CHIANG MAI THAILAND
WEATHER REPORT POST!
I am repeating myself, but Saturday was a cold one!
It is very cold if you see the steam over the water filtration plant!
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I did sort out the freezer and make a pot of pea soup from the odds and ends.
I made salted caramel to serve with the remaining cheesecake I have.
SUNDAY
And Snowmageddon 2026 begins! #snowstorm2026 is trending!
These guys were very busy!
Dogs still gotta be walked!
So it was an official PJ day as we lounged around doing whatever we wanted. We had bacon, eggs and mushrooms for lunch!
I finished My Kitchen Rules Australia season 15 - I'm glad that the boys won! And I don't think we needed quite that much cleavage from the young girls in their Shein trashy outfits. I know, I know, it's reality TV!
MONDAY
Monday Mural Ottawa ON
Foto Tunes Winter
Environment Canada confirms that the 46 cm at YYZ is highest daily snowfall on record and Jan. 2026 snowfall total of 88.2 cm is snowiest January and snowiest month since records began in 1937!
Dear Residents,
Due to safety concerns, the loading dock area is temporarily closed. Ice and snow continue to fall from the upper levels of the building, and in order to ensure everyone’s safety, we are closing the loading dock exit until conditions improve.
Please use the front entrance for all entry and exit during this time.
I decided to go up to the Club (46th floor) to see what the snow looked like.
Hence the warning - photo from the 46th floor.
TUESDAY
Tuesday Treasures Winter
We ventured out to catch the 11:20 bus to meet friends for lunch. The bus hadn't arrived by 11:30 so we took an Uber along with a pregnant woman who was also waiting.
Out our door.
We met friends at Union Chicken as they took the GO train in from Pickering.
John proclaimed the worst meal ever, knocking Pecos off its dubious podium.
We started with a shared plate of nachos for the four of us, it didn't get finished. I don't really want cheez whiz along with soggy lettuce.
I chose an appetizer (I'd/we'd eaten here before and didn't like their food) but it is a chicken place and they had beef gyozas?? They were okay, but sitting in a weird BBQy sauce. I was surprised when the server said to John "you didn't like it" as if he already knew it was awful. John said no, it was wet and the sauce was horrible, the server immediately said he'd comp it.
So bad that John actually wrote a review online.
Photos after lunch.
WEDNESDAY
Another day of hibernation with chores done. John did our cheapest Costco run. And no tax means no junk!!
GST, Goods and Services Tax, is only charged on "snack foods".
We finalized the electrician for next week.
I asked John if he was interested in seeing & Juliet as I had an offer from Amex and he had asked about it yesterday when we passed a billboard, but we decided we weren't that interested in it with Mirvish's prices.
THURSDAY
John fiddled around with the TV Bell box before he calls it in as being faulty.
It will be the coldest night of the season!
Aren't we lucky???
FRIDAY
Weekend Roundup
Well, they were right! My phone when I got up. This is Celsius. In F it reads -6 F feels like -20 F!
Formula
(-29°C × 9/5) + 32 = -20.2°F
As we were going out I received a call from the local bank branch. I had completed an online survey when we visited the branch to try and resolved John's still unresolved online access problem. We talked about it, she "knew" how to fix it so try again. If not we could talk at 3 when we returned home. UPDATE we spoke at 3, she did all the usual things with no results. John will go into the branch to see her on Saturday.
We were early for our Winterlicious lunch reservation so we wandered around. We were going to Black and Blue, a fancy steakhouse in the Financial District.
There are not very many people out and about in this normally very busy tourist area!
Black and Blue Steakhouse - totally Canadian restaurant group!
I chose from the Winterlicious menu $48 plus taxes and gratuity - appetizer, main and dessert.
John chose from their regular $48 menu - appetizer OR dessert and main.
They also do a 45 minute $25 lunch with daily specials for people in a hurry, which is a very good deal. On Fridays, it is a burger and beer for $25, and this is a premier restaurant, not your average burger joint where a burger is around $20.
WINTERLICIOUS - King Salmon Aburi Roll - lightly torched, avocado, cucumber, masatake sauce.
Masatake sauce is a zesty, sweet-savory Japanese-inspired topping, famously used at Miku Toronto and Miku Vancouver, featuring pickled sweet onions, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, creating a bright counterpoint for seared (aburi) fish like tuna, often served with sushi. It's essentially a tangy, umami-rich relish that adds a fresh, pungent kick to rich seafood.
John's calamari were absolutely delicious, but the portion was huge. We said we would share it if we came again. Humboldt squid, lemon zest, Italian parsley, charred jalapeño aioli.
Humboldt squid are fascinating to read about!
Steak Frites - 10oz Canadian prime striploin, parmesan fries, truffle aioli, red wine jus
Bachelder Niagara you can only visit by appointment.
RIP Catherine O'Hara.
AND IN OUR LOCAL NEWS
Conde Nast Traveler wrote The Unwritten Rules of Visiting Toronto
COOKING
Saturday chili with garlic toast
Sunday Thai pork meatballs with rice
Monday Spanish chicken thighs
Tuesday out for lunch. We finished the meatball and chicken thigh leftovers
Wednesday Pork Marsala and broccolini. John liked this gravy, I added Dijon mustard to it.
Thursday crockpot onion soup on a cold winter's day (sounds like a song). Plus I had so many onions from John's previous Costco trip.
Friday out for lunch steak
WATCHING
We started MasterChef Canada, with the new hosts who are rather underwhelming. The show is so boring compared to Australia!
Night Manager The night manager of a Cairo hotel is recruited to infiltrate an arms dealer's inner circle. Two seasons, great cast, we really enjoyed it.
My current mindless kitchen viewing is Come Dine with Me Canada 2025. I enjoyed the first five as they took place in Toronto and allowed me to see inside some of the condos downtown.
Turn of the Tide (Portuguese: Rabo de Peixe) is a thrilling Netflix drama series inspired by the true story of a 2001 drug bust in the Azores. Two seasons.
READING
I finished The Locked Ward, it is a decent, well written story, although the plot was a little predictable.
I also finished a 7-day loan, She Didn't See It Coming, by Shari Lapena (Canadian) wow, that was a page turner!
I started The Hunter and am disappointed. I loved her Dublin Murder Squad series, but not this.
I can't get into the characters and this scheme of gold is too far-fetched.
I enjoyed "The Night Manager" too because I'm a Tom Hiddleston fan.
ReplyDelete...we are "enjoying the same weather here," but no blue skies!
ReplyDelete