJ Skate Night.

Use of the outdoor rink on the edge of Lake Ontario is free during the event. Skates can be rented for $8. Be sure to arrive early while skates and lockers are still available.

Once laced up, I tentatively stepped onto the rink and after some stressful first steps I was skating again after at least ten years off the ice. After a few times around the rink, I was able to bust some careful moves to the tunes played our host DJs for the night (this may be the closest I come to “clubbing” these days).

I have to say that I felt very nostalgic for my younger years as I watched the Zamboni clear the ice.

With a licensed patio and word burning stoves, there are plenty of ways to stay warm while taking in great views of the lake and Toronto’s skyline.

This weekend’s DJ Skate night will feature Electro Swing with DJ Medicineman.

What types of active social events do you partake in?

Spreading the Love Another Valentine’s Day came and went this...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:00:00 -0500

Spreading the Love

Another Valentine’s Day came and went this week and there’s something I want you to know: I love you – I love you for reading my blog. Maybe this is your first visit, maybe you come by once in a while, or maybe you’re one of my avid supporters. Whoever you are, I want you to know how much I appreciate you.

The truth is, I love to show gratitude and appreciation. And perhaps it’s a fault of mine, but I also like to get it. The whole giving selflessly thing, well, I am working on that.

Perhaps this need for give-and-take of gratitude and appreciation is what has sparked my newfound love of baking. And like I said last week, I just can’t stop!

So, I have been looking to Martha Stewart for what I consider to be no-fail recipes that result in the perfect treats to help me spread love and appreciation to those in my life. And in return I get bask in the icing smeared smiles and yummy noises being made as my creations are devoured.

Photo credit: Mojgan Fay

In order to make Valentine’s Day special this week, I made and shared these lovely one-bowl chocolate cupcakes with pink butter cream icing. These recipes are both easy (shhh, don’t tell) and so delicious (healthy they are not). I dressed these lovelies up with fancy schmancy liners purchased at Loblaws and edible glitter hearts from Bulk Barn (the glitter hearts are nice for any occasion, just change up your icing colour for a non-valentiney look.)

The Martha recipes don’t stop there; I have also found what I consider to be the best oatmeal cookie recipe ever (please pronounce “ev-ah”). I have made it with raisins and again with chocolate chips and they were both amazing, but my personal preference was for the raisins. I will warn you that the yield seems a bit off to me. The recipe states it makes 32 small or 13 large cookies, I wound up with 32 “medium” (I consider large) cookies. But hey, if you want a cookie that’s bigger than your head, try for 13 cookies. These cookies are crispy, chewy and delicious!

As 2012 progresses, my goal is to continue to improve my baking skills to include more elaborate creations as well as continue to add more healthy recipes to my repertoire.

Blueberries and Bossa Nova I don’t know what has happened to...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:00:05 -0500

Blueberries and Bossa Nova

I don’t know what has happened to me. Somehow, in the last month I’ve become hooked on baking. I have to say that this new hobby doesn’t necessarily mix well with my focus on health and fitness but I am trying to make them work together.

I am working on a three-step system to allow me to bake to my heart’s content while staying fit:

First, I try to find healthy recipes to bake.

Second, I give most of my baked goods away.

Third, I don my fancy headphones and dance while I bake!

This week, it was Blueberry-Oatmeal Muffins and Ultra-Lounge/Cha-Cha De Amour

The following recipe is built from an oatmeal muffin recipe that I have made a few times but changed quite a bit to meet the request of my biggest fan – my husband.

Blueberry-Buttermilk-Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
¾ cup Nutri flour blend
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tbsp melted unsalted butter
1 cup frozen organic wild blueberries
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine oats and buttermilk; let stand for 30 minutes.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together. Set aside.
Stir in eggs. Add brown sugar, butter and flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Batter will be lumpy. Fold in blueberries and walnuts.
Spoon into prepared muffins tins, filling about 2/3 full.
Sprinkle with oats and sugar if desired.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Makes about 12 muffins.

Do you have a favourite muffin recipe? And do you dance along while baking too? What are you favourite baking tunes?

Check back next week to find out which Martha Stewart recipes have been helping me make new friends.

The Rex on Queen I was an avid supporter of the indie rock scene...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:45:00 -0500

The Rex on Queen

I was an avid supporter of the indie rock scene throughout my twenties. I attended concerts all over Toronto. I frequented The Horseshoe Tavern, The Mod Club, The Phoenix, The Rivoli, Lee’s Palace and so on…

It wasn’t uncommon for me to meet up with friends for drinks at home, before we headed out to listen to our favorite bands rock into the wee hours of the morning. Even if we had to work the next day.

My love for music continues to grow, and my tastes have expanded to many different genres from many different time periods (check out my latest RDIO playlist). I still love the idea of spending an evening seeing a favorite band do their thing.

But then I see that the band doesn’t even start playing until 10:00 on a Wednesday night, and I know that if I go, the next day at work will be impossible and I will wind up wanting to nap under my desk at lunchtime.

This past weekend, after a day of shopping and healthy dinner at Fresh on Spadina, my friend and I headed to The Rex on Queen Street West to listen to a set from The Justin Bacchus Group. We were treated to a set that included the music of Bob Marley, Lenny Kravitz, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson. Without pressure, we ordered cocktails and settled into our booth to enjoy the show. My advice would be to arrive about 30-45 minutes before the next set in order to find a place to sit. When the band goes on, it can be standing room only.

What I love about The Rex is that you can catch a great set of great music several times a day, often without a cover charge and starting as early as noon on Saturdays or 6:30pm during the week. What a great way to end a workday or a Saturday shopping with friends.

I know what you’re wondering…

Is this Urban Thirty Something or Urban Eighty Something?

Don’t worry; I am still up for a late night on the weekend! But, during the week give me a cup of tea and a fuzzy blanket by 9:00 at night and I am happy.

While it is true that you’ll often find an older audience at The Rex, you’ll also find patrons that really appreciate and visibly enjoy great music.

And all before you turn into a pumpkin.

Making New Habits: Adventures in Kale

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:00:05 -0500

After a busy day at the office, followed by a good workout at the gym, I always find myself to be absolutely famished, usually exhausted and lacking the patience and creativity to plan and make a healthy dinner.

Some might even call me “Hangry”.

So, what happens?

My husband and I end up getting take-out on the way home and I spend the evening feeling guilty for spending too much money and calories on dinner.

Starting last week, I began trying to create a new habit and spend time on a less hectic evening or on the weekend to make healthy meals in advance that can be heated up and served quickly.

Armed with my new cookbook, Fresh & Healthy Cooking for Two: Easy Meals for Everyday Life: I’ve been making up batches of healthy soup that include a new star in our kitchen, Kale.

Before I move on to my kale adventures, I have to say that this cookbook is a great addition to my library. I have made a number of recipes from this book in the 3 weeks since I purchased it. I love that each recipe is well balanced and includes the nutritional information, making it easy to track what I am eating.

Here’s what I been whipping up:

Soup With Lentils, Fresh Herbs and Kale

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 ¼ hours

Ingredients

1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped
½ cup (125 ml) dried brown lentils, rinsed
1/3 cup (75 ml) brown rice
2 large tomatoes, peeled and diced, about 2 cups (500 ml)
4 cups (1L) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 ½ tsp (7 ml) chopped fresh oregano or ½ tsp (2ml) dried
1 ½ tsp (7 ml) chopped fresh basil or ½ tsp (2ml) dried
2 cups (500ml) chopped kale, fibrous stems removed
Salt and ground black pepper

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and sweet potato. Cook for 8 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently.

Add lentil, rice, tomatoes, broth, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until lentils are tender.

Stir in kale. Return to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add more stock if soup is too thick for your liking.

Makes 4 servings, about 1¾ cups (425 ml) each.

Turkey Soup with Fresh Sage, Sweet Potato and Kale

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes

1 tbsp (15) ml canola oil
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1 tbsp (15ml) chopped fresh sage, or 1 tsp (5ml) dried
4 cups (1L) low-sodium chicken broth
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced, about 12 oz
1 cup (250ml) cut-up cooked turkey
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 cup (250 ml) chopped kale, fibrous stems removed
Salt and ground black pepper.

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add leek and sage. Cook for 5 minutes or until leek is soft.

Add broth and sweet potato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until sweet potato is tender.

Add turkey, green peas and kale. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 minutes or until the beans and kale are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste

Both of these soups were the perfect meal to take for lunch or to come to after a busy day. I am happy to say that we’ve gone two weeks without making a mad dash for a take-out meal.

Makes 4 servings. 1 ½ cup (375 ml) each.

Kale Chips

Now, I don’t know if making soup constitutes an adventure in kale, so I also made a batch of kale chips for the first time. I like to snack, and I like to snack on salty and savory foods. After reading and hearing about kale chips more than a few times, I referenced Joyous Health, a blog created by Holistic Nutritionist, Joy McCarthy for her Curry Spiced Kale Chip recipe.

These kale chips were pretty darn good! I might go a little easier on the curry spice next time but even with this batch, my husband and I devoured the chips quickly.

Based on these experiences with kale, I will continue to experiment with this leafy green.

Do you have a favorite recipe featuring kale that you’d like to share?

Strength in Numbers

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:00:00 -0500

While shifting to a healthier lifestyle, I am finding it difficult to balance my ability to be social, eat healthier and be more active all at the same time! I have been known to turn down a drink with a friend in order to go to my spinning class. Or, I’ll throw my hard work toward weight loss down the drain for a night of dining on delicious food with friends.

I do realize though, that in order to stick to any kind of health benefiting plan, I need to be able to indulge from time to time. But this doesn’t mean I want to drastically cut back on the amount of time I spend with my friends.

Does this mean I should ditch my current friends and hang out only with health nuts?

No.

Instead, I have started trying to take the lead and make suggestions for different kinds of activities that don’t always include food. Or if they do, for plans to revolve around healthier dining experiences. It’s quality time I want with my friends and family and I think that’s what they’re after as well.

In 2012 I’m starting a challenge: to continue to see friends and be social while at the same time maintaining my healthy habits.

To kick of this challenge, this weekend will mark the first healthy eating lunch with my girlfriends. Since we’re all using Weight Watchers as our healthy eating plan, we’ve put a maximum PointsPlus value (Weight Watcher’s system for making good food choices) for each portion of the meal and the challenge will be to create a healthy, delicious meal while staying within the points allotment. I’ll be bringing dessert and already have some great ideas (check back soon to see what we made for this lunch). We’ll share recipes and tips for healthy food choices and make time for exercise, chat about life and best of all, spend some quality girl time catching up.

Putting health first in my life has required many changes in my mindset and activities. Making these changes is much easier when I can do them with the people that are important to me.

I still want to enjoy cocktails, cupcakes or a fancy lunch at Canoe with friends from time to time, but the idea is to moderate the potentially unhealthy activities, not my social interactions.

I have been brainstorming ideas for other social, fun and healthy activities and will share more as they happen.

What ideas do you have for making social activities both fun and healthier?

Photo credit

A Change in Mindset

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500

When it comes to making changes in my life, I would often start by setting goals that require a sudden change of habit or thinking on my part. I’d tend to set my goals with negative phrases like:

I will stop being…
I need to lose…
I have to quit…
I must get better at…
I need to overcome…

This year my focus is to work on reframing my thoughts about personal development into positive actions and behaviours that leave me feeling energized.

Setting this personal goal was partly motivated by a book and online assessment tool I recently used to continue my professional development. The book, Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath includes:

an introduction about the value of finding, building and being able to play to your strengths,
managing your weaknesses, and
using the book and additional online tools to create a personal action plan for success.

Found in a sealed sleeve at the back of the book is a personal code used to access the online Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment tool. Through a series of questions, the assessment determines your top 5 strength themes out of a list of 34 themes.

What I love is that once you’ve completed the assessment, you will receive a report that includes personalized insights and ideas for action to build and leverage your top 5 strengths.

The book can be used as a coaching tool for others as it breaks down each of the 34 strength themes into:

a description of the theme,
ideas for action, and
tips for working with others who have this strength theme.

My top 5 themes, were:

strategic,
woo (winning others over),
communication,
activator, and
futuristic.

Reviewing the descriptions for my top 5 strengths, reinforced some of the strengths I was aware of, thus reinforcing my confidence. I also became more self-aware as I recognized many of the description highlights in myself.

A colleague of mine shared a free version of this test that can be found here. The Clifton StrengthsFinder team did not create this test, so I decided to try both and compare the results. Only 3/5 strengths on the free assessment matched those determined by my official assessment. Maybe I was in a different mood when I did the free version, but in addition to the differences in results there are more tools and resources offered with the paid version. My recommendation is, if you can, spend the $20 to buy the complete package.

So, instead of saying to myself that I need to lose 10lbs, I will say…

In order to live a healthy and energetic life, I will leverage my strength of being strategic to create a realistic exercise and eating plan that I can stick to.

I will use my abilities to communicate, activate and win others over, to:

share my goals and create a support network,
motivate others to join the cause, and
make new friends that also want to live a healthy lifestyle.

If you are interested, you can also learn more about finding and playing to your strengths with the free pre-recorded course: Take Control of your Career and Life with Marcus Buckingham on iTunes or Oprah.com.

If you decide to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment, please come back and share your top 5 strength themes and how the assessment results changed the way you set your goals.

A New Year, A New Focus...

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:08:00 -0500

It’s that time of year again – the time for new beginnings, fresh starts and resolutions.

Since September it’s been pretty quiet on Urban Thirty Something and I’d like to explain why. You see, I’ve been going through a bit of a transition. If you followed my blog, you would know that while I covered everything from hot yoga to photography classes to delicious meals at great restaurants, my focus was often on food (discovering it, making it, buying it, and eating it). It turned out that after almost a year, all this dining out had two major impacts: 1. I gained 30 pounds and 2. I was spending way too much money (ah, duh).

After our spontaneous road trip to the East Coast this summer, my jeans and my bank account were feeling the effects of a year of living what I thought was a life worth writing about. After finally stepping on the scale and realising that things were indeed as bad as I’d thought, I knew it was time to shift my focus to creating plan for healthier eating, activity and spending.

My last post of 2011 was in early September, around the time I realized I needed to take time to focus on my physical, mental and financial well-being, as well as my career development.

To start my physical transformation, I went back to what worked for me a couple of years ago in my quest to have a great beach ‘bod’ for our destination wedding in Curacao. Are you ready for my big secret to weight loss and getting fit?

Okay, here it is… eat less and exercise more!

There. Now you can thank me for changing your life. You’re welcome. Seriously though, I went back to the only “diet” program that has ever worked for me (Weight Watchers) and started running – an activity that turns out, I really enjoy. Since August 15^th, I’ve lost 20 lbs! I also went from not being able to run 1k to running 15k (all at once, I might add). The important thing to note here is that I found success because I found a weight loss and exercise program that worked for me. Weight Watchers works for me because it teaches me about portion control and healthy eating while allowing for indulgences as well. Running works for me because I can be outside – I enjoy being in nature – and measure and track my progress. A great side effect of the weight loss and fitness efforts is that my mental and financial well-being has been positively impacted as well. I still have a lot of things to tackle this year but as they say “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.

Does this mean that Urban Thirty Something is back?

Yes, it does and I need to set a more steady and realistic posting schedule (more like once a week vs. trying for 2-3 times per week). Does this mean that I will only be posting about running and Weight Watchers?

No.

But my goal is to have a wider variety of lifestyle posts that focus on being healthy, spending time with friends, personal and professional development, being active, spending wisely, and sometimes, indulging (I have a killer cupcake recipe that you must try).

No, this is not a New Year’s resolution. Instead it’s about me sharing what I’ve been up to, publishing my goals and continuing the momentum.

Happy New Year,

Erin

Photos: The pictures in this post were taken during my runs near The Beach in Toronto.

Fall Flavours: Beet-Fennel-Carrot Soup

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:23:00 -0400

After a trip to the Leslieville Farmers Market this weekend, and a cool Labour Day Monday, I was inspired to prepare homemade soup. While I’ll miss summer, I love fall: the flavours, the colours and yes even the brisk temperatures. Here’s the recipe I used to kick-off my culinary adventures this fall season.

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup(s) vegetable broth, low sodium
1/4 head(s) red cabbage, chopped
3/4 cup(s) beets, about 1 large beet, peeled and chopped
1 medium heirloom carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 medium fennel bulb(s), trimmed and chopped
1 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium)
1 tsp ginger root, fresh, minced
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp table salt (I personally only used pepper and omitted the salt)
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Instructions:

Combine the broth, cabbage, beet, carrot, fennel, garlic and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the beet and carrot is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree, working in batches if necessary to avoid overflows. Pour the soup into large bowl.
Season with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. If necessary, thin the soup with enough cold water to reach a pourable consistency.

If you would like, top with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt.

Open Roof Films

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:25:26 -0400

Well, it’s August 29th and summer is nearing it’s end. While I love the fall, I am having trouble accepting the end of the summer season. So, I have taken this week off work and decided to get my summer on before it is too late.

I started with an informal kick-off last week at the Open Roof Festival held at The Amsterdam Brewery. While sitting in an outdoor theater, with a view of the city, the evening began with local Toronto band Yuka and was followed by the quirky film Submarine. To me, nothing says summer like listening to music and watching movies, outside.

Thursday marks your last chance this season to enjoy a night at Open Roof Films. This week you can sip on beer, enjoy some popcorn, listen to the musical stylings of The Junction, and view the film Eco Pirate.

Song: Creole Love Call Artist: Adelaide Hall/Duke Ellington...

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 22:00:40 -0400

Song: Creole Love Call

Artist: Adelaide Hall/Duke Ellington & His Orchestra

Album: Crooning Blackbird

A little something to help you slow down on this Sunday evening.

Here’s to a great week ahead.

Picture Perfect Picnic

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 07:48:00 -0400

While finishing up my workday on Friday afternoon, my mind began to drift toward thoughts of sunny summer days and how soon they are going to come to an end. This thought motivated me to arrange an inexpensive evening activity that would allow my husband and I to enjoy the weather, the beautiful parks near our home and each other’s company. I decided the best way to accomplish this would be to prepare a picnic supper. So, after I wrapped up my work day I brainstormed the menu and headed to the grocery store.

The Menu

Chicken Satay:

Since my BBQ has recently started shooting fire out of the knobs, I did a bit of a variation on this recipe. I skipped the skewers and the BBQ then after marinating the chicken for a couple of hours, I baked it in the oven at 375F for 15-20 minutes. Served cold, this chicken was a great addition to the meal. I skipped the peanut sauce this time around, but I can tell you from past experience that it is very good.

Tabouli Salad:

While my chicken was marinating I put together my first tabouli salad. I used this recipe but instead, I

Used Presidents Choice couscous (Next time I would use less couscous and add more parsley, but that’s just me),
replaced the water with vegetable stock for the couscous to add more flavour, and
cut the olive oil back from ½ cup to 2 tbsp.

Fresh Cherries and Dark Chocolate (85% Cacao):

I brought along this simple dessert that was easy to pack and very portable.

The Location:

Asbridges Bay Park – We enjoyed our meal while sitting on a blanket with a view of the Toronto Skyline, lake and sailboats.

The Music:

While dining we listened to an assortment of jazz that would set mood for a summer evening.

This was without a doubt, the perfect way to spend a summer evening in the city.

What is your favourite picnic spot in Toronto?

Organic Supper Club

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:59:33 -0400

I am one of those lucky people who are able to split their time between a home office and an office in downtown Toronto. I work from home two-three days per week and I love it. You might think that while I am working from home I have all kinds of time to prepare healthy and delicious lunches and get a nice dinner ready for the evening ahead, but truthfully this is not what happens. Most days I eat my lunch while working at my computer, grab what’s easy and often snack a little too much on peanut butter and saltines. By the time I wrap up for the day, I haven’t thought about dinner and often end up going out to grab something quick. These actions cause me to spend too much money on convenience foods and usually result in less than healthy meals.

Last Friday, I saw the light. At around 11:00 in the morning a healthy, organic and vegan lunch was delivered to my doorstep from the founders of The Organic Supper Club. Their personal chef service provides a wide variety of fresh, 100% organic and vegan meals prepared in your home with top of the line and seasonal ingredients. They will also incorporate other dietary restrictions like a gluten intolerance. The Organic Supper Club is a great way to enjoy quick and healthy meals with someone else doing the shopping, preparation and clean-up for you.

The best part is the food is delicious! I enjoyed and African Peanut Soup that balanced the right amount of peanuty goodness and spice, and was loaded with fresh vegetables like: potatoes, peas, tomatoes and shallots.

Throughout the day I munched on the delicious five-layer fiesta dip loaded with re-fried beans, salsa, avocado, “cheese” and sour “cream” both created from nut bases.

On Friday, I actually sat down to enjoy a healthy lunch away from my computer that I think resulted in a more productive afternoon.

The Organic Supper Club offers a variety of packages; you can get started with the Taste Test Package for $95 or a gift basket for $50. Alternatively, if you’d like to try some of their products before you decide whether or not to use the personal chef options, you can find them at The Distillery District and Dufferin Grove Park Farmers Markets.

Photos: Erin Helcl

Toronto Harbour Tours

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 07:06:02 -0400

How did you spend your lunch hour yesterday? Personally, I had the pleasure of hopping aboard the Miss Kim Simpson for a one-hour ride with Toronto Harbour Tours. We met the tour boat at the foot of York St at Queen’s Quay Terminal, which luckily is a quick five-minute walk from my office.

Even though I have lived in Toronto for almost a decade, this was a great way to enjoy the city views on a beautiful summer day. Taking the tour was also the perfect way to take a break from work, help me stop wearing my shoulders as earrings and recharge for the afternoon. Our guide, Captain Sarah was knowledgeable, engaging and quite funny. If you have more time, you can also get off at a stop on the Island and hop back on when you are ready to head back to the city.

Whether you are a visitor or resident of Toronto, I recommend this tour as a great way to see the city from a different view.

Summer Road-Tripping – Part 2: The Experiences

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:52:00 -0400

During our five days in Nova Scotia, we were definitely spoiled for choice when it came to finding fun ways to pass our time. In the past, my trips to Nova Scotia have been primarily to downtown Halifax for work, so I really wanted to explore what I had been missing. And since Nova Scotia is a place visited frequently by my husband as a youth, we both had ideas about what we wanted to do. We came together and here are some highlights of what we decided.

Wine Touring in the Annapolis Valley

This experience really was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It’s true that Nova Scotia wine hasn’t achieved worldwide acclaim as of yet, but this was the perfect way to spend a rainy day. The scenery while driving the wine route and once you arrive at the wineries is really worth a trip on it’s own. Couple that with welcoming, friendly and passionate wine makers and you have a recipe for the perfect day.

We stopped at three wineries on our tour. The first was Domaine de Grand Pré, which was hopping with guests wanting to enjoy both wine tasting, tours and lunch at the highly rated Le Caveau Restaurant. We picked up a few bottles here but we especially enjoyed their 2008 Reserve Foch.

Our next stop was Blomidon Estate Winery where we tried a Baco Noir so tasty, I had to bring home four bottles. Our host Jeff really did a great job of engaging the large group that arrived for the tasting, answering questions and showcasing the award winning wines. After our tasting, we wandered down through the vineyard to marvel at the beauty of the vines and the views of the ocean.

Finally, based on a recommendation from Jeff at Blomidon we headed to a new winery called Luckett Vineyards. The views from Luckett alone are worth the trip, but if it’s good wine you are looking for you can find that as well. Since they are so new we weren’t sure what to expect but I left the vineyard with several bottles. This team really has it all figured out, knowledgeable and engaging staff, slick label design, and a patio to enjoy a fabulous meal and breathtaking views. Oh, and did I forget to mention that they have an actual red phone box in the vineyard where you can make calls worldwide for only ten cents. I really enjoyed their Phone Box Red and for something different, the Blackberry Port.

There are about 13 wineries to visit in the Annapolis Valley, so really can make a day of exploring the beautiful countryside, sipping lovely wine and enjoying a wonderful meal.

Lunenburg

During our trip to this lovely seaside town, I wanted to do two things: 1. See the Bluenose II reconstruction, and 2. Visit the Ironworks Distillery. While I did find Lunenburg to a bit touristy, I am glad we were able to participate in a tasting at the Ironworks Distillery. At Ironworks, they make Vodka, Rum, Apple Brandy, Blueberry and Cranberry liquor from local ingredients. The vodka is made from Annapolis Valley apples, the liquors from local fruit and all their products are created right on site. My only regret… That I didn’t buy more rum.

Martinique Beach

You don’t have to travel to the Caribbean to find beautiful beaches! After an hour drive, we arrived at Martinique beach, which is Nova Scotia’s longest sandy beach with over 5kms of white sand. The beach was almost empty on a Friday afternoon, but we did see surfers and swimmers during our long walk through the sand and splashing waves.

Peggy’s Cove

If it’s beautiful ocean views you are after, then Peggy’s Cove is a must see. You can spend your time gazing out into the ocean, climbing the rocks and exploring the tide pools. Peggy’s Cove is a photographers dream. In order to avoid some of the crowds, we headed out at dinnertime and spent and hour or so exploring then headed back as the sun began to set.

My conclusion: Nova Scotia is pretty awesome! With only five days to experience this beautiful province, I would love to go back and continue our exploration. If you love fresh air, seafood, breath-taking scenery, beaches, wine touring and much more, you may want to come with me.

What are some of your favourite things to do in Nova Scotia?

Photo Credit: Ben Helcl

If you want to read more about what we ate or the soundtrack for our journey check out:

Summer Road-Tripping - Part 1: The Food

Summer Road-Tripping: The Music

An essential part of a successful road trip is the soundtrack of...

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:38:00 -0400

An essential part of a successful road trip is the soundtrack of the journey. In my opinion, you need a mix of upbeat, reflective and just plain fun tunes. For our drive to Nova Scotia, I pulled together 250 songs to create a 16.5-hour playlist. I combed my iTunes library, dug through my CD collection and asked friends for suggestions. After 5 hours of playlist creation, I knew I had something that would keep us jamming the entire way.

My ultimate road trip playlist included music from many eras and genres. Here is a small snapshot of some of the tunes that best set the tone for our long drive.

1. Bamboo Banga – M.I.A

2. Song for Sunshine – Belle and Sebastian

3. Highwayman – Johnny Cash (with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennigs and Kris Kristofferson)

4. Sweet Emotion (Areosmith)

5. Slow Ride (Foghat)

6. Summer in the City - The Lovin’ Spoonful

7. Summer Wind – Frank Sinatra

8. Everlasting Light – The Black Keys

9. Let’s Get Out of this Country – Camera Obscura

10. Me and Bobby McGee – Janice Joplin

11. Three Little Birds – Bob Marley

12. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 – Nat “King” Cole

13. Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin

14. I Fought the Law – The Clash

15. Stand by Me – Ben E. King

16. Leave House – Caribou

17. Spybreak – The Propellerheads

18. Where It’s At – Beck

19. School’s Out – Alice Cooper

20. The Gambler – Kenny Rogers

What is your ultimate road trip song?

Don’t forget to check back later this week to read about our sightseeing, winery and distillery touring adventures in Nova Scotia.

Curious about what we ate during our adventure? Check out Summer Road-Tripping - Part 1: The Food.

Summer Road-Tripping - Part 1: The Food

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:07:00 -0400

There’s just something about the summer road-trip that gives me a sense of adventure and romance. Perhaps I’ve seem too many coming-of-age, summer feel good movies, but once we decided to head to Halifax on a whim, I was ready for life on the open road.

Over 10 days we covered almost 4500 kilometers in our Honda Civic Hybrid. During this time we did and saw a lot. I’ll be blogging this week about our experiences and perhaps inspire you to take a trip like this before the summer is over.

I’ll begin with our culinary adventures.

Our first stop on our trip was a night in Old Quebec City at The Chateau Frontenac. After eight hours of driving we arrived thirsty for cocktails and hungry for dinner. We began with cocktails on the Terrace at The Chateau Frontenac, which overlooks the St. Lawrence River, a wonderful view to enjoy while sipping on Cucumber-Mint Mojitos and Mandarinhattens.

On a recommendation from a friend, we wandered just outside the Old City to Le Hobbit restaurant where we sat on their narrow patio, and ate and drank while observing the hustle and bustle of the city. The atmosphere is relaxed and a nice break from some of the more touristy spots within the walls of the old city. The service was attentive, friendly but not intrusive. I also found the quality of the food to above some of the other restaurants closer to the action. After dinner we headed next door to Tutto Gelato to satisfy a sweet tooth with mascarpone and mango, as well as a little hazelnut gelato. We were not disappointed; the gelato was the perfect treat to enjoy while walking back to the hotel.

Once we arrived in Halifax, it was time to relax for a couple of evenings, dine with our hosts and enjoy some great home cooking. Once our batteries were recharged, we headed on recommendation to The Bicycle Thief a hopping and happening spot near the water in downtown Halifax. It might have been a stormy Tuesday night but this place was packed, we even spotted Pierce Brosnan amongst the patrons! The casual Italian cuisine is fabulous. This is probably the best restaurant I’ve dined in during my many visits to Halifax. Calamari, anti-pasti, scallops, seafood stew, beef tenderloin and pasta were all ordered by our crew and thoroughly enjoyed.

Fueled by a love of food and wine, we continued our exploration of Nova Scotia by heading to the Annapolis Valley for lunch followed by wine touring and tasting. We stopped for lunch in the small village of Port Williams to dine at The Port Gastro Pub. The pub is located on the Cornwallis River, so as we dined we were able to watch the riverbed fill up as the tide came in.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch prepared with local ingredients accompanied by local wine and root beer. The beer, both root and regular are brewed right next door at the microbrewery, Sea Level Brewing. While my lunch was amazing, my husband raved about the chowder which was full of fresh goodies like lobster tail. He also rated his lobster club sandwich, topped with house made lemon mayo, one of the top five sandwiches he’d ever eaten.

Another exciting culinary adventure was found while dining in with our hosts for the week. With fresh products from Clearwater Seafoods, I tried my first oysters and lobster, plus enjoyed the best scallops I’d ever had. During this meal we enjoyed local food, wine and rum (more on the wine and rum to come).

Once back in Quebec City, we found our way to Le Capitole de Quebec to dine on a beautiful patio. The atmosphere here is vibrant, the food decadent, the service friendly and attentive, and the location perfect for people watching.

My search for great food during this vacation was definitely successful with the help of great suggestions from Twitter friends, our hosts and a little luck.

Curious about what we did when we weren’t eating? Check out:

If you want to read more about what we ate or the soundtrack for our journey check out:

Summer Road-Tripping - Part 2: The Experiences

Summer Road-Tripping: The Music

Pikto Photography Workshops

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:03:00 -0400

In both High School and College I studied the art of photography. I was a year book photographer in High School and an Advertising student in College. I used film, mostly black a white and developed my own photos in the darkroom at school; a dark room that no longer exists at the institution where I attended college. I hate to admit how long ago all this was and how much I had forgotten about photography over the years.

Since starting this blog, I have been trying to relearn the basics of photography using a digital SLR camera that I “borrowed” from my husband. It became clear to me quite quickly how much about photography had left my brain. And then along came a great opportunity through Groupon to attend an introduction to Digital Photography Workshop at Pikto in The Distillery District. Knowing how great of a reputation Pikto has in the photography community, I jumped on the deal.

The Workshop which was lead by photographer Johan Hallberg-Campbell, was exactly what I needed to refresh my almost forgotten knowledge of photography and get me back on track. I loved that the course was taught by an interesting and accomplished photographer who engaged the group by sharing personal stories, work and individual attention.

It was especially helpful when Johan showed us some of his work and discussed his thought process and technique behind each piece. This teaching method took the workshop to the next level by showing us how we can use the techniques we learned in class to unleash our own creativity. Since I learn best by doing, the individual attention paid to each member of the class and the time allotted for practice really made this a great learning experience.

The five hour workshop flew by and really was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

If you are interested, you can check out upcoming workshops at Pikto here.