suziesaurus

hair cut

2009-05-31T12:01:00.002-04:00

I cut off my hair! I've had pretty long hair for the longest time, but decided it was time for a change.

I used to have a super, super short haircut in highschool, but ever since that I've shy'd away from keeping it above my shoulder.

What do you think?

st. jacobs farmers market

2009-05-30T23:45:00.003-04:00

Today we headed to the farmers market in St. Jacobbs which is just north of Waterloo, Ontario. It was our first time there and it totally surpassed my expectations.

We bought:
- rasberries
- blueberries
- asperagus tips
- apple fritters (so yummy it's insane)
- lunch (of course)
- specialty bread
- nectarines

I also picked up a citrus zester at the nearby Corningware outlet for under $3!

summertime shoes!

2009-05-28T22:10:00.002-04:00

Warning - this is sort of a gross post. =P So reader beware.

It's almost summertime which means no socks with my shoes.....which can lead to less than fresh shoes.

So in a bid to avoid even the possibility of smelly shoes & feet I ended up googling smelly shoes and found the following tips:
- febreeze
- wipe with rubbing alcohol to kill smelly bacteria
- leave outside overnight to air out (makes sense)
- baking soda (baking soda eats odour which is why we have it in the fridge)
- put shoes in the freezer.....what?

So i was really really intrigued by the freezer solution. I had to try it! So i took my smelliest pair of shoes, put them in a ziploc bag and threw them in the freezer. Dave said he's heard that some people put their jeans in the freezer to kill odours when they don't want to wash them - ewwwwwwwwwww. Apparently the cold kills all the smelly bacteria and is probably easier on your shoe materials than the rubbing alcohol. Anyways - it worked! hahahahaha. I love google.

night sky

2009-05-25T21:19:00.001-04:00

One minute the sky was lit up with beautiful pinks and the next it's not.

I'm sitting at home getting sleepy and watching Dave pack his bag in preperation for his trip.

monsieur felix & mr. norton

2009-05-24T20:15:00.004-04:00

Our friends recommended that we try the cookies at Monsieur Felix & Mr. Norton, in Markham so we decided to buy a 1/2 pound (9 cookies) to try. There were 13 different types to choose from:
- Vanilla White Chocolate
- Menage a Trois
- Pralines & Cream
- Oatmeal & Raisin
- Ebony & Ivory
- Double Chocolate Chunk
- Milk Chocolate Chunk
- Lemon Delight
- Nutcracker Sweet
- Amaretto
- Dark Chocolate Chunk
- Macadamia & White Chocolate Chunk
- Caramelt

It came out to a bit less than $8CAD, which is probably the most I`ve ever spnet on cookies, but it was totally worth it. They are delicious. I only wish they were a bit bigger and less expensive. haha.

Check them out the next time you`re in Markham! I totally adore their cookie boquets!

Store: Monsieur Felix & Mr. Norton
Address: 8601 Warden Ave. Unit 16, Markham, Ontario L3R 0B5
Telephone: 905.479.2172
Website: cookiesandfudge.com

whole foods

2009-05-21T21:21:00.002-04:00

I haven't been in the blogging mood lately as evidenced by my lack of blogs. Work has been really stressful and most days I have to drag myself out of bed and I want to quit my job.

Annnnnnnnywho - I had an acupuncture appointment today and it went pretty well. I'm really enjoying it and I think it really is helping my back problems. My naturalpathic doctor recommeded something called "Natural Calm" to help boost my magnesium in hopes that it would reduce my headaches and reduce my back muscle tensions. She warned me that too much magnesium would give me diarreha, but too little would do nothing.

So me & Dave went to Whole Foods tongiht (for the first time in North America) so I could pick some up.

I'm going to try this Natural Calm stuff tonight.....hopefully I don't get diarreha.

victoria long weekend

2009-05-17T17:04:00.003-04:00

So far it's been a great long weekend!

I got my car back on Friday & it's good as new! I'm so happy!

Accomplished so far: dinner at Bier Markt, shopping downtown, got drenched by the crazy rain fall, went to an awesome birhday bar-b-q, grocery shopping, cleaned the apartment, made quiche for the first time (it was a success!), watched Star Trek at the theatre, drank tequila and didn't puke. =P

tgif

2009-05-15T13:09:00.001-04:00

Oh man….it’s been a stressful couple of weeks at work. Thank goodness it’s Friday! And a bigger thank goodness that it’s the long weekend! WOOHOO!!

Happy Victoria Day weekend to all the Canadian readers out there!

I get my car back today!

And as a special treat, we’re staying downtown tonight. Going to catch the Jays game and have dinner downtown. =)

monogolian grill

2009-05-10T21:57:00.003-04:00

We just got back from dinner at Mongolian Grill in Markham (beside Pacific mall).

The service was Horrible! Especially considering it's a buffet style restaurant! At least they had shaved ice for dessert. =P

p.s. the macaroni cheese turned out pretty good. It isn't as "cheesy" as I'd like, but that's probably because I didn't use a sharp/aged cheddar as the recipe called for and instead substituted regular marble shredded cheese which is all I had in the fridge for this last minute lunch preparation.

nigella express - orange french toast & macaroni cheese

2009-05-10T15:34:00.002-04:00

We stayed up pretty late playing Guitar Hero last night, so I figured today was a perfect day to start off with some french toast.

Orange French Toast (page 101)

Ingredients:
- eggs
- orange
- cinnamon
- bread
- marmalade
- sugar
- butter

It wasn't the best, but it was different and nice. I learned that I definitely need a citrus zester or a microplane. =P Time to save up for some culinary tools!

At this very moment I'm in the process of trying to make some macaroni cheese to take to work for lunch tomorrow.

Macaroni Cheese (page 179)

Ingredients:
- eggs
- cheddar cheese
- evaporated milk (I didn't have any so I'm trying to sub in whipping cream)
- salt & pepper
- macaroni (I didn't have any so I'm substituting fusili)
- nutmeg

I'll tell you how it turns out.

the weekend

2009-05-09T17:05:00.004-04:00

Thank god the weekend is finally here. I had an exhausting week at work.

Last night we headed to our friend's house and had a really enjoyable night of great company, good bar-b-q and awesome video game playing. We played mostly Guitar Hero and Rayman Rabbits with a little bit of DDR mixed in there.

Today we went to Square One for some quick lunch and ran a few errands.

I found out that my stupid drug coverage duductable has been upped from $2 to $10 which was a bit of a piss off. and we ended up picking up a Sharp Air Purifier from Future Shop, because Dave's allergies seem to be really bad this season.

We came home so I could make another tiramisu to bring home to my family tomorrow when we go to celebrate Mother's Day. And now we're debating dinner plans.... =P

Image from: futureshop.ca

sketching

2009-05-05T21:50:00.003-04:00

Tonight I did my 6th sketch, which is a very good record for me. I am feeling truly inspired lately. I don't think I've been this inspired since I was on internship when I went on my crazy creative binge.

I very rarely sketch/draw/paint from ideas in my head. I think I've only done 1 such a painting, but lately I've been on a role and all my sketches are just ideas that have popped in to my head.

My sketches are all very abstract (as usual) and are very much cubism style. I hope to turn at least a few of these into larger scale paintings in the near future.

I haven't used oils since I was in highschool, because they're just so damn expensive, but I think I may have to return to them as I love the textures they create. I've tried to do some in acrylic and although they turn out alright, it's just not the same heavy look I love.

Ugs. I wish I hadn't gotten in to that accident....so much money I could be spending on my art.....or golf lessons. =P

fit fit

2009-05-05T20:45:00.002-04:00

*sigh* now I remember why I hate underground parking so much.

dinner - pork loin

2009-05-03T19:53:00.004-04:00

I made pork loin for dinner again tonight. Unfortunately it didn't turn out as juicy as last time, but I guess it wasn't bad.

On the side was Green Giant microwave steamed vegtables. Yes - I am that lazy. It's so awesome though! They taste great and are so convenient! I love them! And they come in so many different varieties!

sunday morning

2009-05-03T10:22:00.002-04:00

It's 10:30a.m. on Sunday morning & I'm wide awake and ready to head out. On the agenda today:
- done: get my car washed
- done: hit up the bank to do some banking
- done: hit up T&T for some yummy goodness
- to do: hit the golf range

twittering

2009-05-02T12:55:00.004-04:00

So I've started twittering. =O And it's quite addictive.

Today's agenda:
- done: make a scrumptious breakfast
- done: buy silicone oven mitts
- doing: make lunch
- to do: acupuncture appointment
- to do: go to get a quote on fixing my car
- to do: sushi dinner with sister & brother-in-law
- to do: hit up the pool

I'm pretty excited about the acupuncture appointment. It's the first time I've ever tried it. I'm going to try to reduce my upper back/neck issues.

I also have to go get a quote on fixing my car....boo. I had a slight accident this morning. *sigh*

nigella express - breakfast

2009-05-02T10:51:00.001-04:00

I wanted to try something a bit different from the usual bacon for breakfast this morning, so I whipped out the Nigella Express and found a recipe I had all the ingredients for.

Vanilla Apples with Sweetheart Croutes (page 378)

Ingredients:
- butter
- apples
- vanilla extract
- white bread
- sugar

This dish was so simple, and sooooooooooo decadent. It's definitely not a dish for those watching their weight or cholesterol. A nice treat - and would be perfect for those colder days.

art work at work

2009-05-01T22:17:00.002-04:00

I was working on-site this past Wednesday and took some photos while waiting in between tasks.

seoul house

2009-05-01T22:06:00.003-04:00

We decided to try the sushi place super close to our apartment - Seoul House & it wasn't bad. I had a Black Dragon and Dave had BiBim Bop.

Afterwards we went to Winners and I bought yet another purse! =)

no time to blog =(

2009-05-01T07:20:00.002-04:00

Been working super long hours at work and have been very tired & stressed out….

Hopefully will get some rest & relaxation on the weekend.

nigella express recap

2009-04-30T11:45:00.000-04:00

Nigella Express recap – I have tried the following recipes:

Breakfast Bars (page 94)
Chocolate Croissants (page 98)
No Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream (page 132)
Irish Cream Tiramisu (page 135)
Butternut Squash With Pecans and Blue Cheese (page 333)

sketching

2009-04-28T17:53:00.002-04:00

My friend asked me to do a painting for his new place, so I've started sketching out some ideas to show him.

This is great, because it really forces me to start drawing again! =)

0.31 scoop night at baskin robbins

2009-04-28T10:21:00.000-04:00

For more information visit: cfff.ca

in the office auto reply

2009-04-28T07:48:00.001-04:00

I will be in the office today from 7a.m. until after 9:30p.m.

*sigh*

I wonder if anyone will notice if i go upstairs around 6p.m. and take a nap on the couch.

tiramisu success

2009-04-27T20:45:00.002-04:00

The tiramisu is a success! It's soooooooooooooooo yummy!

nigella express - butternut squash with pecans and blue cheese

2009-04-27T07:31:00.003-04:00

For dinner last night we had sliced pork sandwiches and for a side I tried another Nigella recipe....

Butternut Squash With Pecans and Blue Cheese (page 333)

Ingredients:
- butternut squash
- olive oil
- fresh thyme or dried thyme
- pecans
- blue cheese

I used dried thyme and substituted honey covered walnuts instead of pecans.

Yup - I'm totally addicted to this book, but the recipes are so convenient & quick & don't call for a long list of ingredients (making it affordable) which is always good.

It turned out alright...I’m not a huge fan of blue cheese as it is a bit too strong for me. Perhaps I should have substituted brie or something else. I find butternut a bit too rich for me most times I cook it myself though.

I think one day I will attempt to make butternut squash ravioli. That is the dream!

google

2009-04-27T07:25:00.002-04:00

I love, love, love how Google always changes their banner to celebrate special dates, etc. Today's banner (brail I think) really caught my attention - I really like it.

It’s not even necessary, but adds a bit of pizzazz!

To think they have someone or a group of people that have this task.

the weekend

2009-04-26T17:24:00.002-04:00

Had a very busy weekend.

Thanks to Dave's friends we discovered a cute little cafe on Queen's street - Tequila Bookworm.

I had a mocha frappe and pecan pie & it was delicious!

The server at first told us that he was out of the "mocha syrup" to make the frappe, but indicated that he could make us a "real traditional frappe" that would be super heavy & creamy. We decided to try it & boy was it good! So much more rich and creamy than the Starbuck's frappes and less icy. I'm really glad we tried it.

nigella express - irish cream tiramisu

2009-04-26T17:19:00.005-04:00

After having lunch at Starwalk today and eating their very light Tiramisu I was inspired to try the recipe for Tiramisu in Nigella Express.

Irish Cream Tiramisu (page 135)

Ingredients:
- expresso coffee
- eggs
- lady fingers
- sugar
- mascarpone
- cocoa powder

I substituted more espresso coffee instead of Baileys cream liqueur (as the recipe called for) as I didn't have any around the house.

I think this will come out heavier than Starwalk's version. I really want to find out what they used as it didn't taste so much like mascarpone.

It's in the frige and won't be ready until tomorrow - hopefully it turns out decent! =)

pork loin

2009-04-23T21:15:00.003-04:00

I made pork loin for dinner tonight & it wasn't a total disaster! woohoo!

Ingredients:
- pork loin
- olive oil
- clove or garlic
- dijon mustard
- cracked pepper

It was so easy & so good! =)

Method:
1) Defrosted the pork loin.
2) Preheat oven to 350degrees F.
3) Cut some slits in the rack of lamb & shove a half clove of garlic in each slit.
4) Mix olive oil & dijon mustard and cracked peppercorn together. Rub on the pork loin.
5) Put in the oven for about 1.5 hour. Tenting with aluminum about 15 minutes before taking out of oven.

Unfortunately I was so hungry when I got home that I stuffed my face with chocolate croissants (that's right....more than 1) and chips & wasn't that hungry by the time the pork was done.

nigella express - chocolate croissants

2009-04-22T21:07:00.005-04:00

I am totally loving this book. Very simple and excellent dessert ideas! Right now I have in the oven...

Chocolate Croissants (page 98).

Ingredients:
- chocolate
- puff pastry (store bought)
- beaten egg

I made them a little too small & boy are they ugly & inconsistant! Live and learn!

creme egg mcflurry?

2009-04-22T19:44:00.003-04:00

While wandering around London I saw this advertisement and I just had to take a picture.

Did we have these in North America? I have never seen them before.

I personally never liked Cadbury Creme Eggs, and the thought of having it in McFlurry form totally grosses me out. yuck!

What the heck? They sell these, but I can't even get my hands on a Shamrock Shake! Grrrr.

oxford, england

2009-04-21T17:35:00.002-04:00

Some pictures taken at Christ's Chuch in Oxford, England.

stonehenge

2009-04-21T10:34:00.001-04:00

So here’s the low-down on Stonehenge –

We arrived at Stonehenge 5 minutes after it “closed”. Meaning that the official parking lot was closed and access to the fenced off area was also closed. We didn’t let that stop us and we parked on the side of the road (as many others did as well) and took pictures from afar.

I understand that they close off the fenced in area because Stonehenge has been vandalized in the past, but I don’t know why they close the parking lot. It’s quite isolated and they don’t’ stop people from stopping on the side of the road, so it is kind of silly. I guess it’s to deter hooligans from hanging around the area at night, but still…

Since we only saw it from afar it wasn’t as impressive as it didn’t seem that large, but at least I can say I’ve seen it. =P It's definitely worth a stop if you're out west of London, but I'm glad we didn't make a special trip just to Stonehenge.

day 8 in london, england

2009-04-21T07:50:00.001-04:00

Day 8 in London, England:
- travel back to London Heathrow via bus
- check in to the Crown Plaza Heathrow (very nice hotel)
- travel in to central London
- visit the British Museum to see the Rosetta Stone
- head to Oxford St. to go shopping!
- ate lunch at Yo Sushi!
- ate dinner at Corea Chili in Leceister Square/China Town
- headed back to the hotel to rest as I was super tired

Day 9 in London, England:
- head to Heathrow airport
- depart for Canada

Pictures to follow...

nigella express - breakfast bars

2009-04-20T18:50:00.002-04:00

Oh - & the breakfast bars didn't turn out that great. I mean they taste really good, but they never really solidified into bars. They were too gooey and just became a mess of "bites". They're super good, but presentation was crappy.

nigella express - ice cream

2009-04-20T18:14:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned I borrowed Nigella Express & last night I prepared her

No Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream (page 132).

Ingredents:
- double cream
- icing sugar
- lime
- pomegranates

Tonight we taste tested it & it was so yummy! I am so happy I can make ice cream without an ice cream maker! (even though it's only simple ice cream).

I ended up substituting POM juice for real pomegranates as we couldn't find them at the local grocery store and since I'm lazy I also substituted lime juice for real limes.

So good and so natural tasting....but probably not much cheaper than just buying ice cream.

I can't wait to try this recipe out with green tea macha!

day 7 in oxford, england

2009-04-20T17:47:00.001-04:00

Day 7 in Oxford, England:
- explore more of Oxford
- visit Linacre Collage
- visit Said Business School
- visit Christ Church and the Great Hall (one of the locations they filmed Harry Potter)
- visit Marks & Spencer (again - i miss M&S)
- shopped very briefly at Primark
- excellent dinner made by Nancy (I am going to Whole Foods the first chance I get in hopes of finding nut burgers)

Pictures to follow...

mississauga public library

2009-04-19T17:37:00.002-04:00

It was such a nice day today that Dave suggested we walk to the public library close by to browse some books. It was a great idea since I have been in a food rut and wanted to try some new recipes, but am too cheap to buy cookbooks. =P

There were oodles of good books, but I decided to only borrow Nigella Lawson's book "Nigella Express" because after initial browse the recipes seemed simple, didn't require too many ingredients and looked yummy.

First on the list - Breakfast Bars (page 94).

Ingredents:
- condensed milk
- rolled oats
- shredded coconut
- dried cranberries
- mized seeds
- peanuts

So after a quick stop at the Bulk Barn nearby, we're off to the races!

I'm also going to try - Irish Cream Tiramisu (page 135) and No Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream (page 132).

schmap

2009-04-19T14:38:00.002-04:00

I have just been informed by the Managing Editor of Schmap Guides that another one of my flickr photos (taken at home in Toronto) has been included for the Toronto Schmap, 7th Edition!

You can check out Schmaps at schmap.com

day 6 in bath, england

2009-04-19T08:42:00.002-04:00

Day 6 in Bath, England:
- Depart Oxford & travel via rental van to Bath
- visit the Roman Baths
- visit Bath Abbey
- lunch at The Eastern Eye (very good Indian cuisine)
- walking tour of Bath (Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge, etc.)
- Stonehenge on the way back from Bath
- dinner at Giraffe in Oxford

day 5 in oxford, england

2009-04-16T22:50:00.001-04:00

Day 5 in Oxford, England:
- Depart London & travel via train to Oxford
- eat lucnh at La Tasca (yummy Spanish tapas)
- walk around Oxford
- visit Christ Church grounds
- climb the tower at St. Marys
- visit Magdalene college grounds

Here are some of the pictures taken that day -

Oxford is such a beautiful town. It really made me want to relocate there. =)

day 4 in london, england

2009-04-15T23:20:00.002-04:00

Day 4 in London, England:
- Big Ben
- Westminister Abbey
- lunch at Itsu (very cool place)
- St. Paul`s
- Tower bridge
- dinner at Wagamama (another very cool place)

I took this picture while we were walking to the HMS Belfast (from Tower Bridge).

Unfortunately HMS Belfast was closed.

I really like that egg shaped building.

out of office auto-reply

2009-04-15T10:48:00.000-04:00

I’ll be in Syracuse, NY until Saturday on company business.

my first experiences with fake food

2009-04-14T21:41:00.003-04:00

I purchased this "DIY Cake" kit at the store a couple of weekends ago. I have a slight obsessiong with fake food and have always wanted to attempt to make my own. When I opened the kit I was slightly disappointed as it looked way more complicated than I expected.

But tonight i was a bit bored & figured I would give it a try. Here's the outcome:

Not bad! =) My first fake food item! And it's all hand sewn!

day 3 in london, england

2009-04-13T19:29:00.004-04:00

Day 3 in London, England:
- Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards
- The Royal Mews
- Queen`s Gallery
- ate lunch at Whole Foods
- Kensington Palace
- stopped for some Pasties
- ate dinner at Belgo

Here are some of the pictures I took -

Some random comments:
- The `Changing of the guards` was highly overrated. I don`t know why so many people talk about it.
- Belgo was awesome & I almost finished my 1kg of clams. I`ll post more about our food adventures later.

creme brulee - hazardous to your health

2009-04-12T19:09:00.001-04:00

i'm holding a peice of frozen chicken in 1 hand because i burnt it something aweful while taking out the oven sheet holding my creme brulee. It hurts like heck & i hope it won't blister.

the creme brulee better taste good!

day 2 in london, england

2009-04-12T17:13:00.007-04:00

Day 2 in London, England:
- walked from Trafalgar Square to the London Eye (via the Golden Jubilee Bridge)
- rode on the London Eye
- took boat ride down the Thames to Greenwich
- had lunch at the market in Greenwich (yum to sticky toffee pudding drenched in custard)
- visited the GMT line (& stood in 2 different time zones)
- Tower of London
- had dinner at a Japanese BBQ restaurant near Leicester Square
- Tate Modern
- midnight snack at Pizza Hut

Here are some of the pictures I took -

For more pictures visit my flickr site

movies

2009-04-12T10:48:00.001-04:00

On the plane from Toronto to London I watched:
4 Christmases

On the plane from London to Toronto I watched:
Marley & Me
Twilight
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

day 1: london, england

2009-04-12T10:07:00.005-04:00

Day 1 in London, England:
- check in to accommodations & drop off luggage
- walk to Harrods
- stop for lunch in a pub (fish & chips)
- continue walking to Harrods via Kensington Park & Hyde Park
- explore Harrods
- head back home
- eat dinner at a Thai restaurant (pad thai)

Here are some of the pictures I took -

Some random comments about our trip:
- we ate so many different kinds of cuisine on our trip
- we walked a LOT
- i love Marks & Spencer & i am going through food withdrawl

back from england

2009-04-11T21:29:00.006-04:00

We're back from our vacation in England! I have lots of pictures to post which will slowly be happening in the next few days - hopefully I'll get some posting done before I leave on Wednesday for Syracuse.

Here's one of me (taken by Dave) in the meantime! Enjoy!

london

2009-03-31T21:48:00.000-04:00

in less than 48 hours I'll be on a plane and on my way to England! =)

schmap 2

2009-03-31T20:21:00.002-04:00

Another one of my photos has been short-listed to be in Schmap! This time for their seventh edition in the Toronto guide. Pretty cool!

earth hour

2009-03-29T21:28:00.003-04:00

As a result of Earth Hour (which was yesterday) I've been reading a lot of posts centred around environmentalism lately and it's got me thinking about a lot of random topics related to being environmentally friendly.

For example:

It really pissed me off when Toronto made it law that each house could only throw out a specified amount of garbage, recycling and organic waste - which was controlled by the municipal supplied bins. Although a very good initiative, there has been no equivalent movement for condos or apartments - which I think is silly. If house dwellers should be held accountable for their waste production, so should apartment and condo dwellers.

Now that I live in a condo myself I recycle religiously (and am greatful my condo building recycles), but it's definitely not "convenient" and I think many people that live here will not do it, because it's easier just to throw it all down the chute. I wish new buildings would have a recycling chute similar to a garbage chute.

But what about all that organic waste? Is there no way to make that a convenient option for apartment/condo dwellers?

partridges on a jewelry tree

2009-03-24T18:15:00.002-04:00

This past weekend we dropped by Chapters and I saw the cutest jewelry tree made by Umbra. It was so perfect, but I couldn't bring myself to buy it. I showed Dave and he agreed it was super cute.

Well today is our anniversary and to my suprise when I got home there it was - sitting on my bedside table. And what makes it even more perfect is that Dave had bought it for me a long time ago, before I had even ever laid eyes on it, and had been hiding it in his car this whole time!

Description from their website: "Whimsical jewelry tree features birds perched on swivelling branches for jewelry storage."

Image from: umbra.com

travelling

2009-03-23T21:00:00.003-04:00

Lots of travelling for the next two months -

London & Oxford, England, United Kingdom
Syracuse, New York, USA
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada

Looking especially forward to England & Newfoundland!

Forgot to post this picture I took yesterday.

Excercise log (yesterday): climbed 25 floors

2009-03-23T07:56:00.002-04:00

I previously posted about Schmap -

Schmap provides digital travel guides for 200 destinations throughout the US, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. More than 90 million Schmap Guides have been downloaded since March 2006! You can browse the maps online, and also on the iPhone and Nokia products.

Today I received an email that my picture was chosen to be included in the newly released sixth edition of Schmap New York Guide:MoMA - Museum of Modern Art

You can check out Schmaps at schmap.com

spring has arrived

2009-03-20T17:45:00.001-04:00

Today is the first day (and a gorgeous day I might add) of Spring and as usual Google search has a cute picture to commemmorate it! I absolutely love this Google-image! teeheheeheheh. So much so that I thought it deserved it's own blog post. =)

busy weekend

2009-03-16T06:57:00.001-04:00

Very tiring weekend - was too busy to blog!

Did lots & got lots done, but boy am I tired now.

Haven't excercised in god knows how long. But at least we hit the pool for the first time & it was lots of fun!

We'll hopefully be doing it a bit more often in the future. =)

butter tarts - take two

2009-03-12T21:21:00.003-04:00

I made butter tarts again tonight. But this time - I made my own tart dough! How crazy is that?

They're cooling right now, but they smell great!

Also making granola (which I totaly love to death). It's my first time attempting to make granola, so hopefully it turns out decent so I'm not totally turned off from making it. =P

I'll let you know how it all turns out....

p.s. I cheated and drank Coca-Cola tonight. Dave thinks I should try Coke Zero.

coca-cola

2009-03-12T14:58:00.001-04:00

In a bid to be “less fluffy” I have decided it is time…..time I again try to give up Coca-Cola. Every once in a blue moon (I think the last time was in university) I try to break this habit. I am usually successful & then fall off the wagon when I’m traveling or something.

Coca-Cola is one of my absolute addictions. I get Cola cravings & if I don’t have it for like 1 day I start to get withdrawal symptoms (like headaches)

So be on the lookout for a very grouchy & irritable Suziesaurus.

registration please?

2009-03-11T08:07:00.002-04:00

On our way to work this morning we (my coworkers and I - my coworker was driving) got stopped for speeding. He was doing 55mph in a 40mph zone. It was in a tricky area that went from 55mph to 40mph back to 55mph in pretty short stretch.

When the officer asked for registration we fumbled around in the company car's glove compartment and pulled out the registration. We handed it to him & he handed it promptly back responded "this is for a jeep". D'oh!

Luckily the officer took was nice enough to let us off with a warning. So in essence we just saved over $100. =P

things to do....

2009-03-10T23:15:00.003-04:00

Taking a quick email break from watching TV in my hotel room.

Start of the list of things to do when the weather gets nicer:
- visit the Royal Botanical Gardens
- visit Webster's falls again as well as explore Hamilton's other waterfalls
- visit the butterfly sanctuary in the Niagara region
- visit and explore wine country

I can't wait! =)

land of the free

2009-03-10T11:21:00.001-04:00

I’m in the United States until tomorrow!

To be more precise I’m in upper state New York visiting our American plant for some meetings.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to stop at the outlets. boohoohoo.....

spring

2009-03-08T22:17:00.004-04:00

I forgot to post about how the weather is finally getting warmer! So much so that I didn't even wear my winter jacket this whole weekend. It sucks because we lost an hour last night due to daylight savings, but it's good because it means no more snow.

Dave suprised me with a lovely bouquet of spring inspired flowers on Friday after work to celebrate the coming of Spring weather. =) (It's part of the bargain - I told him he had to buy me flowers every so often when we moved in together to make up for the lack of flowers for the last 3 years-teehee). My favorite part about the flowers is that it came with some weird branch that is starting to bud and grow small leaves! How awesome is that?

Excercise log: climbed 25 floors

the vintage show

2009-03-08T19:14:00.005-04:00

Me & my sister decided to check out the Toronto Vintage Clothing and Textile show this past weekend. This is our second year attending and probably our last. It was an alright show, but we didn't walk away with much. I would much rather go to the Ottawa show which is about 5 times larger.

The one thing I did purchase was this gorgeous feather piece that I made in to a fun headpiece.

I've seen many of these feather masterpieces on etsy, so I decided to attempt to make my own with this hand-picked feather piece. I'm really loving it! It reminds me of a funky hat. I can't wait for the perfect occassion to show it off. I have no idea what that occassion will be, but still.

Since I was on a roll I went to Michael's to buy some fake flowers to wear in my hair. =) It must be this warmer wather that is getting my creating juics flying.

bodum coffee press

2009-03-08T16:21:00.004-04:00

I'm on the hunt for the perfect coffee press. =) We dont' want to buy a coffee maker, because it just means less counter space free, but a coffee press seems a bit more practical than always using our lovely Saeco esspresso machine.

My friend had this one from Starbucks shown on the left ("Deco"), which I love. I really love Bodum designs. They're so simple, elegant and modern.

Not too long ago our friends mentioned they wanted a modern and masculine looking teapot. We ended up buying them a Bodum glass teapot that we figured fit that description the most out of all the teapots we looked at.

Image from: starbucks.com

tgiaf

2009-03-05T07:36:00.000-05:00

I woke up totally happy that it was Friday only to come to the sad realization that it is only Thursday. Well at least it's almost Friday - Thank goodness it's almost Friday....

It’s supposed to be a high of 13degrees Celsius tomorrow. How insanely awesome is that?

Exercise log for yesterday: climbed 25 floors

propaganda

2009-03-04T13:43:00.004-05:00

There is one store I love visiting when I’m bumming around downtown Toronto & that’s Propaganda on Yonge Street.

It’s the funnest & most adorable store selling cool accessories, trinkets and clothes. It’s really the perfect place to find that fun and unique gift for yourself or friend.

Address: 686 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2A6
Website: shopaganda.ca

My favorite at the moment is obviously the Hambone Plush Toy.

schmap

2009-03-03T12:41:00.007-05:00

Not too long ago my sister posted on her blog about Schmap. I had never heard of it, but this is what my sis wrote in her blog:

Schmap provides digital travel guides for 200 destinations throughout the US, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. More than 90 million Schmap Guides have been downloaded since March 2006! You can browse the maps online, and also on the iPhone and Nokia products.

I figured it'd be awesome seeing as how we're currently planning our trip to England.

To my suprise when I checked my inbox today I had a message from the Managing Editor of Schmap Guides that one of my flickr photos (taken at MOMA) has been shortlisted for the New York Schmap, 6th Edition! haha. This is as exciting as it was for my picture to be used on the blogto site!

You can check out Schmaps at schmap.com

And if your'e bored check out my Flickr page.

celebrity gossip

2009-03-03T08:18:00.000-05:00

I admit, almost everyday I check out the following sites for celebrity gossip: msn.com, tmz.com and perezhilton.com

It started when I started working basically and I’d sit at my computer and browse msn.com at lunchtime.

As with most people, it disgusts me, but I just can’t stop reading! I’m one step away from picking up Star magazine at the supermarket.

So after reading the latest buzz about how Angelina Jolie is depressed and needs alone time I got to thinking - Is celebrity gossip crazier today than it was 5 years ago? Or is it just that I’m more obsessed with it now so I’m more aware? I only vaguely remember when Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were married, but now I know where they’re vacationing! Or if there is a slim chance they will meet face-to-face (last time was at the Oscars).

I think it’s definitely that I’m more aware of it…

mid life crisis?

2009-03-02T22:02:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling a bit lost in my life right now. I feel like I should be accomplishing great things, but instead am being lazy and unmotivated.

I want to do something, but I don't even know what that something is!

I wish I could find that something that would make me want to jump out of bed each morning wanting challenges and loving my life/job.

Is that just a pipe dream for someone that always takes the safe and stable road?

cold monday

2009-03-02T20:14:00.004-05:00

Today was super cold! Thankfully I didn't have to go outside too much.

I got home early and ate dinner early, so I decided to bake another batch of chocolate chip cookies! Same as the ones I made on Saturday, except smaller and many more. =) I wanted to bake a batch to bring to work to share with my coworkers.

Nothing much else to blog about....I'm feeling a bit lazy these days. I have lots fo creative thoughts swirling through my head, so look out on the horizon for lots of fun projects.

I want to take some courses, but now I'm broke thanks to my compulsion to buy dresses that I will never wear. =P

Daily excercise log: climbed 25 floors

i get bored easily

2009-02-28T22:36:00.005-05:00

I was restless after excercising, so I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies (I can't believe I had everything I needed to make them)!

I followed the "Joy of Cooking" recipe I found for traditional chocolate chip cookies and they turned out almost perfectly! They are scrumptious!

Baking I enjoy, it's cooking meals & stuff I don't enjoy so much.

At least I'm trying to be a domestick goddess. =P

Excercise log: climbed 25 floors

making butter tarts

2009-02-28T19:13:00.003-05:00

We spent all day shopping....well...I spent all day shopping (damn BCBG is gonna make me broke) and now I'm relaxing and waiting for my 1st batch of butter tarts to bake up!

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd.....they're burnt. *SIGH*

I've managed to burn just about everything this last week. *sob*

and I still can't get the crude that I burnt on to my slow cooker off. I've tried the remedies we found via google, scrubbing, soaking, SOS pads - EVERYTHING! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

the office

2009-02-26T17:33:00.005-05:00

I used to love the Amercian TV show "The Office". I found it witty, entertaining and downright hilarious.

But I haven't really watched it this season at all. It's lost it's sparkle.

I was talking to a coworker about this after the 1st episode this season and we noted the following:
-they don't do the person-talking-to-camera funny observations anymore
-there is less focus on the episodes
-they almost totally ignore certain characters
-they cyclesilly situations that I guess are proven "safe-bets"
-they build up a plot line only to go nowhere with it
-characters do things totally un-character like

For example - they keep bringing Jan back. Her character just keeps coming back!!! And while on the subject of Michael's love interests - the writers built up the Holly character(the HR woman that replaced Toby) pretty well only to have her abruptly leave in some kind of crappy "dream-sequence" type deal.

Anywho, what made me think of this again was that my friend sent me a link to a cbc article that basically says the same things: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2009/02/25/f-american-office.html

I should either be writing for CBC or be some kind of test market. =P

I wish they had just left it at 4 seasons.

That`s it for today`s random rant. Stay tuned for more...

2009-02-25T19:31:00.001-05:00

Nothing really to blog about today...

Excercise log: climbed 25 floors today

how do i remove this mess from my crock-pot?

2009-02-23T20:45:00.002-05:00

It's been 2 days since my slow-cooker disaster and I still can't get the crud off the bottom of it. *sigh* It's been soaking for days now! Dave google'd it & we found a potential solution that we're trying out right now.

Method:
1) soak in 3/4 water + 1/4 white vinager on high for 2 hours.
2) draing and soak in soapy water.

I'm praying this works, else I'll have to.....???

In other news I had my yearly employee evaluation. Overall it went well I guess, but as always there is room for improvement. I have been trying to work on improving my patience at work, but some people just test me super too much. I guess I have to continue trying to improve.

Excercise log: climbed 25 floors today
Brain age: let's just leave it at "needs improvement"

day in review

2009-02-21T22:21:00.003-05:00

What a day! We got a bit of a late start, but headed off to CIBC to create a joint account. After much waiting, lots of frustrating, and driving to 2 different branches I have furthered my hate for CIBC and will not be banking there. We have decided to start our joing chequing account with PC banking (which ironically I found out this afternoon is affiliated with CIBC).

After more frustrated driving around we were able to accomplish SOME things including buying a nice coat rack from Structbue (my new favourite furniture store in the world).

After getting home and throwing away the chicken I had totally ruined with the slow cooker....the slow cooker which has gunk stuck in it now that I cannot remove for the life of me...and eating leftovers *sigh* we decided to try out the virtual golf room in our condo. It was pretty cool. Not amazing, but it will be a nice way to practice my swing for free. =)

Since the weather is so crap and we were staying in I decided to sew a little cover for the little round pillow that we have it turned out not horribly. I'm making total use of the cute little maki pin cushion my sister & brother-in-law got me for Christmas.

25th floor

2009-02-21T18:22:00.002-05:00

It's snowing like crazy outside, so instead of going anywhere, me & Dave decided it would be a good night to check out the virtual golf room.

We went down to book it and to check if the convenience store sold 649 tickets and decided we would climb up a few flights of stairs to get in some excercise. We ended up pushing ourselves and climbing up all 25 floors to our apartment.

I'm trying to get more excercise in since my doctor told me I was gaining weight a little too quickly yesterday at my annual checkup. =( I thought she would reassure me that my weight was average for my height. =(

Annnnnnnnnnywho - to celebrate not dying after climbing 25 flights of stairs....I'm going to deep fry some sweet potato fries. hehehehehehehehehe.

sewing machine

2009-02-17T21:26:00.004-05:00

Blogger is doing something funky with my images (rotating them 90 degrees), so I'm reduced to linking from my flickr.

Anywho, I was feeling inspired by the lovely wristlet that Dave got me for Valentine's day that I decided it was high time that I attempt to make a couple more wristlets of my own. I had made 2 last spring that turned out quite successful, but had lots of imperfections as I was still learning how to sew zippers and whatnot.

I'm much happier with the way these two turned out. =) I cannot wait to use them!

On a totally unrelated note my abdoman is not feeling very happy right now. I've been in pain all day. I hope it's just tired from the situps I did improperly on the weekend....

meal prepping

2009-02-16T21:58:00.003-05:00

I feel like I spend a huge chunk of day meal planning and prepping for meals. I miss not cooking. *sigh*.

The bright side: my attempt to make sweet potato fries was almost a total success. I think after a few more tries and I'll have perfected it.

The gloomy side: the Monkfish was a disaster. I think it was Tilapia fish i was supposed to use.

happy family day

2009-02-16T21:52:00.003-05:00

Happy Family Day to all my Ontario readers!

From wikipedia:
"Family Day is the name of a public holiday in South Afriday, in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, in the American state of Arizona, in Vanuatu, and in the Australian Capital Territory.

Ontario's Family Day takes place on the third Monday of February and is a statutory holiday. It was established on October 11, 2007, following the 2007 fall Ontario election campaign when Premier Dalton McGuinty was re-elected, and the first one was on February 18, 2008."

meal planning

2009-02-16T09:38:00.003-05:00

People always talk about how hard living on your own (after moving out of your parents' house) is so hard, but I really don't think it's as bad as they make it sound. Maybe it made it easier because I was in university at the time and surrounded by so many other people making the same transitions.

I digress - my point was that 1 of the harder parts of living like a grown up is meal planning! I'm always having to think of what the next meal is!

On the agenda today:
- french toast and bacon for breakfast
- fresh monkfish with cream of corn for dinner

tiger woods golf 2009

2009-02-15T23:05:00.004-05:00

I was itching to try the new Tiger Woods 2009 golf game for the Wii that my sister and brother-in-law had gotten Dave for this past Christmas. Instead I spent a good 45 minutes creating my golfing avater. That I swear looks nothing like me even though I tried to make it look like me.

I don't know how my brother-in-law does it! His avaters always look ridiculously a lot like him. And mine never resemble me at all! I was so into it that at one point I jokingly (not really joking) Dave to go grab me a mirror so I could look at myself while making the avater.

The game didn't let me have longer hair than that - so my avater actually looks more like my sister....

Tomorrow I think I'll try to get it to look more like me. So yeah....I ended up playing actual golf for less time than I spent trying to create my avater. *sigh*

french fries

2009-02-15T17:53:00.003-05:00

We were making hamburgers for lunch today and decided that instead of heating up some frozen fries in the oven I would attempt to make fresh cut fries. That's right - I made fries....using a potato!

They were actually easier to make than I expected and only took me about 15 minutes in total to prepare and fry up. As for taste - they were alright, but not as good as take-out fries and a little too soggy.

Method:
1) Wash, peel and cut 1 potato into french fries.
2) Put in boiling water for about 3-5 minutes.
3) Drain.
4) Fry in hot oil until golden brown.

I can't figure out if it's the boiling or the oil temperature that is making them soggy.

I think next time I'll try cutting them thinner and heating up the oil more before I throw the fries in. If all else fails it's the boiling that I'll have to work around or nix completel

I cant' believe how much stuff I'm making myself. I amaze myself. =P Tomorrow we're even going to attempt to cook fresh fish! Stay tuned for more food adventures!

Sushi Kaji Restaurant

2009-02-14T23:36:00.002-05:00

We went to this quaint little Japanese Sushi restaurant came highly recommended by my co-worker, so we decided to go there for Valentines day.

The courses just kept coming and we were completely stuffed with food by the end of the dinner. Each course was incredibly presented and incredible tasting. I tried lots of things I have never tried before, like sea urchin (which wasn`t so bad at all) and the staff was super friendly and attentive, although a bit hard to understand at times.

The most memorable items of the night:
- west coast shrimp, probably the best I`ve had in my life
- sea eel, again probably the best I`ve had in my life
- the dessert mousse
- guy at the next table falling off his chair

To finish things off, we were given an orchid made from edible items (radish, carrot, scallion, etc.) which topped off the perfect dining experience.

For the formal review go to our food blog at: chubbibunnies

For more information about Sushi Kaji, visit their website at: sushikaji.com

happy valentines day

2009-02-13T22:32:00.007-05:00

I like nice breakfasts and seeing as today is Valentine's day - I decided to make my sweetie a nice breakfast. (Today is all about food)

On the menu:
- cappaccino
- pancakes (made from SCRATCH)
- freshly fryed bacon

I used the recipe I found in "Joy of Cooking" for the pancakes. They turned out nice and fluffy, but not super tasty. I think from now on though I will definitely make my pancakes from scratch. =) Next time I'm putting chocolate chips in them!

I hope you all have a wonderful day! No matter if you're single or not - take today to spoil yourself! =)

tomorrow is valentine's day

2009-02-13T07:15:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Valentine's day!

Me & Dave don't go overboard in celebrations or anything, but we did pick tomorrow to cash in on an expensive dinner I won from a work raffle. =) I can't wait for sushi!

Cute miniture ceramic heart factory is sold at Pearson Maron's etsy shop.

chipotle

2009-02-12T17:18:00.006-05:00

Tonight I did what I've been wanting to do for a very long time - I made sweet potato fries at home.

For anyone that might not know me well, I really love sweet potato fries dipped in chipotle mayonnaise.

The chipotle mayonnaise turned out PERFECTLY, unfortunately the sweet potato fries were super soggy probably due to the fact that I baked them in the oven instead of frying them in oil. I think next time I will definitely try frying them in oil to see how they turn out.

All-in-all a successful cooking experiment.

not in the mood

2009-02-11T22:10:00.001-05:00

to blog today...

milk frother

2009-02-10T21:22:00.002-05:00

I finally bought a milk frother! I can finally attempt to learn how to make the ultimate cappaccino. =P

the weekend is over

2009-02-08T22:28:00.004-05:00

Today was great and oh-so-productive (just the way I like it). We:
- had dim sum with my family
- dropped off some stuff at my parent's house
- picked up some stuff from my parent's house
- got my car washed
- did a LITTLE grocery shopping
- bought a switch for our TV
- bought some film
- met up with some friends to chill out
- came home
- did some MINOR tidying up

And then.....the highlight of my day - I used a bath bomb for the first time and soaked in the tub. =)

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Time spent on the Wii Fit: 30 minutes

wii fit

2009-02-07T23:23:00.004-05:00

Of course Dave had to hook up our new TV first thing after we got home and it's lovely. As I mentioned it's a 40" Samsung LCD. He had originally wanted a Sony Bravia, but the Samsung is just so much more affordable. It's a perfect size for our living room - I'm so glad he insisted on the 40" ovcer the 37". Maybe we should have gotten a 42"?!??!? =P

So after eating the fatty roast I made for dinner I was feeling quite gross, so I asked Dave to hook up the Wii so I could get in some Wii Fit before bed. I swear my Mii looks a bit chubby, but maybe it's just that I'm not used to seeing it so large and up close. Hmmmmm.....

We're much closer to being completely unpacked. I think by next weekend I'll be able to possibly pull out my sewing machine to make a new pillow cover! =)

domestic goddess

2009-02-07T14:42:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a long day, so it was nice to laze around this morning. I woke up late(r) and made a nice breakfast of bacon, hash browns and eggs. Yummy!

And I also started the roast for tonight. That's right.....I'm a domestic goddess in the making.

It is ridiculously nice and mild today. I want to badly get my car washed, but it might have to wait until tomorrow.

We also picked up our new TV!!!!!! I'm super excited. It's a 40" Samsung LCD! =)

Tomorrow we're heading to Toronto for dim sum with my family. So hopefully we can get a little more unpacking and cleaning done today. It's always dusty in here for some reason!

lomography

2009-02-06T07:57:00.007-05:00

Dave received a lomography camera (to be more specific: the Colorsplash Chakra camera & book) for Christmas. Neither of us had ever heard of lomography, but we found out it’s pretty popular and has a bit of a cult-following.

Although the camera uses 35mm and the affects can be duplicated using digital processing (e.g. photoshop) I’m excited to steal this camera away from Dave to play with it myself.

From Wiki:
Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Characteristics such as over-saturated colors, off-kilter exposure, blurring, "happy accidents," and alternative film processing are often considered part of the "Lomographic Technique." Users are encouraged to take a lighthearted approach to their photography, and use these techniques to document everyday life, as the Loo LC-A's small size, simple controls, and ability to shoot in low light encourages candid photography, photo reportage, and photo vérité through the much-touted "10 Rules."

Since the introduction of the original Lomo LC-A, Lomography has produced and marketed an entire line of their own branded analog cameras. Most Lomographic cameras are designed to produce a single photographic effect. For example, the Lomography Fisheye camera features a built-in wideangle lens, and shoots fisheye-distorted photos.

The 10 Golden rules:
1) take your camera everywhere you go
2) use it any time – day and night
3) lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it
4) try the shot from the hip
5) approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible
6) don’t think
7) be fast
8) you don’t have to know beforehand what you captured on film
9) afterwards either
10) don’t worry about any rules

Stay tuned for some lomography pictures. =)

For more information check out their website

slowly settling in

2009-02-05T20:39:00.005-05:00

I started to feel better in the late afternoon, so I figured I would move the couch and build the dining room table and chrias before Dave got back with dinner. For some reason I'm retarded and I can't ever follow Ikea instructions and do at least 1-2 things wrong every time! But in the end they were built.

So the day wasn't a total wash. I hate being sick because I feel so unpreoductive. I'm pretty happy with the way the dining set goes with the apartment. =) It's slowly all coming together. We'll just ignore the fact that everything is crammed into the den for now. =P

Now I'm beat.....time for sleep!

sick day

2009-02-05T12:39:00.001-05:00

I woke up around 5a.m. due to a massive headache. I rarely wake up WITH the headaches, so I knew it wasn't looking to be such a good day. I was kind of panting in my breathing which woke Dave up. He was sweet enough to get me some pain killers and some tiger balm, but even that stuff which usually subsides the pain didn't work that well. My head was throbbing so much I felt like I was going to vomit. So getting up & going to work seemed in possible.

So I called in sick.

I just re-awoke now & ate something. Then I moved the couch in to place because I was feeling better.......that was a huge mistake. My head is starting to throb again. So i'm sitting in bed blogging.

Time for more sleep......

puff pastry & fruit

2009-02-04T21:53:00.003-05:00

This evening for dessert I whipped up a simple (but oh so yummy) dessert that Dave's mom taught us how to make many years ago.

All you need is:
- puff pastry that you can buy at almost any grocery store (in the frozen goodds section)
- fruit (I used apples and frozen berries)
- sugar
- egg

Instructions:
1) Unroll the defrosted puff pastry on a cookie sheet using the parchment paper it comes with to line the pan.
2) Mix the fruit in a bowl with some sugar to sweeten.
3) Fold the puff pastry's courners towards the centre making a cute little package.
4) Brush the pastry with a beaten egg.
5) Bake according to puff pastry's instructions.

And voila! One delicious and easy dessert!

too much stuff

2009-02-04T18:47:00.004-05:00

I really miss the days in university when I had a simple room without excess clutter. It made me feel relaxed and happy. Which is why I obsessively purge things every so often.

If I buy or acquire something new....that in most cases means I donate or throw out something else. Sounds insane maybe, but life is so much simpler without excess everything.

Excess stuff actually makes me very stressed out....

I'm officially very stressed out.