food, photography and my creative life
It has, frankly, been too damn hot and sunny and un-Vancouver like to have my oven on this summer. We went the entire month of July without a drop of rain – that’s the first time on record that’s happened. That’s why this blog has been so recipe free lately. I’m not turning on the oven just for a blog post and I spend my
If you had to choose, between lemon or chocolate, what would your choice be? Throw some rhubarb into the mix and would it make your decision any easier? Think about it… tart lemon with pockets of rhubarb, toasted coconut and sweet blueberries topped with a brown sugar, coconut, lemon zest streusel… or … moist zingy rhubarb offset with a cocoa-y muffin and a few chocolate
When I was a kid and then a teenager, and then a university student, and then a homesick Canadian living in London and then a person who had a real job with actual lunch breaks, I read voraciously. In my early years and my teens I would hole up in my bedroom, curled up on my side on the bed with the book resting at
Citrus is such a January thing. Which is good – because citrus fruits are light, fresh, cheerful, juicy and refreshing – all the things January desperately needs. And, they go well with vodka. If nothing else, vodka with a splash of lime or orange will definitely improve January. Not that I’m encouraging drinking to evade January blahs or blues or bleahs. I’m just saying… a
When January arrives I crave white, bright, and clean lines. I can’t get enough. I want to dive into an Ikea catalogue and live there. I want everything streamlined and free of clutter and “things”. I don’t know why. I think maybe it is, in part, to battle the eternal grey of Vancouver in the early days of a new year. Gone are all the
I am taking a holiday. This is a big statement. Well, maybe not for a lot of people but it is for this chickybird. I’ve been freelancing full time for three years now – a decision I don’t ever regret making. Except for one thing… no vacation. Every year I say I will pack up the dog in the truck and treat myself to a
This is going to sound so very lame. Given that this is a food blog, that is. The thing is… I’m loathed to do any Christmas baking this year. I know, I know… I can hear the gasps of horror from here. Trust me, I’m doing the same with my inner voice. I decided, wisely or not, that I needed to do something about my
Okie dokie. The weather, is lousy. I’m bored of dark moody photos when it’s dark and moody enough outside. It’s not Thanksgiving in Canada so I’m not much fussed about pumpkin, turkey, cranberry or mashed potato recipes (been there, done that – sorry folks). I’m not ready to do Christmas baking soooo… Let’s make cookies! Yay!!! <— Kermit T. Frog yay I made these cookies
This weekend is my absolute favourite holiday – Canadian Thanksgiving. It’s about giving thanks for the harvest, which is truly in it’s prime in October. I love it because it is the one holiday of the year in this country that isn’t wrapped up in commercialism. Oh it’s there alright, but it’s minimal compared to Easter, Halloween, Valentine’s and the mother of all commercial holidays,
Blackberries. They’re the berry that signifies the end of summer and the beginning of fall. The days are still hot but with a slight haze surrounding the sun that let’s you know you better slow down and savour those last few golden days while you can. They’re also the carefree berry. The one that you never buy in the store, or go pick on a
I'm a designer, small business owner, photographer, creative, food lover, traveler, dog human, self confessed geek, music junkie, book devourer, and art enthusiast among a million other things. The full bio...
