a warm bed and a delicious breakfast

At the end of the day there is little that sounds more inviting to me than Bed, at the beginning of the day Breakfast is about the most compelling invitation that can be extended. Where to sleep and eat when one cannot do so in one's own home? I see the appeal of the Five Star hotel but frankly find them more intimidating than welcoming and when I am tired and/or hungry welcome is exactly what I am after.

My brother and his wife have opened the doors of their home as they have welcomed folk to Canterbury Bed and Breakfast here in Calgary. There is always fresh baking and the best warm spirit on offer. I cannot think of anywhere more welcoming than there. Just the place to end a good day and begin the next. They have recently listed the accommodation here. Close to Fish Creek Park with walking paths and wonderful natural beauty, in a quiet neighborhood, it is a lovely place to spend a night or two. (or as many as suits your fancy)

If you are thinking of a trip to this corner of the world....

http://www.bbcanada.com/13734.html?showpage=1

kitchen scale

I am a reasonably recent convert to the concept that a kitchen scale is something every well-equipped kitchen needs. I have had mine for just over a year now and while I initially used it infrequently, I pull it out pretty much every day now. It is just the handiest little thing! All those recipes from the U.K. are now accessible. Baking is much more reliable since measuring flours by weight is simply the most accurate way to go (and if one is doing gluten-free baking and mixing flours - essential!!). And sometimes things just need to be weighed. You know.

To be sure, I am not any kind of a kitchen-scale-expert. I have only ever had the one I currently have. I cannot claim to have any real hands-on experience in using the many models that are on the market but (since my one outstanding talent - according to a dear friend - is shopping. Sad, I know) I carefully compared what I had to choose from and think that this model from Superstore is the clear and easy winner in all categories that mattered to me. It is compact, sleek, easy to clean (a simple quick swipe suffices - no grooves or buttons), and accurate. It easily weighs items in grams, pounds or mls. Zeroes out. Looks cool. All that for less than 25.00!!!!! Most reliable scales start at close to 50.00 and many are more like 100.00, so I was almost sceptical that this scale could/would deliver but once again the President's Choice label at Superstore has a winner. The products available at Superstore are pretty changeable but I happen to know that they still carry this scale - might be your new best friend in the kitchen :)

Superstore and I have no relationship aside from the fact that I shop there. Just so you know.

naked pans

David returned from Japan on Saturday evening and in his suitcase - not one but two NakedPans! Sensually beautiful in form - naked seems appropriate. The 'naked' however actually refers to the fact that the pan is indeed naked. As in no coatings or chemical treatment. They are made of cast iron following an ancient tradition by skilled craftsmen in an area that has produced cast iron wares for centuries. Oigen, the company that makes NakedPan, has patented a process that creates an iron-oxide film on the surface of the pans. This surface makes the cast iron rust resistant. It also creates a natural non-stick surface. Very simply explained, small batches of the cast iron is heated to 900 degrees C for a very specific amount of time. Craftsmen have been producing beautiful rust-resistant Japanese tea kettles using a similar process for centuries. Oigen has perfected and applied the process to make some truly elegant pans. And of course, being cast iron, the cooking qualities are first rate.

The shapes are simple with details (like the hobnail - or arare - pattern on the underside of the handles) that nod to traditional Japanese design. I have spent the day admiring their beauty. They really deserve a haiku in their honor but another caress will have to do.

Desire fulfilled, I have my own NakedPans. Tomorrow I cook!

(Top three pictures show my pans beautifully naked - straight out of the box. The last picture is after a light seasoning.)

reading: Vit K2 and the Calcium Paradox by Kate Rheaume-Blue 
If you take calcium supplements, or you have children, or if you are simply interested in nutrition and optimal health - you need to read this book. It seems there is misinformation out and around about Vit K2. The newest research is fascinating and fills in a lot of 'holes'. Looks like Vit K2 is a vital nutrient that 'activates' and directs other critical vitamins and minerals. Seriously interesting stuff. Easy read too.


I am in awe of the intricate and delicate balances in our bodies  - and the interaction between those balances and the world around us. Add to that the incredible resilience and innate toughness of our physical selves and I am blown away. What miracles we are.

bread & butter

You know the day dreams of what you would do if you could do whatever you wanted to do - and then what if that wonderful occupation was more than just play? Some of my personal day dreams have included owning a book store, a fabric store, designing and sewing wedding dresses, doing interior design (for pay!), a gardening service... and those are only the more recent dreams. Just yesterday I met a man who is living his dream. He has recently opened a fabulous new eatery in Henderson, Nevada. We ate lunch there yesterday and went back this morning for brunch. The vibe is pretty cool and the food is fantastic. 

Chris always knew he wanted to be a chef. When he was in culinary school he would take the train to NYC at the weekends, camp outside the door of a selected restaurant so he could meet his chosen chef and then when the chef came out Chris would offer to work for free for the weekend, just for the experience. From there (and with the contacts he made there) he trained in Europe and eventually ended up as the head pastry chef at Bouchon in The Venetian (Las Vegas). That was a great gig but his dream was bigger than that and Bread & Butter is where he wants to be - his own place, his own brand, his own dream.

We sampled a warm pretzel bread with honey butter and grainy mustard while we waited for our purple cauliflower and smoked pork soup. (Both excellent.) The kale salad we shared was so good we have scarcely stopped talking about it, and the monster-sized chocolate cookies define delicious. That was yesterday. The sourdough waffles we had for brunch this morning were a tough rival for the nutella-topped banana-nut mini cake we had to start. Everything - everything - in the shop begs tasting, from the collection of gourmet root beers to the granola and baguettes. And your kids can draw on the chalkboard-painted garbage bin or sidewalk out front so the experience is a good one for all involved. Chris is inviting everyone.

I know that a lot of blood, sweat, and (most likely) tears have gone into this little shop - I hope his dream is as successful as it deserves to be. It is all So Very Fun!

Bread & Butter, 10940 South Eastern Avenue, Suite 107, Henderson, Nevada

painted toenails

I must confess that I have sadly neglected an area of personal grooming this past year that was previously rarely overlooked and always enjoyed. Toenails. Not the entire pedicure thing - just the painting of the toenails. Even when I finally booked a real pedicure I couldn't commit to a color and finally told the girl to just use a base coat and leave it at that. Since I have always looked forward to summer and bare toes with a bright polish on the nails, it was a bit...strange, this attitude of mine. Perhaps it is just the association - Merin was always my toenail technician. She insisted on being the one to paint both my nails and Eden's every summer. In fact, until last night (and other than the occasional professional excursion) I can't remember when anyone else has been the painter. Even when she was hugely pregnant just before Ysa was born, there she was, legs straddled on the floor, leaning over her belly, carefully painting my toenails - at her insistence! But I think I have broken the barrier. I am over the hump. And I have the cute, fun, toenails to prove it. 


Yesterday afternoon I was shopping with my adorable niece and fun sister-in-law (in Las Vegas - and yes I am having a ton of fun!) We stopped into Sephora and our attention was caught by some pretty cool nail polish. We read the product info, got ourselves all girly-excited, and made the purchase. After homework and that other necessary nasty stuff we got down to the real business of the night. What fun we had! This nail polish has iron bits in it that respond to a magnet on the end of the cap to make cool patterns on your nails. (See my left big toe) The fun part is the surprise - you have no control over what you end up with. All three of us sported different looks. But we feel cool. Especially after we googled the product and found out that it was only released six days ago and Katy Perry (ya - I almost took it off right away. lol) uses it too. What geeks we are!


Whatever - I can hardly stop admiring my toes this morning. It feels so good. Thank goodness for a 17 year-old, cool, sweet niece. Thanks Robyn.


In the event that anyone is curious about the polish - it is Nails Inc. Magnetic Polish and the color is "trafalgar square".