Inspiration: Sprouted Kitchen

These modern images of Sprouted Kitchen's COCOA LAYER CAKE WITH BLACKBERRIES + MASCARPONE CREAM  really make me want to get my act together and start baking more.
Baking is a bit magical - basic ingredients combined just so for a wonderful and tangible result - and then you eat it!


I haven't delved into the world of food blogs too much but this may be the start of a beautiful relationship. Thanks, Natasha!

Good Lunch

I'm pretty terrible at lunches on my days off. 
I'm a muncher so you will find me, at my computer, snacking on crackers, bits of cheese and maybe some salami. As delicious as this is, it's not really balanced and it's not actually that filling (unless I eat half a box of crackers, which may or may not happen from time to time).
So yesterday, I decided to actually stop what I was doing and eat some proper lunch. 
It was not some culinary miracle or anything but I did oven-roast that turkey and cheddar sandwich and I ended up having two small bowls of salad. It was delicious and satisfying. 
Not featured is the ton of cranberry juice I drink. 
Even when I water it down, it's still an obscene amount.


I think that there is something really refreshing about stop to have a nice lunch.
When I'm at work, I'll sometimes spend a little extra just to order something that requires cutlery. Cutlery can make you feel civilized again if shipments have come in late or if some customer decided YOU were the person who was going to get her wrath.

Eating better can be... Pretty?

I know, I know. Everyone wants to eat better in the new year.

Around here we haven't committed to anything too drastic. No crazy diets. No cleanses. 

We are going to start making an effort to buy more organic and less-processed items.

I am, however, being tempted to do a complete overhaul because of the lovely Cannelle et Vanille.

The author, Ms. Aran, develops the entirely gluten-free recipes, styles and shoots the food.

The result is delicious and tempting images that really put healthy eating into a very pretty perspective.

Click here for the images above and the recipes for the Greens & Roasted Beet Salad.

Yum!

Handmade Homemade

I love the idea of decorating your favourite recipes like this almost as much as I love the idea of homemade bread goods. I think I could live off bread and cheese for the rest of my life. 

With chocolate for dessert. 

I'd die from high cholesterol but what a way to go!

Recipe found here.

Too Cool to Find

SATURDAY. NEW YORK CITY.
So the night of the concert, we got off the subway at Spring Street and started walking. We had some time for food but not quite enough for a full sit down meal. We kept walking, past a few different places, not really being persuaded by anything in particular. We ended up in front of this seemingly unimportant corner restaurant, it's actually called THE CORNER or rather LA ESQUINA, since it's a Mexican take-out joint. It was packed with people, which is always a good thing for a restaurant except when you want to sit down. The were people lined up around the corner, eating outside on the windowsills.
We decided to stay since we were running out of time and patience. Went in, grabbed a menu and got distracted by two suit-wearing, decked-out body guards standing in front of a door. They made small talk with us because they thought my husband was someone else and as it turns out, LA ESQUINA is THE CORNER to be at! The door guys were manning the entrance to an ultra-hip-reservations-only private bar, in the basement of this crazy place. I don't even know if it has a separate name but we watched several people try to get in, only to be shut down cold.
Our unexpected turn that only got better when the food was up and we basked in its melted-cheese glory. It was a cheap, delicious and all around wacky experience that somehow felt very New York.


Above photos, original images of La Esquina's calling cards, which are much like the restaurant itself: Simple, cool and super Mexican.

NYSee

We're back in town (and back to work) after a lovely little weekend in New York City. I had never, ever, been but instantly fell into its rhythm and energy. We were graced with gorgeous weather and spent the entire two days walking all over the place. I broke down and bought insoles for my boots by Sunday morning... I wish I had thought of that on Saturday night before I spent a million hours standing at the concert.
We are home now, back with our cats, who looked rather displeased about our absence and their now-gone mountain of dry cat food and I am still dreaming about my brunch... eggs benedict... on crab cakes!

Daily Snippets

Baking Success

Photo-journey of the Guinness cupcakes based on this post. If you think that's a lot of butter... you don't want me to tell you how much sugar is in this recipe. The cupcakes were wonderfully moist and the cream cheese frosting was pretty freaking delicious. The recipe was enough for twenty-four cupcakes, more than enough for Thanksgiving dessert and even some left over to send to work with my husband. How wife-y of me!

Cool Kitchen Tool

My recent baking adventures have made me realize how important it is to have a good sense of measurement. It also showed me that if you whip whipped cream too much, you will, like the internet told me, turn it into something almost butter-like and have to start all over... but that's a whole other issue.
Right now I am just really liking these cool kitchen conversion charts from Sweet Fine Day.
They are both useful and creative.

Found here.

Good Food, Good Thanks

We're in the middle of Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and I thought I'd post a coupe of pictures of our Thursday lunch at a food truck since the rest of the internet will surely be flooded with turkey dinners and warm tones. The food we had at Don Juan's was very greasy, salty, indulgence food and we enjoyed it thoroughly. I also really liked the signage and the font and well... the motto.

I am thankful for my handsome husband, my wonderful family, my cats, Lola ( a Jack that lives with my parents), my good friends, my inspiring friends, magazines, food, Ensure, dental insurance, blogs, books, ice cream, candy, paper, baking, emails, junk food, digital cameras, newsboy caps, jackets, sunshine, clean laundry, dirty jokes,  hand-picked apples, vhs and driving lessons.

It's a nice life!

Food for Thought. Or Not.

I might be getting addicted to mush food.
Dental surgery will do that to you.

I'm drinking another Ensure as I type and my darling husband makes some homemade guacamole. He made it last night and I requested it again. We're taking it to a friend's house. It's our payment for her letting us watch the latest episode of our new favourite show.

I never eat guacamole. My friends all love it but I never seem to be in the mood for it. Is it the Latina in me rebelling against the expected? Is that even true? I don't even think all Latins eat guacamole, maybe it's just Mexicans. Am I wrong about this or did I just do the stereotypical thing people do when they stereotype Mexicans? I mean Latins...

The point is, the guacamole is good enough I wanted two nights in a row.

Photo credit - here.

Be Still My Heart.

Guinness Cake. See previous post. Nuff Said.

Found here.

Sugarholic Love

Hello, my name is MFM. And I am a sugarholic.

I had to pass this image on, because when I found it on Rummey Bears, the blog's author, Anna, tagged the picture with the same sweet confession.
I am still very sore from my operation and have been eating a lot of liquid foods, soft pastas and small pieces of bread. I have, however, been missing my usual staples of everything chocolate and sweet. I love pastries, candies, cakes... anything baked, sugary and lovely. My husband indulges me. He'll often order dessert just so I can try two different options and this one time, he let me order three desserts! Threeeee! It was one of the best nights of my life. He's not that big on the sugar, except for the candy department... but he sure lets me have my habit.
So today, when I am not feeling great, let's pay some respect to everything ELSE I'd like to eat.
Sugar. Sugar. Sugar.