The Balancing Act - A Blog by A Canadian Muslim Mom

It's Fall and I'm Cooking: Tilapia and Green Bean Stew

It's cold and I want hearty, savoury meals that warm my body and soul.  This recipe satisfies some of my culinary and nutritional goals for the season - I want to cook and eat more fish, expose my kids to different foods, and eat more vegetables.  Try this for some spicy, autumnal sustenance:

Tilapia and Green Bean Stew

2 tbsps olive oil

1/2 a medium onion, peeled and chopped finely

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp chopped ginger

1 tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric

1 tbsp salt

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped green beans

6 tilapia filets, quartered

handful chopped fresh cilantro

juice from half a lemon

Sauté onion, garlic, ginger with oil till softened.  Add powdered spices and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add a little water if it starts to stick.  Add tomatoes and green beans and let simmer on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes till green beans are tender.  Add fish and simmer for another 6 minutes.  Turn off heat and add cilantro and lemon juice.  Check salt and add to taste if necessary.  Serves 6 people. Serve with rice or baguette. Enjoy!

Eid: A Celebration of Food and Family

It seems like just moments ago that Ramadan began with all our intentions of piety and sacrifice.  The month went by quickly.  My kids seemed to be more into it this year, and I'm trying my best to expose them to the traditions and rituals I grew up with.   More than anything, the kids were excited about Eid, the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. 

I started the day off early in the morning, preparing a sweet milk and vermicelli dish called kheer kurma.  In my house, and in most Muslim homes of Indian-Pakistani origin, this is the typical breakfast food for Eid morning.  The vermicelli is cooked in the milk along with a variety of nuts and raisins - here are some of the ingredients purchased at our nearby Indo-Pak grocery store:

Before heading out to Rogers Centre for Eid morning prayers, we each sat down to a steaming bowl of this milky treat to nourish us for our outing:

Rogers Centre on Eid morning is a feast for the eyes.  Eid prayers are offered in some other smaller, quieter venues near our home, but we prefer the big blast downtown:  With approximately ten thousand attendees, the get-together is an incredible display and celebration of the diversity of Muslim people:  Africans with flowing kaftans, rosy-cheeked Albanians and Bosnians, Indonesians, Indians, Pakistanis in ornate salwar kameez, Arabs, Russians, and Chinese are just some of the nationalities represented there. 

Regardless of their nationality, every participant's greeting was the same.  After prayers,  the tradition is to embrace those on either side of you with an enthusiastic "Eid Mubarak!!"  I want my children to see and feel the multicultural beauty of their religion  - and at Rogers Centre it is gloriously represented:

After the short prayer, we walked over a few feet to the childrens' play area for some fun and exercise for the kids.  This Sesame Street Bouncy Castle was a big hit with my daughter:

After that, we went home to freshen up and let the kids open some gifts (always a highlight for them!) and then over to my brother's place for Eid lunch with our family.  After stuffing ourselves with samosas, kebabs, biryani, paneer sabzi (curried vegetables with cottage cheese), chick pea salad with dill, fresh fruit, mithai (milk-based sweets) and more kheer kurma, we exchanged more gifts before heading home.    

Neigbourhood Fiesta

This past weekend, our wonderful nanny, Maria, hosted an amazing street party for the kids on our street.  I feel very lucky to live on this street:  There are 19 kids on our street alone, and all the families are warm, loving and very family-oriented.  As a result, since we all moved into this development four years ago, our kids have grown up together and formed incredible bonds that I'm sure will surpass their residence on this street.

Maria went all out for the kids - there was this unreal Sponge Bob pinata filled to the brim with candies, an amazing feast of treats from Maria's home of Nicaragua - homemade chicken tacos, tortilla-beef casserole, a Latin take on shepherd's pie, homemade orange-canteloupe juice and lime-ade. It was super-yummy. 

We had 80's tunes blaring the background, and everyone was enjoying the ambiance and beautiful weather.  Saturday was a glorious, warm, sunny day, and I can't think of a better way of saying farewell to summer in our 'hood.  Here are some pics!

 

A Summer trip to Calgary

We're back from Calgary.  It was a great trip - full of family and friends - and we explored some new things in the city that we hadn't done before.

We visited the beautiful park at Prince's Island.  There's a great playground, lots of stunning greenery, and some scenic man-made lakes. 

Here's my a pic of my husband, the Boy and I at Prince's Island:

   

Maybe it's the mountains, but the air in Calgary is so pure and fragrant - the whole time we were outside, I kept reminding myself to take long deep breaths to savour the air.

My Baby had lots of fun with her cousin, my sister-in-law's daughter, who is only five weeks older than her.  I'm excited for them to grow up together.  Here is the first of  many matching outfits!

I'm always impressed at how good the food is in Calgary. We at a lot of meals at the Earl's on 4th street, which is right across the street from my in-laws' condo - by far, the best hamburger I have ever eaten!  We also checked out the Calgary Farmer's Market which was amazing.  I indulged in a Bernard Callebaut (the chocolate king of Calgary) chocolate mousse from Ladybug Organic Foods that was divine, especially when paired with coffee from Phil & Sebastian - yummy!

Here's my Girl admiring the pastries at Ladybug!

We dined with friends at Alloy, an absolutely stunning new restaurant in Calgary that has the most divine dining room and delicious food. This is my friend Danyael and I enjoying the beautiful ambiance.

The day before we left, we visited my husband's cousin, Pete and his wife, Dawn.  They have a very stylish home with fascinating art. See below - my husband sitting below a piece entitled "Dead Fat Comedians" - can you identify them? I only got 3 out of 5.

 

It's all Greek to Me

I moved to East York a few years ago, and it's definitely now become my "home".  One of the great things about having lived in different Toronto neighbourhoods is that once you've lived in a 'hood, you "own" that place.  By "owning" it, I mean, it becomes part of your "intimate" circle of destinations that, like your close friends and family, tie you to a city.   Here's a few of the faves from my inner circle of Toronto shops and restos.

While I was in law school, I lived at Bay and Bloor.  From that time, I feel a close kinship with the Manulife Center (Holt Renfrew, Indigo and the Varsity theatres in one building!) and all the lovely shops along Bloor St.  I know them like the back of my hand and feel totally at home strolling around that fun part of town. 

From my early married days in Cabbagetown, I hold with me a love of Daniel & Daniel, an amazing gourmet food store at the corner of Carlton and Parliament - when were were newlyweds, my husband and I would treat ourselves to D&D's delicious buttery croissants on Sunday mornings, the perfect accompaniment to the New York Times.

Another Cabbagetown fave is St. Jamestown Steak & Chops, where the butcher, Mark, is now a friend.  Check out this shop for triple-A beef, fresh Ontario poultry and lamb and an amazing assortment of Ontario fruit and vegetables.

Right now, I'm becoming an expert on some things Greek.  For example,  the most delicious Greek food (in my humble opinion) can be found at Pantheon Restaurant on the Danforth.  The amazing family-oriented ambiance and their tolerance of my young kids makes that place a definite fave.  The taramasalata, my favourite dip for pitas made from pureed fish, is fantastic there - and often all I order because I love it so much!

Down the road, Athens Pastries has the most divine spanakopita, that is even more delicious with a café frappé, made in a true Euro style with Nestle coffee and carnation milk on ice.  For baklava, another decadent indulgence that I adore, my favourite Greek bakery is Serrano bakery on Pape avenue.

March Break

It's Thursday night of March break, and I'm feeling a bit wistful. It's been a lovely week with the kids, and I've really enjoyed having them home with me all day.  They're only gone three hours a day at Montessori, but it does limit what activities we can do together when they're at home.

It's three weeks until my due date, and I'm feeling slightly sad in knowing that I'm not going to have the same time for my two older children.  I know the baby will sleep a lot in the beginning and that I'll probably have more time than I think.  But, I also know how tired I am post-partum, and how time-consuming breastfeeding can be.  With all of that in mind, I made a point, this March break, to treasure each day with my kids and put all my other lists of tasks aside for a few days.

On Monday, we had a chill out day at home not doing anything at all. We stayed in our pyjamas way too long and had leisurely meals and naps.  On Tuesday, we woke up more motivated - in the afternoon, my kids' friends - a boy/girl sibling pair along with their 2 year old sister - came over to play.  My daughter and her buddy, R, are both 3. They had discussed their play date in advance, and R came armed with a serious make-up box.  Soon, the two of them were getting glammed up with make up (which you may recall from a recent post, is my little girl's current passion) and princess costumes, and spent much time choosing the right footwear to embellish their outfits.

On Wednesday, my adorable nephew came to spend the day, and along with our wonderful neighbours, we made our way to Eastview Community Center for their morning drop-in program. This is part of the Ontario Early Years program.  Eastview (the major intersection is Danforth and Jones, Toronto) is one of my favourite centers because it houses the drop-in in a huge gymnasium (lots of room to run and jump), has great toys, and a really caring and fun staff.  Every morning has free play, craft time and circle time with great songs and a healthy, delicious snack.  It was a great way to spend a morning with the kids.  We followed our playtime with a yummy lunch at Bamiyan, the fantastic Afghani kebab house in Thorncliffe Park near my home.  I realised a couple of years ago, that my kids loved Afghani food: it's simple - rice, salad, bread and grilled meat (they like the chicken kebob), and immensely flavourful without being too spicy.  The ambiance at Bamiyan is incredibly kid-friendly - they don't bat an eye if my kids talk loudly or spill their drinks as they often do.

Today, I was feeling a bit tired, and in the mood for something a bit more low-key.  I had read in the paper that the Cinesphere Imax Theatre at Ontario Place was showing the film, Enchanted, every day this Break at 11:30am.  We drove down there to check it out and it was a blast!

I was shocked at how much I enjoyed the film, and my daughter was mesmerized by every moment.  As the credits were rolling, she didn't move and it was soon apparent that she was ready to sit and watch it all over again!

Tomorrow's our last day, and we don't have any big plans.  I'm just happy to have them home with me for one more day. I know the next few weeks are going to be tumultuous, and I'm treasuring these last few quiet moments.

Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding

Every night it's the same question: what to make for dinner?  The challenge I've been facing lately is that I'm tired of the same 20+ recipes that I've been making for years.  My cooking forté lies in Indian food - curries, vegetables, rice dishes - and I enjoy preparing stir-fries (more rice) and Italian food.  In the summer, we barbeque a lot and I marinade a lot of tandoori items, kebabs and the usual steak and burger fare.  You should check out Meena's blog, Kitchen Confidential for many South Asian-inspired recipes. 

What I don't know much about are the hearty meat 'n potato staples that my husband grew up on.  Though we're a cross-cultural family (I'm from a South Asian background and my husband is of Irish/Scottish descent), our meals definitely lean toward the East largely because that's what I know and I do the cooking.

So, my latest culinary resolution is to master some of my husband's favourites enough so that I can incorporate them into our monthly repertoire of meals.  I started a while back with a Roast Chicken dinner, served with roast potatoes, stuffing, and steamed veggies.  I used the Martha Stewart recipe for a Perfect Roast Chicken (could it be anything less than perfect if concocted by the master herself?) and I've had great luck with it. The only changes I would make to the recipe are that I would roast at 350 degrees for 1/2 an hour per pound of chicken as opposed to 425 degrees as specified.  Also, instead of melted butter, I rub the chicken (before cooking) with olive oil - a healthier choice.  I've found the olive oil still gives a great browny, crispy skin.

My latest cooking experiment came in the form of a Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding dinner.  My husband had been waxing nostalgic about the hearty, delicious meals prepared by his British grandmother, and I thought "Okay, let's give it a go!."  As a resource, I pulled out my Williams Sonoma cookbook on Roasting (part of a set of lovely cookbooks I got as a wedding gift) and found a recipe (see below).  The instructions were surprisingly simple, and my husband was thrilled to see the absence of marinated tofu (mmmm..one of my favourites) on the menu. 

I have a phobia about undercooked meat and we both like our beef extremely well done.  That being said I may have left the roast in a bit too long because it was a little dry. I had it in for 70 minutes and 375 degrees, and I think 50-60 minutes would have been resulted in a moister roast.  But, it was still yummy, and the leftovers made great sandwiches for lunch the next day.  Here's a pic:

The piece de résistance of the meal was definitely the Yorkshire Pudding, which, I must say, thoroughly intimidated me. I don't have experience with soufflés and the whole anticipation as to whether or not it would puff up was quite stressful.  But, I'm happy to say, that I followed the WS method to a tee, and the pudding emerged from the oven beautifully puffy and golden brown (like I won't be pulling that one out and my next dinner party!). 

Here's a pic:

I served the beef and pudding with a jus gravy (I just used a Knorr packet and it was okay) a side of mashed potatoes and green beans.  Here's a pic of the meal as served:

The recipe (modified a little by me):

Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding
Serves 4
1.5 kg pot roast
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used olive oil)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Yorkshire Pudding
3 extra-large eggs
1-1/2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml) whole milk
1-1/2 cups (7 ½ oz/235 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
juices and drippings from roast

Remove the roast from the refrigerator about 1 hour before roasting. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Rub the roast on all sides with the butter and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the Yorkshire pudding batter, whisk the eggs and milk to combine. Add the flour and salt and whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Place the roast in a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C). Continue to roast for another 30 minutes.  Let rest for 30 minutes. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and raise the heat to 450°F (230°C).

Remove any burnt bits from juices in roast pan and place juices back in oven for four minutes. Remove (the juices should be so hot they're sizzling) and pour Yorkshire batter into pan.  Place in oven for 20 minutes or until golden and puffy.

Small Town Girl

"No I cannot forget where it is that I come from
I cannot forget the people who love me
Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town
And people let me be just what I want to be"

John Mellencamp, "Small Town"

I don't know if I've shared this with you, but I grew up in St. Stephen, New Brunswick (population 4667, 2001), a small town on the east coast.  To be quite honest, I spent a lot of my youth dreaming and fantasizing about leaving and getting to a city - any city.  I longed for cafes, broad avenues lined with shops, anonymity, and ethnic food.  In SS, everyone knew me and I knew them.

I made it to the city - first to Montreal for undergrad, and then to Toronto for law school. I ended up in Toronto and now call it my home.  Along the way, I visited many of the world's great cities - NY, London, Paris, Rome, Mumbai...you name it.  My family relished traveling and we often took off to see the world and expand our horizons.  What I didn't realise for a long time, was how great we had it in SS.  A lot of that perspective has come from starting my own family and raising my kids.

In St. Stephen, we played out till the wee hours in the summertime, never once being scared of pedophiles or kidnappers.  When my mom was not well in my teens, our door bell rang regularly with neighbours and friends bringing over dinners, freshly baked muffins, pies and other goodies.  A trip to the local grocery store took nothing less than 2 hours because everyone stopped to chat, share the latest in their family news and inquire as to ours.  I knew everyone in my graduating class because largely, we'd been together since junior kindergarten.  I could walk for fifteen minutes and be surrounded by some of the country's most beautiful nature. 

Crystal lakes, and evergreen forests were in close abundance, and I could walk to the river in 2 minutes and to the ocean in 20.  I always felt safe and loved - not just by my family, but by my community which was protective and nurturing.  For example, when I was 19 and had a car accident, immediately people pulled over to help me, someone called my parents, someone else took me to the hospital and someone else dealt with my totalled car.  The "village" was definitely there to raise me, and though it's a little late - I completely appreciate the snuggly cocoon of my idyllic small town childhood on the east coast.  I'm more of  Maritimer than I am a Torontonian, and that has become clear.

Don't get me wrong - I love living in Toronto, and fully appreciate the advantages of living in this cosmopolitan, multicultural metropolis.  It's just that - now, years later - I realise that what I was running from is in actuality that foundation which sustains me and now keeps me grounded. 

Here's a few pics of my hometown:

This is a small lighthouse on the banks of the St. Croix river, the body of water which separates St. Stephen from its sister U.S. town, Calais, Maine (summer of 1993, yours truly was a customs officer! blue polyester and all - I loved it - the power!).  Growing up in SS, we would often walk across the border for ice cream or to the American movie theatre (we didn't have one).

One of the largest industries in SS, is the Ganong chocolate factory, a family run business.  The Ganongs are family friends, and I spent the summer after high school graduation working as a clerk in their gourmet chocolatier. Twelve pounds later, I headed off to McGill.

Here's a pic of the old factory, which now house the Ganong Chocolate Museum (they have all you can eat tours in August - I highly recommend):

Overcoming Inertia and Rediscovering Food TV

I don't know what's gotten into me since we got home from Calgary.  I'm exhausted - like unusually tired and groggy.  Up until today, I haven't been able to motivate myself to do ANYTHING.  And it's driving me nuts.  Today was a little better:  I actually unpacked our suitcases, opened some mail and cooked a real dinner.  BUT, I still haven't cleaned out our full voice mailbox (scary and overwhelming), washed my hair (tiring and cold), or paid the bills for January.  Everything just feels like too much right now.

Should I chalk this feeling of inertia up to being pregnant or is it something else?  Aren't I supposed to be nesting? I finished work on December 19th, in the anticipating of the million things I hope to accomplish at home and with my family before this baby arrives.  So, I should have felt relieved when I woke up on Monday morning with no work, right?  Boy, was I surprised when I woke up with a feeling of loss.  With work, there was alwasy a minimum of 10 new emails in my inbox; now, a measly 2 new messages, both spam. Am I suddently so irrelevant to the world?  So, I sent out a few mails hoping to initiate responses and communication with the outside world.  It worked and my mood perked up when I got some cheery messages from colleagues and friends.

I've got to get motivated and attack the tasks at hand.  A few positive rays of light have emerged from this state of inertia and the writer's strike (good for me in all ways except that the Golden Globes are cancelled - I love the Golden Globes).

I'm not only reading more - I'm almost finished Kiran Desai's Booker Prize-winning Inheritance of Loss, which has been on my bedside table for year - but I've rediscovered the Food Network (which has new shows by the way! Reality tv is outside the scope of the strike). 

Last night, I gleefully watched the new Nigella Express and Jamie at Home shows.  Though my lifestyle corresponds more to Nigella's show (busy mom, two kids blah blah blah), I can't help but salivate over Jamie Oliver's cooking style, magnificent attention to detail and use of spices.  On Sunday's episode, he took pumpkins and squash (click on this to discover my fave Jamie squash recipe) to a cosmic level.

Here's a pic of Jamie on his farm where he not only GROWS ALL HIS OWN FRESH PRODUCE, but cooks delicious food.  I need to harness some of that motivation!

And here's one from Nigella's new show, where she sensuously and bustily whips up gourmet meals in minutes...does she really eat all that pasta?

Thanks for listening to my rant.  Hopefully, my next post will feature a super-motivated me with impressive January to-do lists.

Snowed in! (and Part 2 of Lovin' the Season)

Sunday morning, we woke up to a whirling blizzard of snow and ice.  After a momentary panic session triggered by all the things I wasn't going to get done that day, I mellowed out and accepted our day at home.  In fact, it was incredibly liberating to realise that we couldn't do anything but be together in the house.  On a wintry storm day, there was something so cosy about being cooped up together, gazing at the apocalyptic weather from our window. 

My husband (see left) bravely fought the weather to get me some coffee filters and soup from the nearby convenience store. My suspicion is that the potential consequences of going outside were still better than facing a day with an uncaffeinated me!

My husband had to work the entire day at his computer in the basement, so the kids and I made a plan of some fun things we could do together. We started the day with some crafts - the painting, gluing and sticking helped in focusing their chaotic energy that was bubbling up uncontrollably without the ability to go outside and run it off.  After producing some pretty serious pieces of art, we watched "Curious George" on TV (I love the soundtrack - those Jack Johnson tunes are so mellow and fun!) and then had some fun playtime with our lovely neighbours.

In the evening,  I made up some cookie dough and we baked a bunch of holiday cookies. This was a tradition that I used to do with my mother, and it felt wonderful to share those same recipes and fun with my own kids.  We baked shortbread (it's this one from the back of the Canada Corn Starch box, super simple but noone would know how easy they are!) and sugar cookies (there are tons of good recipes on the web - I used this one from the Food Network and it was great), the latter of which we decorated with goopy homemade icing and an array of coloured sprinkles and M&Ms.  An interesting point is that it took me approximately an hour to make the dough and set up everything, and the actual decorating activity only took 20 minutes!  But, it was worth it and the kids seemed definitely pleased with their sugary creations.  Here are some pics of our cookies!

The rolling of the dough...

The fruits of our labour!

Delectable shortbread minis

What did you do on the snowiest of days?? 

Yummy winter dinner

My sister-in-law is one of those great cooks who has magic in her hands.  Everything she makes - whether it's a sandwich or a more complex dish, is delicious.  I stopped in last week and she had made the most yummy and healthy dinner with trout.  Fish is something I know I should be eating more of; the problem is that I don't know many good recipes and am tired of the same old teriyaki number I've been doing for ages. 

Yesterday, I replicated the trout dish for my own family and thought I'd share with you the results - it turned out quite well and took only half an hour to prepare:

Lemon Curry Trout with Wild rice and Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

Trout dish:  2 large filets of trout, juice from 1/2 a lemon, 1 tbsp. olive oil, curry power, salt pepper, 1 onion, 3 diced roma tomatoes, 1/2 can of tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, handful chopped coriander

Wild Rice: 2 packets of Uncle Ben's packet of wild rice - see picture

Asparagus:  1 tbsp. olive oil, cluster fresh asparagus, salt and pepper

Trout:  Wash trout filets, dry with paper towel. Cut into 3-inch pieces and squeeze lemon juice onto pieces. Season liberally with salt, pepper and curry powder and let marinade for 10 minutes.  Heat oil in pan and add onion. Saute till soft. Add trout filets, skin side up.  Sear the fish and then remove (takes about 1-2 minutes).  Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 cup water and mix with onions till bubbly. Add fish back to mixture and let simmer on medium heat. Turn off heat and sprinkly fresh coriander all over the pan.

Heat oven to 400.  Wash and chop ends off asparagus, arrange on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes

Prepare packets of rice as per directions on bag - each bag just has to be opened slightly and microwaved for 2  minutes.

Serve together and enjoy!

 

Reconnecting

This past weekend was all about catching up with old friends!  On Friday night, we had some friends over for dinner.  We've been wanting to do it for ages, and literally years had gone by since we'd finally coordinated!  We had an intimate dinner with our families and it was thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing. They have a 11-year old son who epitomizes, in my eyes, a great upbringing. Not only is he articulate and engaging, but so helpful and loving with my little kids and the kitchen after dinner. My husband and I were very impressed! Here's one of the dishes I prepared for the evening, Aloo Gobi (potato and  cauliflower curry). The rest of the menu consisted of chicken curry and basmati rice pilau with peas and mushrooms.

Saturday night, we had not one but two parties to attend! It's funny how things happen, but often we  have zero plans for Saturday night, and this weekend we were juggling multiple events!  First we had a Diwali party (Diwali is a major Hindu holiday which occurred in early November. It's a festival of lights, and has unique meanings for various religious sects and groups) at some friends from law school whom we haven't seen in ages. This party is an annual event, and always very warm and festive.  Waiters were milling around with appetizing trays of kebobs, samosas and various Indian sweets.  Soft Indian classical music played in the background, and the whole house - a stunning home in Toronto's swanky Forest Hill district - was decorated in tea candles and soft lighting.  It was a mix of family and friends, and it was so enjoyable to see old friends, and catch up with our friends' delightful parents who were also there.

At around 10:30, we made our way to Dupont and Dufferin (my first time in this up-and-coming neighbourhood in the west end of Toronto) and we almost got lost!  This party was a going away party for our friends, Arif and Suchita, who are moving to Delhi for the next 18 months. Arif, a lawyer, is going to be working as a human rights lawyer with the Delhi police!  All very exciting and great to see everyone, but by this time, pregnant Amreen was fading!  My feet were throbbing from heels that are rarely worn and it was time to go. We said our farewells and made our way home.

Here's a picture of Arif and I from his beautiful wedding last year:

Sunday morning, after delicious sleep-in arranged by my husband, I met my old roomies for breakfast at  the King Edward Hotel on King Street in Toronto.  The brunch, which was a special treat by my dear friend  Iram for my and my other friend, Avril's, newly announced pregnancies, was out of this world - I'm talking heaven for a hungry, pregnant lady!  Everything imaginable was in sight, but my fave was the ENORMOUS dessert table, where I promptly sampled everything from the tiramisu to the chocolate fountain!

Back to work today a little more tired than usual, but it was great to catch up with old friends and celebrate the many exciting changes in their lives.

The Weekend

Ahh, what a weekend! A mix of fun and not-so-fun!  On Friday night, my husband and I were psyched to head out to see the latest hot, new Bollywood flick, "Om Shanti Om", when our car broke down!  The movie was playing in Oakville but luckily our car collapsed before we got on the highway.  Bye bye, fun, happy Friday night humming catchy tunes and watching an over-the-top glitzy blockbuster, and hello sitting in the rain in our old but beloved car - who can't love an 11-year old Chevy Lumina that has been with me through thick and thin, and countless bumps and scratches.

CAA towed us home, and we sent our babysitter home.  On Saturday night, I took my husband out for  dinner for his birthday the past week.  I had tried to make a reservation and the trendy new Italian place on Avenue, L'Unita, but waited too long. We ended up at the Studio Cafe at the Four Seasons, which, requires no reservations and always has good food and service...even if we were the only people in the restaurant under 70!  We tried to go to a movie at the Varsity but EVERYTHING was sold out (we really wanted to see the new Coen brothers film, No Country for Old Men, it got phenomenal reviews) - it's that season of good flicks - and once again we were home in bed by 10pm!  I think that is our destiny.

Saturday, during the day, I hung out for a bit with the Urbanmoms booth at the Baby and Toddler Show.  We shared our booth with Yummy Mummy and Wee Welcome, and if I must say so myself, it was the most happening booth of the show! The VIP parties were a TOTAL hit, and there was loads of funky girl-power in the air.  Here are some pics of us from show - take particular note of my gargantuan belly stuffed into a medium size t-shirt - it wasn't pretty, and I'm still sharing it with you!

Here's Ali and Tova, looking blond and stunning at the booth! Tova was a trade show superstar and was fabulous at drawing people to our booth!

Her's Ali and me!

And, finally, here's Jen, Ali and myself. Note Jen as our bartender supreme, serving the juice!

Sunday was my daughter's 3d birthday party, which we held at Jungle Cubs on Bayview. It's my favourite play centre of that kind, spacious, clean, great staff and awesome toys!  The kids had a blast especially my daughter. This was the first time she was really cognisant of her birthday, and she was in her element, being the belle of the ball surrounded by her pals and cousins! 

A princess party

Yesterday, one of my daughter's Montessori friends invited her for a "princess" themed birthday party.  All the guests (but not parents, thank God) had to come dressed as a princess and the whole event promised to be very girly.  We arrived just in time for the first activity:  decorating and personalizing your very own jewelry box.  The birthday girl was resplendent in a blue and green sparkly mermaid costume that paid homage to her very own favourite princess, Ariel from the Little Mermaid.

My daughter's costume, however, suffered from my inability to get organised for this party...as usual.  Her costume consisted of pink leggings, a striped T-shirt and a gauzy pull-on skirt that we got as part of a fairy costume a couple of years ago.  What saved us were a pair of sparkly silver shoes that I'd picked up at Target a couple of weeks ago on a weekend run to the US. 

Unlike most of her regal companions, my little one looked like an alternative, pink rocker princess who fit into no Disney movie that I know!  But, the beauty of being three is that she could care less - she was thrilled to be included in this "big girls' party" and was happy just to tag a long with her friends. 

Having an older brother who likes to jump, shout and play-fight, my daughter was sometimes not great the super-girly activities like ballroom dancing.  However, she embraced others like the mini-manicure station, where she boldly painted her fingers in different colours because, in her words "why should I pick just one!"  I was secretly proud of her offbeat choices in nail colour, which I may add, only added to the ultra-feminine rocker aesthetic!  All was wonderful and pink until a cloud of pink and purple balloons descended from the ceiling onto the little princesses.  The balloons, proceeded to pop loudly in great numbers and my little one burst into vehement sobs of fear.  The time had come for us to leave.

We returned home from the fun party - kudos to the mom who did all that planning, it was awesome - to my son, who was pouting at being left out.  My daughter immediately shed her princess skirt and planted herself in our family room with a bunch of lego and her dolls.  Cinderella was home after the ball, and happy to be back in her comfort zone.