Last Night I Met Judy Blume!

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Last night the Toronto Reference Library hosted Judy Blume as she tours to promote her latest adult book In the Unlikely Event.  Yes, Judy Blume was in town and I met her !

Tickets sold out online in minutes a month ago. About a thousand people came, some in the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon and some in the main library watching on screen.

Attendees were as diverse as Toronto is multicultural, with the exception of a primarily female audience of all adult ages. We were all just thrilled to be in the same room with Judy Blume. We whistled, clapped, and stood when she was introduced. Continue reading

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Vegetables with Lemon Oil – Easy

IMG_6682On busy school nights, I admit that preparing supper can be a challenge. I am always looking for short cuts and neat ways to shave time off my food prep and clean up. There is a fancy grocery store in my area and, after school, we go in to buy some fresh bread for dinner. Often, there are tasting tables. In particular, there is a tasting table for oils and vinegars. And, my kids and I cannot stay away. Continue reading

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Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo Copyright 2015 SweetTrendyAndNeat

I think I can make a chocolate chip cookie recipe from start to finish in 40 minutes. That includes cleaning up and eating the cookies. Hands down, making chocolate chip cookies is like coming home. They are memories of my childhood and they are memories of baking with my kids. They are the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag. They are the reason I gained 40 pounds for each of my pregnancies!!

But why are chocolate chip cookies so loved? Why are they so popular in North America? How come everybody seems to follow a similar recipe but everybody’s cookies are different? Why are these cookies on dessert menus even in the fanciest of restaurants? Continue reading

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David’s Tea Goes Public – Tea is so Hot!

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Three years ago my kids (tweens at the time) first introduced me to David’s Tea. I was surprised…and interested. Why would a 9 and 12 year old be talking about tea? Well, if you have ever been into David’s Tea, you probably know why: from the second you walk in, you are welcomed by friendly knowledgeable tea guides, offering you samples of freshly brewed tea. Free tea! In a glass – fancy! Who wouldn’t love that? Lots of us, it seems. Continue reading

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A Weekend Brunch

A Weekend Brunch photo copyright 2015 Alex R
A Weekend Brunch
photo copyright 2015 Alex R

My parents recently visited from overseas for 3 weeks. It was great!  They live in a part of the world where heavy meals are usually lunch-time meals and dinner meals tend to be much lighter fare.

Our North American lifestyle was hard to change during this period: because the kids were in school, their lunches were light and so they needed a substantial dinner meal. So, my poor parents had to eat heavy meals at dinner to accommodate their hosts.

On the weekends, I thought I would try and balance things out by treating them to a North American brunch! Continue reading

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A Yummy Lemon Carrot Cake

Yummy Lemon Carrot Cake photo copyright 2015 Alex R
Yummy Lemon Carrot Cake
photo copyright 2015 Alex R

When I moved to North America, it was to go to a boarding school to complete high school. My roommate’s mother made us mouth-watering cakes on each of our visits to her home. I fell in love with her carrot cake and still have that index card with the recipe on it, in my teenage handwriting. I have made slight modifications to the recipe like substituting yogurt for some of the oil and using light cream cheese and more icing sugar in the frosting.

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I also make the cake in 2 eight inch round pans instead of 3 because I only own 2 round pans! I use a third pan – a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. We eat the loaf cake as soon as it gets out of the oven, or I ice it for a quick family dinner dessert. The cake is so good that my kids would think I was cruel if I made a big round cake for someone else and didn’t make something for them! Continue reading

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