Summer Tarts

June July 2019 - Toronto ON

Paris France

Well, it appears that summer has arrived, finally, this week. Let's hope it sticks around!

John spent Saturday at a golf tournament and dinner. While I headed downtown to Yorkville, haven't been there in a while.

Jazz festival was in full swing.

Even this cool cat was playing.

There are many stages scattered around the area.

Stopped into the bookstore and saw this cool wall. I also did some shopping in the Bay for summer pants.

Sunday was our weekly play day. We each caught up on our favourite pastimes.


Monday was  Canada Day so I thought I would include this video of the Montreal Jazz Ballet dancing to Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me".

We had intended to go out but got caught up in doing some chores like cleaning behind the fridge and stove. You know, all that exciting stuff.
 I printed some photos for our bedroom and ordered a canvas print for over our bed.

Then we decided to make cookies for our afternoon coffee. John is working on his latte art.

Spotted this new piece on Tuesday as I headed downtown.

I met up with my BFF and we had planned to go to Allan Gardens but it was raining so that wouldn't work. Instead we puttered in the stores and had lunch at Flo's Diner, a Toronto institution since 1940 and I had never been in it.
True diner food.
This was the mural over our table.

We strolled down Yonge St. and made some stops. Lots and lots of construction, more and more condos.

Wednesday I was in one of the new office towers along Lakeshore and saw they have opened some more retail spots.

This was inside a market that has a butcher, baker, fresh goods along with take out food.

They also have a restaurant.

I forgot to mention that when I got home yesterday I was surprised and pleased that John had hung my clock we had bought in Florence.

He also hung another piece that I wanted to move into our bedroom as part of my Mexican theme I am working on.




I had taken the lettuce stem from the lettuce that someone had given me from their garden. I decided to try growing more from it and am pleased to say it is growing!

Thursday John had an appointment at Cloverdale Mall, so I went along and poked in the stores there. I don't go to malls very often and it is very obvious that malls are a dying breed.

Friday John golfed and it was a hot day with's to storms rumbling around the city.
Funny how we complain about summer not coming and then suddenly we're saying it's too hot to go out! Or muggy.


I found these new-to-me items and brought them home.
Lemongrass can be hard to find. Tamarind has been appearing in Masterchef Australia Season 11 that I have been binge watching.

I saw these gluten free noodles that sounded intriguing. I didn't buy them but researched them when I got home.
Also found lots of good recipes. I will buy them the next time and use them in a pho recipe like this.

Shirataki noodles are long, white noodles. They are often called miracle noodles or konjac noodles.
They're made from glucomannan, a type of fiber that comes from the root of the konjac plant.
Konjac grows in Japan, China and Southeast Asia. It contains very few digestible carbs — but most of its carbs come from glucomannan fiber.
"Shirataki" is Japanese for "white waterfall," which describes the noodles' translucent appearance. They’re made by mixing glucomannan flour with regular water and a little lime water, which helps the noodles hold their shape.

We had some old classics this week, Spanish chicken thighs with chorizo served with mashed potatoes and crispy chicken skin, stuffed green peppers. We also had grilled lamb chops with broccolini and roast potatoes.
I tried a new recipe I had seen Jamie Oliver make, and it was a major fail for me.
Chorizo carbonara.
I just did not like the flavour and it didn't make enough sauce.
I will stick with my favourite carbonara sauce.

BOOKS

Finished Give Me Your Hand, it was okay.

I was excited to read The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Geraldine Stein.
Paris! Real life artists and writers!
Pablo Picasso! Henri Matisse! Ernest Hemingway! F. Scott Fitzgerald! T. S. Eliot! Ezra Pound! Georges Braque!
But the writing was unbearable and the anecdotes were so boring  ("Glenway left behind him a silk cigarette case with his initials, we kept it until he came back again and then gave it to him.").

Started One Day by David Nicholls and so far it is a decent read.

LINKING UP WITH

Beth hosts Weekend Cooking where you can post anything food related.

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