how old is old?

Lulu asked me today how old is old?
good question.
I guess it's all a state of mind I suppose.
Then she asked if everyone lives to be 100.
no- unfortunately not- or maybe not unfortunate, if you are looking at things from a health care perspective.
Do most people really want to live to be 100?
depends on the person I guess.
Sometimes after talking to my grandmother, I don't get the feeling she does- seeing as so many of her friends and her husband are already gone.
It must be lonely.
She'll be 90 this summer.
For the record, I hope she does live to be 100.
Lulu asked me how old the oldest person in the world is?
I guessed and said 115.
Turned out to be a good guess- as I just noticed this is the news today.
Makes me want to eat more sushi, thats for sure.
maybe a morbid topic- but hey when inquiring minds want to know...

Earth day

Well I'm a little late with this post seeing that Earth Day was April 22nd.
But really, shouldn't every day be earth day?
The kids at school were asked to dress in blue or green- why not brown?
Earth is technically brown right?
They also did a bunch of cute projects about recycling and being more environmentally friendly.
Now when I'm prepping dinner, Lulu keeps a watchful eye in the back ground to let me know if I'm running the water too long while washing the veggies.
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing....
And we all know the saying if it's yellow let it mellow- if it's brown flush it down.
But do we really need to sing it at the dinner table?
Okay to be honest, she really doesn't sing that at the dinner table- but she does in fact live by that particular motto- which I'm still not sure how I feel about.
Okay enough about that subject.
Anyhow I'm so glad that hopefully this new generation will be more mindful about the earth.
It's about time.

What are you doing to be more environmentally friendly these days?

happy birthday sweet lulu

Every year on Lulu's birthday I usually get a bit choked up that she is yet another year older.
She's no longer my baby, toddler or Pre-schooler.
She's now officially a little girl.
oh sure she's sill my baby- and always will be- but it's so surreal that I now have a 5 year old kid!
How did that happen so quickly?
teething, potty training & nap time feel like a life time ago.
This year has been by far the most fun year to date.
I have loved watching Lulu grow and learn in new ways now that she is in school and making new friends.
I love that she is so bright and clever and loves to learn all about the world around her.
I'm just glad I get to still be such a big part of her world.

So Happy Birthday Sweet Lulu- you are such a big girl now- but don't forget that you will always be my sweet baby.
love mommy xo

Oh and I hope you had fun with 15 of your friends yesterday for your flower power birthday party at the Royal Botanical Gardens.
I know I did.



oh and one of my favourite bloggers whose little girl is turning 5 as well, wrote one of my favourite posts about turning five.
I only wish I could be half as eloquent.
but- ditto.

sushi samba

Where the heck does the time go these days?
For some reason things seem a bit more hectic than usual around here and our mini vacay in South Beach feels like forever ago.
But that's not to say that I'm still not salivating when I think about one of the most delicious dinners I've had in a while when we were there.
Sushi Samba.
There is a plethora of patios and restaurants along Lincoln Road and it can be a bit daunting trying to decide where to eat.
But when I saw all the bright orange umbrellas, funky chairs and great menu I was sold.
Bonus that big daddy has been to the New York location and gave it a thumbs up.
Mind you, I have to admit, I was a tad sceptical about the Japanese/ Brazilian combo menu.
Not two cultures I would have paired up together.
Boy was I wrong.
So So good.
We started with the tuna tataki white asparagus, fresh heart of palm, avocado, tatsoi, citrus soy 15.00
so fresh and so delicious.

And the green bean tempura with black truffle alioli 7.50
I almost licked the black truffle bowl clean.
We then moved onto the most delectable morsels of yumminess..

sushi samba “taquitos” (minimum 2 per order) served with spicy aji panca sauce and fresh lime
yellowtail seviche 6.00
Oh g-d were they good.
We ordered two different handrolls,

green envy wasabi pea crust, tuna, salmon, asparagus, aji amarillo-key lime mayo 12.00
and the ezo 24 hour soy marinated salmon, asparagus, red onion, chive, sesame, tempura flake wrapped in yellow soy paper with wasabi maionese 11.50
so incredibly fresh and delish.
am I starting to sound like a broken record?
Lulu wanted some dumplings along with her usual edemamme and Tobiko and avocado sushi.
So we ordered these...


pan steamed pork gyozas sweet onion compote and spicy ponzu 16.00
Yum.
Honestly we could have kept eating- we wanted to try everything on the menu it was THAT good.
So in addition to Lulu's green tea ice cream our waiter suggested this for something sweet to finish off our fabulous meal..



Antichichos-sea bass and miso 12.00 & peruvian corn 6.00
Okay not what you would normally consider a dessert- but it was sweet and caramelized.
And the peruvian corn was to die for.
I'd never had it before and I can honestly say I am now hooked.
Wonder where I can get in in T.O.?
The table next to us ordered 4 bowls of it and were just eating that to start.
Now I get it.
Anyhow we had such a great meal.
Our waiter was so awesome and made our night.
The lovely cocktails didn't hurt either...



Yemanja vodka, Domaine de Canton, mint, lemongrass
and the most fantastic sake I've ever had.



So much so that we had two bottles of it!
But there's nothing better than a sake buzz in my opinion.
well maybe a good sushi buzz...
and we definitely had that.
Lulu chilled in her stroller after she ate and let us enjoy the Saki and the best people watching I've done in a while.
South beach is really a trip.



We didn't notice at the time, but they have an amazing kid's menu.
So not only is Sushi Samba hip, has great service, phenomenal food & resonably priced and in the perfect location- it's family friendly!
The perfect restaurant in my opinion.
10 out of 10 for sure.
can't wait to go back again.

SAMBAKIDS MENU
$12.00 including dessert // $5.00 SambaKids Juice

baby bento
grilled organic chicken, steak or salmon
served with purple potato mash, veggie roll, seasonal fruit

samba sliders
two mini burgers served with sweet potato fries and seasonal fruit

anticuchos
grilled organic chicken, beef, or vegetable skewers
served with jumbo corn on the cob and seasonal fruit


sushi bites
four bite-sized rice balls topped with tuna, yellowtail, salmon, cucumber
served with a veggie roll and seasonal fruit

mochi
soft japanese rice cakes filled with ice cream and sprinkled with candy confetti

samba sundae
warm chocolate brownie topped with homemade vanilla ice cream served with
chocolate dipping sauce and a mini strawberry shake

***

coco leite
coconut milk, pineapple, mango juice

watermelon mojo
watermelon, lime, guava juice

berry fizz
raspberry, blackberry, lime, splash of soda juice

Now that's what I call a kid's menu- not a chicken finger in sight..

south beach easter

Is it me, or is this easter bunny a tad bit creepy looking?
Not only that but he kept "hopping" around the pool hugging all the hot chicks in bikinis.
Is that a carrot in your pocket Mr. Easter Bunny or are you just happy to see me?
And who knew that the Easter bunny spoke spanish?
Humph.
But in all seriousness- we just got back from a fun weekend in Miami.
Lulu had a complete blast.
She learned how to swim, jumped the waves, made sand castles, had a super fun easter egg hunt, made new friends and most importantly had some nice quality time with her Daddy whom she missed a bunch while he was away so much in March.

It was a nice break for me too-we ate at some incredible restaurants-more to follow on that.
Stayed in a great hotel with a nice view of the ocean.
And also got to hold hands on the beach with big daddy.


Oh and the killer mojitos by the pool didn't hurt either.
A very happy easter indeed...

gone daddy gone

Big daddy gets back today after being away for 3 out of the 4 weeks of March.
We survived.
Things really aren't that different when he's not here as far as looking after Lulu- but I must say, it will be nice to have him home.
I really have a whole new appreciation for all the single parents out there that's for sure.
Lulu could barely contain herself this morning she is so excited to see her daddy.
Welcome home big d.
and good timing as it's garbage day tomorrow- yay! ;

“Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad”

chatty cathy

who came up with the phrase "the gift of gab" anyhow?
I'm not sure it's really a gift and maybe more of a curse.
Both big daddy & I are not what you would describe as the quiet or reserved type.
Both of us like a good conversation- most often initiated by us.
I've often been described as a bit "chatty" by teachers growing up or "bubbly"-same goes for big D.
I come by my...shall we say..verbal "skills" naturally.
In fact I'm one of the more quiet ones in my family by comparison.
My mother and aunts could talk anyone under the table.
Actually my Uncles are never short on things to talk about either.
I have one crazy Uncle that I have actually fallen asleep on the phone with while he was still gabbing away.
And lets not even mention the grand dame herself- my Nan.
She never comes up short in the story telling department.
Maybe it's an east coast/ Irish thing?
What ever it is, there was rarely a quiet moment in our house growing up.
Oh how history repeats itself.

Needless to say- Lulu has inherited the chatty gene and LOVES to talk.
and talk...and talk....
not that what she is saying isn't cute and "interesting" but geez....some days it can be so relentless.
"momma why is the sky blue?"
"is your favourite colour blue?"
"how do you make different colours?"
Why do birds have feathers?"
"why do they build nests?"
"how do they find the way down south in the winter?"
"can I have chocolate for breakfast?"
"did you have a good sleep?"
"are you awake?"
"what does year of the rooster mean?"
"can I have chocolate for breakfast?"
"wanna play pet shops?"
"mr. huggy face the panda wants breakfast"
"he loves to take baths and eats eucalyptus"
"is it spring yet?"
"why do we have different seasons?"
" I want to go to easter Island on easter when I'm older"
"in Calgary they speak the same language as us but with no accent- or a little accent. right?"
"wanna hear about my dreams?"
"do you remember your dreams?"
"wanna play beauty salon?"
"can I have chocolate for breakfast?"
sigh...
all this within the first 60 seconds of me waking up.

So I can't really fault her for talking all the time- it's in her blood.
and I suppose it isn't always a bad thing.
some advantages of being talkative are:
Usually have something to say in awkward situations and often puts people at ease.
it feels good to be able to be an icebreaker.
Feels great to make people laugh.
It also feels good getting things out of your head and into the universe (kind of like this blog)
People like when you ask questions about themselves and to draw them out a bit.
Who doesn't love a good story teller?

But the disadvantages are:
That you can drive people crazy if you don't take a breath in between sentences.
It can be annoying to others.
Story telling is good as long as you don't end up becoming a me me me person, always talking about yourself.
(Lately I feel guilty of becoming this way and am making a concerted effort not to)
It can be distracting in certain situations. (especially while driving in traffic- ahem...)
Quiet time is essential to the soul- and you don't always have to have your tongue wagging.
Nothing wrong with silence from time to time.
Crickets deserve a chance to be heard too.

So Lulu if you read this some day, remember, it's okay to not talk all the time.
Regardless of how loquaciously long winded all your crazy (said in loving way) relatives are.
and remember the mantra- shhhhhhhhhh.......from time to time.

Talkative youngsters tended to show interest in intellectual matters, speak fluently, try to control situations, and exhibit a high degree of intelligence as adults. Children who rated low in verbal fluency were observed as adults to seek advice, give up when faced with obstacles, and exhibit an awkward interpersonal style.

Top 'o the Mornin' to ya

daylight staying up time

I am so out of sorts these past few days.
for the past few nights I could barely keep my eyes open past 9 p.m. and tonight I am completely wired and unable to fall asleep.
Not sure what's up with my internal clock- but I'm finding it a bit frustrating.
I love my 7-8 hours per night and I'm not happy when anything messes with it.
I can't imagine suffering from insomnia all the time- I think I would go crazy.
So instead of tossing & turning I've decided to write down what's on my mind and purge all the to-do's swirling around in my head.
Or not.
I'm too tired to bother.
Maybe it's the daylight savings time?
Or maybe it's my wonderfully considerate husband who stays up much later than me, and when he comes "creeping" (like a herd of elephants) down the hall into our room and gets into bed, immediately starts snoring loud enough to shake the pictures from the walls?
Or maybe it was that green tea I had at 5 p.m.?
Humph.
Anyhow, hopefully after writing this bunch of nonsense, eating a banana and saying a silent prayer to the sleep gods-I'll be entering the land of nod soon.
night night...

breaking bread

One of my new year's resolutions was to entertain more.
Have people over more often for casual meals rather than long drawn out gastronomic productions
(not that I really ever did that too too often)
Now that we have Lulu and most of our friends have kids- I'm finding that one of the easiest and best ways to actually see our friends and catch up is to have them over for a weekend brunch.
The food options are simple and family friendly, the kids are usually not over tired and grumpy and tend to play better and it's not an entire day of prepping and cleaning up afterwards.
Which equals fun for me.
We usually have people over from 11- 3ish and you still get to have a nice quiet evening to just chill out. (as do they)
Win win.
I love to cook- don't get me wrong.
But sometimes after a long week, having an impromptu brunch with friends is my idea of a low maintence yet social weekend.
Some of my favourite brunch menus are

Fresh Montreal wood smoked Bagels with a bunch of different options.
smoked salmon & cream cheese, smoked turkey and sliced cucumbers, egg salad and even chopped liver.
I usually have a fruit or vegetable salad as well.
easy fast and always delicious.

Homemade Belgium waffles with mascarpone whipped cheese.
Big bowl of fresh fruit- usually berries and kiwi.
a big platter of barbecued cumbreas breakfast sausage.
a family favourite (we had it this weekend with friends)

Store bought (excellent local bakery) quiche
or these.
a slow cooked ham
green salad
and a fabulous lemon bundt cake.
so so good.

a bit of bubbly and O.J. is also a bonus about having friends for brunch.
Not that I usually drink during the day- but I must say- there's something to be said for a little day time buzz with kids running around.
Makes things that much more...shall we say...tolerable?

So I'm glad I've decided to lighten up a bit and not plan out all kinds of fancyschmancy dinner parties.
Not that I don't love doing that from time to time, I'm just loving a more casual style of entertaining these days.
what are your favourite menus to cook for friends?

and oh lord is this blog starting to sound a wee bit too betty-crockerish?
or is it just me?
next post will be about my wild and crazy sex life.
promise.

or not.