High-End Shopping in Toronto

Welcome to high-end heaven, Madame
Published On Fri Nov 18 2011 - Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/living/shopping/article/1089368--welcome-to-high-end-heaven-madame

Models display creations by the Italian designer Alberta Ferretti during the Cali Exposhow fashion week in Cali, Colombia, on Oct. 18, 2011. Ferretti fashion can be bought at The Room at The Bay (176 Yonge St.) and TNT (87 Avenue Rd.).

Models display creations by the Italian designer Alberta Ferretti during the Cali Exposhow fashion week in Cali, Colombia, on Oct. 18, 2011. Ferretti fashion can be bought at The Room at The Bay (176 Yonge St.) and TNT (87 Avenue Rd.).
Fernando Vergara/AP
Image
By Rita Zekas Special to the Star

Mama’s always gotta have a brand new bag.

And a pair of $1,650 Christian Louboutin suede platform sling backs with fur trim.

A girl can never have too many shoes, cashmere, chocolate, champagne or black. As long as it doesn’t make her butt look big.

The euro is in peril, the U.S. economy is in free fall, but not all of us are suffering from dollardrums.

The Hermès Birkin, the holy grail of handbags, is wait-listed for up to three years at Hermès (130 Bloor St. W.), and can run from $9,000 to $150,000 depending on the skins.

Happily, Toronto is ground zero for high-end shopping. The Mink Mile, that rarefied strip of surreal estate bordering Bloor and Yorkville, is home to big-ticket names from Prada to Escada. Everywhere you look, there is Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Calvin Klein, Max Mara, Burberry, Gucci, Lacoste, Michael Kors and Milly.

Luxury goods are no longer politically incorrect. Previously, high-end shoppers have been known to eschew designer shopping bags to transport their purchases in favour of unmarked ones lest they be harshly judged. Nobody is brown bagging it these days unless they’ve been shopping at Whole Foods.

But should Madame prefer to shop incognito, she can drop $4,200 for a pair of Gold & Wood Paris sunglasses with diamonds at Optical Outlook (104 Yorkville Ave.). Feeling frugal? Their sunglasses normally average between $500 and $600.

Afterwards, she can slip into $350 Denham jeans at Over the Rainbow across the street (101 Yorkville Ave.). Or try on a pair of $965 Helmut Lang leather leggings at Intermix, the first Canadian installation of the U.S. chain of trend-spotting boutiques, newly opened at 130 Bloor St. W.

The Room at The Bay’s Queen Street location (176 Yonge St.) is one-stop label-shopping.

Madame would summon her car for the trip downtown. Luxury means not taking public transit. Conspicuous consumers have the driver and the Bentley; a limo is too Diddy.

All the high-end, hot lines are at The Room, including Maison Martin Margiela, Balmain, Armani, Rochas, Erdem, Moschino, Sonia Rykiel, Ungaro, Roland Mouret, Proenza Schouler, Matthew Williamson, L’Wren Scott, Alberta Ferretti and Claudia Schiffer, supermodel turned knitwear designer, whose grandfather cashmere cardie sells for $695.

Two ladies are deposited on plush seating, sipping champagne by the concierge desk, with two little doggies at their feet.

The snob factor is always a driving force: at luxury stores, higher prices are often considered a mark of quality. A Henley by Balmain is a bite-me $440.

A Henley is essentially just a men’s collarless pullover shirt originally worn by rowers in the English town of Henley-on-Thames. You can get a heritage Henley at Roots for $58.

Felicity Brown, a designer from New York, is one to watch at The Room. Her deconstructed, almost lingerie-like shredded garments are reworked with contrasting tailored pieces and go for $1,500 to $3,600. Think early Rodarte.

Rodarte is one of the luxury brands selling at Holt Renfrew (50 Bloor St. W.). We loved the Rodarte wool coat with vivid fuchsia goat hair fur at the cuff and hem priced at $1,175.

The real coup for Holt’s is the new Tom Ford women’s line, which they have exclusively in Canada.

A Tom Ford tuxedo jacket will set you back $4,700; a velvet skirt costs $2,580; and a biker jacket is $8,750, which is $50 less than the price of a Hermès Kelly bag.

We have entry-level Tom Ford: the $48 lipstick and a pair of sunglasses — which we bought at Winners.

119 Corbo (119 Yorkville Ave.) favours the edgier labels like Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten, Haider Ackermann and Ann Demeulemeester.

Go there with empty credit card.

The women’s section upstairs at George C (21 Hazelton Ave.) carries couture pieces by Giles Deacon for $34,000.

Suzanne Rogers has ordered one.

Hazelton Lanes (87 Avenue Rd.) is undergoing a facelift but is still a go-to for TNT and Fabrice jewellery store. (Other select bijouteries include Tiffany & Company at 85 Bloor St. W.; Royal de Versailles at 101 Bloor St. W.; Cartier at 131 Bloor St. W., and Secrett Jewel Salon at 162 Cumberland St.).

TNT (The New Trend) has been renovated to the size of Varsity Stadium. It is 18,000 square feet on two levels for women and a new free-standing menswear store on the second level.

They carry 350 brands of womenswear from all over the world — Comme des Garçons and Isabel Marant are huge sellers — and target a wide demographic from cosseted teens to octogenarians not on a pension. An on-trend pink Mongolian fur chubby jacket from Alberta Ferretti is $2,995 and a sexy black stretch leather dress from the French label Jitrois is $3,100.

Teens love the Free City sweat pants for $165 (Free City is better than “Juicy” on the butt).

R.A.D. (which stands for Research and Development) in the new uber cool section of town at 899 Dundas St. W., carries esoteric lines like Lost and Found, not found anywhere else.

Yorkville is a centipede’s delight. High-end footwear is everywhere including Holt Renfrew, Davids (66 Bloor St. W.), and George C, home of the Botox-injected bag by Zagliani ($3,500 for metallic gold python) and the Rocco P ostrich boots available in a variety of colours for $2,600.

Well-heeled men are wild about Harry and Sydney.

Harry Rosen (82 Bloor St. W.) is the destination for deep-pocketed gents who have no problem dropping $215 on a tie. Meanwhile, hipsters blow their trust funds at Sydney’s (682 Queen St. W.) on items by edgy, esoteric line M.A.+ from Rome.

Other high-end menswear purveyors of choice include Gotstyle (62 Bathurst St.); Brooks Brothers at 200 Bay St.; Nicolas Men at 153 Cumberland St.; Serpentine at 18 Hazelton Ave. for menfolk channelling their inner Goth; and George C, who carries the cool line Drome, featuring a magnificent leather jacket for $1,998.

The kids are all right. Trust-fund babies can be outfitted at La Boutique de Floriane at 38 Avenue Rd. for designer wear imported from France. And across the street at 45 Avenue Rd. is Devilish Angelz, “the place where trendy kids (from ages 2 to 16) shop.”

For little dapper dudes, Devilish has the Scotch Shrunk line, a pint-sized version of Scotch and Soda, featuring a checked shirt with bow tie and herring-bone elbow patches for $110.

Fledgling fashionistas love the navy blue shift dress with marabou feathers on the shoulder made by the Toronto label Matooka for $149.

If you can squeeze into a kid size, it is a bargain. Tiny Kristen Chenoweth wears clothes from Crewcuts, the J. Crew junior line.

Go west, Queen St. West, for bespoke emporiums like Magpie Design at 884 Queen St. W. for artfully deconstructed womenswear favoured by divas like Measha Brueggergosman. Or Hoax Couture at 515 Queen St. W., which made reversible fox fur coats for $5,500.

Need a pen to seal the deal? There’s Montblanc Boutique Toronto at 151 Bloor St. W.

Or high-flying luggage to pack it all in? Check out Rimowa at 101 Bloor St. W. and Taschen at 162 Cumberland St.

There are even luxury consignment resale shops. Off The Cuff resale designer menswear at 5 Broadway Ave. offers everything from Jil Sander to Etro.

Shoppe D’Or, 18 Cumberland St., stocks designer labels like Prada and Chanel, some of which still have the original tags attached. Among the booty: brand new Ann Demeulemeester biker boots for $400.

At the end of the day, luxury shoppers return to their beautifully appointed homes, furnished and burnished by high-end decor stores including:

• Teatro Verde, 98 Yorkville Ave.

• Studio B, 380 King St. E.

• Klaus by Nienkamper, 300 King St. E.

• italinteriors, 359 King St. E.

• The Art Shoppe, 2131 Yonge St.

• South Hill Home, 200 Dupont St.

• Hollace Cluny, 1070 Yonge St.

• Living Arts Design, 788 King St. W.

• ELTE, 80 Ronald Ave.

• Avenue Road, 415 Eastern Ave.

• Powell & Bonnell, 236 Davenport Rd.

• Industrial Storm, 1106 Queen St. W.


• Stanley Wagman & Son Antiques Ltd., 224 Davenport Rd.

• Robert Noakes International Ltd., 245 Davenport Rd.

Madame can settle in at home in her jammies from Avec Plaisir Fine Lingerie & Swimwear (136 Cumberland St.) and shop online at Net-a-Porter.

Autumn 2011

Autumn Hikes
We went to the Rouge Valley Park in October...ooohh the most scenic hike we have been to so far..just thinking about it gives me goosebumps...so pristine and clean and beautiful..georgeus colours. the smell of the woods, the winding trails..it was awesome!!...we also did the Colonel Danforth trail in November which had its own charm. Here are some pics from the Rouge Valley Hike

Autumn Hike through Rouge Valley Park



Kimberly fell asleep half way through and although it was raining and raindrops were decorating her angel face, she was sound asleep.


KIMBERLY

Kim is 2 years old...and she is becoming more cute with every passing moment...In the night, when she cries either because she is too cold from sharing her blanket with Kipu, teddy or kelly (how good natured she is, wanting to make sure her cuddly's are warm). or sometimes she just has a bad dream and says 'tap you mama, tap you'..she wants me to just pat her back to sleep..when tears stream out, she yells 'eyes coming out' eyes coming out..when I wipe her tears and ask her 'now ok baby'?..and she replies 'eyes over' eyes over'...it means all good. she says 'over' when she doesn't want to discuss something..I'll say 'c'mon now finish your food'...and she responds..'food over'. I just wanted to put this down so I don't forget..my boys did a lot of unforgettable cute things but blogger wasn't around for me to record..she also sings and dances to 'move like Jagger' by Maroon Five and Bruno Mars 'lazy' song. she turns and twists her two year old body vigorously..dancing with abandon when coupled with obliviousness is super cute in children, I don;t think we would react the same way if an adult moved their body like that..need to introduce her to some good dance videos...She LOVES LMFAO..and gets all excited as their songs come on (party anthem, sexy and i know it and Yes)..She loves loves loves her papa. Here is a pic of them together.


HALLOWEEN
And how could I end this post without mentioning Halloween? The boys get soooooo excited before Halloween, all the time discussing what is really spooky!! and costumes! Joshua's house as usual was just awesomely spooky with sound and lighting effect..it does help that they have overgrown trees in their front yard along with a winding pathway to their doorstep. Kim was frightened and I jumped out of my skin and yelled when I turned around to a tap on my shoulder to face a witch. I screamed! but it was only Anna. Yohann dressed as a military soldier, Kyren went as Grim Reaper and Kim as a panda. Here are some pics

Christmas in Toronto images

For more pics on weeks leading up to christmas

http://www.pbase.com/michaelsv/toronto_nights

Salted Caramel Brownies

Fudge Brownies with Salted Caramel topping
yield: 24 brownies
http://www.natalieskillercuisine.com/2010/08/fudge-brownies-with-salted-caramel-topping.html

1 cup (2 sticks) Butter
2 cups Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
4 Eggs
1 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 cups AP Flour
2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips (I used Hersheys Special Dark)

preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare 9×13 pan

1. Melt butter in a sauce pot. Add sugar and stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until sugar has melted slightly and liquid is silky.
2. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Use a spatula to scrape all butter into bowl.
3. Add eggs one at a time, stirring between each one. Add cocoa powder and stir until fully combined.
4. Add baking powder, salt and flour. Stir until just combined, though make sure there are no lumps or ‘pockets’ full of flour in the batter. Add the chocolate chips.
5. Pour into a prepared 9×13 pan and use the back of a spoon to spread out evenly. Bake for 40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool at least one hour before cutting.

Salted Caramel Topping
yield: 1 cup topping

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter
1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Whole Milk
2 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
Salt, for topping
From Cooking Light (also Light and Local)

Salted Caramel Brownies
Source: Cooking Light
Yield: 16 small brownies, 12 larger ones (CL says the yield is 20, but frankly, that's too small of a brownie for me.)

I actually doubled this recipe for a 9x13 baking pan and it worked out perfectly. They were a little thicker, but honestly, I like it better that way. Be careful, these things are addicting.

Ingredients:

Brownies:

3.38 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon backing powder
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cooking spray
Topping:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons evaporated fat-free milk, divided
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Start preparing your brownies. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, brown sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well mixed.
Combine your 6 tablespoons of melted butter, eggs, and the vanilla extract.
Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Pour batter into a 9x9 square metal baking pan lightly coated in cooking spray.
Bake brownies for 19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out from the center cleanly.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Once brownies are cooled, begin making your topping. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the evaporated milk. Cook the mixture for at least two minutes.
Take the mixture off the heat, add you vanilla, powdered sugar, and stir with a whisk until everything comes together and becomes smooth.
You're now going to pour the mixture over the brownies, and then use an offset spatula or just a regular one to make sure the brownies are well covered.
Allow to set for 20 minutes to set. (I found putting it in the fridge really helped with this step.
Finally, take a microwave-safe bowl, combine your chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the evaporated milk. Microwave for 45 seconds or until melted... make sure you stir it halfway through the cooking time.
Drizzle over the caramel topping on the brownies, sprinkle with your 1/8th of a teaspoon of sea salt.
Allow the chocolate to set, then cut into squares.

This time, it’s all about you

She Says by Jessica Napier
METRO CANADA
Published: September 06, 2011 5:01 a.m.

Humans are social creatures; we crave the comfort of other warm-blooded beings in close proximity. At work we’re lauded for our teamwork skills and at leisure we’re obsessed with being connected (virtually or otherwise). And yet, despite our natural desire to seek out togetherness, there is something to be said for being alone.

No, not the sad, weepy, nobody-loves-me kind of loneliness you experience on the first night after a breakup. And not the alone time that you spend tweeting or curating your Facebook profile. I’m talking about legit solitude.

The thought of isolation makes some people very nervous. After five minutes of seclusion we feel panicky, compelled to reach for our phones and connect to the rest of the world. But when we are constantly looking to others to validate our existence, learning how to be alone is more important than ever.

I often find myself feeling desperate to disconnect and enjoy some solid me time. Not because I’m antisocial and wallowing in self pity (I’m looking at you, Bridget Jones, singing All By Myself into a tub of ice cream) but because in everyday life there is a constant pressure to be on. Sometimes I just need to switch off.

It’s so important to take time off from the daily performance of being a best friend, a lover, a co-worker, and to allow ourselves to just be. Whenever I’m by myself, I find time to do all those things I’ve been meaning to do, or I find time to do nothing at all.

Whether I’m more relaxed or more productive, I’m ultimately more myself when I’m alone than at any other time.

Single living, if your budget allows, is a marvelous luxury. You have total freedom to live by your own rules: make a mess, go out all night, sleep all day (diagonally if you’re so inclined), have cereal for dinner, listen to awful music and decorate however you please.

And if you become unsatisfied with your solo time indoors, the city can be a wonderful place for loners. You can wander unnoticed in the crowded streets, disappear in darkened movie theatres, slip into near-silent art galleries and forget the rest of the world.

Solitude in large doses may not be for everyone, but to be alone by choice — in a content and meaningful way — is an essential part of the human experience.

More about Jessica Napier

Chocolate Cake Comparison

Sandy's Chocolate Cake
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sandys-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx

Ingredients
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 1/3 cups boiling water
FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
In a mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture. Mix on low just until combined. Stir in water until blended. Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. For frosting, in a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Cool several minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Frost cooled cake.

Canadian Living


Ingredients
1/2 cup butter , softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (5 mL)
1-1/4 cups sifted cake and pastry flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (50 mL)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup buttermilk (150 mL)

Chocolate Mousse:
1 pkg (7 g) gelatin
2/3 cup milk (150 mL) milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar(50 mL)
1 Pinch salt
(113 g) bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 oz milk chocolate , melted
2 tbsp dark rum , (optional)
1 tsp vanilla (5 mL)
2 cups whipping cream (500 mL)
Chocolate Ganache:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate , chopped 6 6oz (170 g)
2/3 cup whipping cream (150 mL)

Preparation:
Grease 9-inch (2.5 L) springform pan; line bottom with parchment or waxed paper. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla. In separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of buttermilk. Scrape into prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until cake tester comes out clean, 30 minutes. Let cool on rack for 20 minutes. Remove side of pan; let cool. (Make-ahead: Cover and set aside for up to 24 hours.)

Chocolate Mousse: Meanwhile, in small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tbsp (25 mL) water; set aside. In small saucepan, heat milk over medium-high heat just until tiny bubbles form around edge. In heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and salt ; slowly whisk in milk. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water; cook, stirring, until custard is 160°F (70°C) and thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in gelatin mixture until melted. Whisk in bittersweet and milk chocolates, rum (if using) and vanilla. Refrigerate, stirring twice, until cold and mixture can mound on spoon, about 15 minutes.

In separate bowl, whip cream; whisk one-quarter into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining cream.

Line side of 10-inch (3 L) springform pan with parchment paper to extend 1 inch (2.5 cm) above rim. Cut cake horizontally in half. Place 1 layer in prepared pan. Pour in half of the mousse, letting mousse extend over side of cake. Top with remaining layer. Pour in remaining mousse to cover top and side of cake; smooth top. Refrigerate until set, 2 hours.

Chocolate Ganache: Place chocolate in bowl. In small saucepan, bring cream to boil; pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 30 minutes. Pour over mousse; smooth with palette knife. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Jane's Sweets
Chocolate Mousse CakeChocolate Mousse Cake
Source:

Because the fluffy mousse needs to chill for about four hours before it can be used, feel free to prepare it first, before you bake the cake.

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9" round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment cut to fit. Grease the parchment, then flour the bottom and sides of each pan, tapping out the excess flour.

2 cups All-Purpose flour (I used unbleached)
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used natural cocoa)
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk (I used 2 percent)
1 cup strong brewed coffee
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 eggs, large

In the large bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. All at once, add in the milk, coffee, oil, and eggs. Beat this mixture at medium speed just until smooth. The batter will be very thin. Pour it evenly into the three prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when very lightly touched. Cool the cakes in their pans, on racks, for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully invert the cakes to remove them from their pans, then invert them again so they can finish cooling on racks right side up.

To make the mousse:

Makes approximately 4 and 1/2 cups (which is a lot--you'll have some leftover!)

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 Tbsp. cold water
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use natural, or Dutch process, or a combo; I did the latter)
3 cups heavy cream

In a little bowl, soften the gelatin in the cold water, letting it stand undisturbed for two minutes. Add in the boiling water, and stir it slowly until the gelatin completely dissolves and no lumps are apparent. Set this aside.

In another small bowl, combine the sugar and the cocoa well, with a fork or whisk.
In a medium size mixer bowl, on medium speed, beat the heavy cream until it's quite foamy. Into this, gradually pour the sugar mixture and beat until it holds stiff peaks.

Then, stir in the dissolved gelatin by hand, folding it in evenly (if you don't distribute the gelatin evenly through careful stirring and folding, the mousse will be thicker and firmer in some spots, and too soft in others). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least four hours.

To make the chocolate icing:

Makes approximately 3 cups (I had about 1/2 a cup of this leftover)

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
5 (1 oz. each) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup and 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (doesn't have to be softened)
1 cup confectioner's sugar

Combine the granulated sugar and the cream in a medium size heavy-bottomed saucepan. Carefully bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then keep it on a low simmer for 6 minutes. Stir it often and watch it closely so it doesn't come to a full boil again. Taking the pan off the heat, add in the butter and chocolate, stirring until it's all completely melted and the mixture is perfectly smooth; let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using a whisk, incorporate all of the confectioner's sugar. Let the icing cool until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

To prepare the grated chocolate, and chocolate curls, for the outside of the cake:

You'll want to have at least 3/4 of a cup of grated chocolate available to cover the cake. If you can find chocolate that comes in big chunks, that is the easiest form in which to hold it for grating. I use Callebaut, a very good brand, which can be purchased in pieces by the pound. I use a combo of dark bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate, which works well because the milk chocolate is softer and sweeter, while the dark chocolate is a bit drier and moderates the sweetness. Have the grated chocolate in a bowl close at hand before you are ready to coat the sides of the cake. Place a baking sheet with shallow sides on your work surface right near the bowl.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel some larger curls from the chocolate chunks and set them aside on a plate (or put them in the fridge if they're quite soft; they're always extremely fragile and often break when touched). It seems easier to make nice curls from milk chocolate since it tends to be softer and more flexible.

To assemble the cake:

Using a cardboard cake-round (if at all possible, or something that can function in the same capacity), place the first cake layer on it. Using an offset spatula, ice the top of the layer thickly with the chilled mouse. Place the second layer atop this, and cover it as well with a thick layer of the mousse. Place the third and final cake layer on top. If at this point the mousse seems very soft, put the whole cake into the fridge for about half an hour, or into the freezer for 15 minutes.

Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate icing on the top and sides of the cake. It should be spread on fairly evenly, but it's not critical that you try to make it incredibly smooth, since it will be covered with grated chocolate, and you can gently pat down any uneven areas. While the icing is still quite soft, pick up the iced cake from beneath the cake-board (slide a thin metal spatula beneath it to help you lift it onto your hand). Holding the cake carefully on your non-dominant hand, sprinkle the sides of the cake with the grated chocolate, patting it on gently. Do this while holding the cake above the baking sheet so it can catch the falling chocolate crumbs and you can scoop them up again. Turn the cake as needed until the whole thing is completely covered. Carefully slide/sprinkle the chocolate curls onto the top of the cake. Place your cake on its serving dish. Keep the cake in the refrigerator until shortly before you'll cut it. Because the filling and the icing are rich with dairy products, you should store any leftover cake in the fridge as well.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Thick and Chewy)

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tips from Browneyedbaker

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2008/06/21/thick-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

The secret to the thick and chewy cookies is the combination of using melted butter, an extra egg yolk, and a higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar. Also, definitely follow the instructions for making jagged edges on the top of the cookie – this gives them the crinkled and craggly bakery cookie look. In order to ensure mine were all about the same size.

Also heed the instructions to remove the cookies from the oven as soon as the outsides are set but the centers are still puffy and soft. Doing so plays a large part in the resulting texture. Cooling the cookies on the baking sheets means they will continue to bake after being taken out of the oven, but without the circulating air of a cooling rack, they will retain their soft texture. I know for me it is often hard to take cookies out of the oven unless they look completely done, but have faith! You don’t want to overbake these in the oven!

Why should you weigh your ingredients? Since I began baking bread more often I started reading about how important it is to weigh the ingredients, as there is quite a delicate balance between the flour, yeast, and liquid used in most bread recipes. I haven’t really encountered weight measurement outside of breads, but this cookie recipe in Baking Illustrated provided weight measurements for the dry ingredients. To see how close I was I did a regular measurement and then weighed it. In all of the cases, my measurements came out 1-2 ounces more than the weight measurement provided in the recipe. It becomes easy to see how a heavy-handed scoop could turn thick and chewy cookies into dry and dense cookies! So, I would encourage all of you to invest in a kitchen scale and use it, use it, use it!!

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2008/06/21/thick-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Baking Illustrated, page 434)

Makes about 18 large cookies.

These oversized cookies are chewy and thick, like many of the chocolate chip cookies sold in gourmet shops and cookie stores. They rely on melted butter and an extra egg yolk to keep their texture soft. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their texture even when cooled. To ensure the proper texture, cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Oversized baking sheets allow you to get all the dough into the oven at one time. If you’re using smaller baking sheets, put fewer cookies on each sheet and bake them in batches.

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

Summer 2011-Ky/Kim/Yo bday and everything in between

The Party month



I'll start with Kim's bday..our angel turned 2 this month. every day, she is becoming more interesting, developing her unique self. tears are welling up in my eyes even as I write this..keith is making meatloaf, he just finished bread and butter pudding, kY is giving Kim a ride on his shoulders and yohann is exhausted from the weekend's activities, he is just lying around watching all the action.
On Friday eve. we went to Connie's mom's bday. We took a 'hummingbird cake'. We got back at 12:30 a.m. the next morning (Sat) was Yohann's closing ceremony for baseball. They had a game, followed by pizza and sundae's (the children got to help themselves to toppings). It was a semi-hot day, so i took off kim's boyfreind jeans and let her wade in the water, the shrieks of delight did not escape the other children and soon everyone was rolling up their pants and moving into the cool water. Then there was the highlight of the ceremony, the trophy, that each child collected and a very sturdy bag + a photograph of the team. In the evening we went to Ayesha's son;s second bday and we got back at 1 a.m. They had a chocolate tuxedo cake which was out-of-this world and fodder for my next cake.

Last week on Saturday and Sunday we went hiking and cycling to Wilket Creek Park. that is my favourite part of summer..walking in the woods, the silence and the smell of the woods just transport me away from our activity centred lives..i absolutely love it..even today, it is overcast and i cannot stop wanting to go for a long drive outside the city and and hitting the trails..

We couldn't let the weekend pass without indulging our most favourite activity so off we went to Edward Gardens for a picnic supper. There was a thunderstorm just before so it was overcast and overwhemingly beautiful..Anways, we packed our meatloaf s/wiches and bread pudding and went to enjoy the beautiful evening..The smell from the woods was haunting...beautiful woody musky smell..I went with the boys for a short walk and we discovered yet another amazing part that we hadn't been to before. It was so silent and quite and you could hear only the cricket sounds, Anyways, we were all alone and it was densely wooded. I said, "I hope there are no panthers or foxes around hoping to incite even more excitement in the boys. they turned and looked at me as though I was crazy. Kyren said 'mom, we are in the wooded areas of the park'..it is a park not really a forest. I replied 'still you never know'..yohann and ky looked at each other as though I was totally kookoo..they were like o.K whatever. Anyways when we were heading back to Keith, i tried again 'let's get out before it get's dark, if we are lost, we will need to spend the night here' hoping to at least to spook Yohann. but he said 'don't worry, I know the way back, follow me!!..they really have no sense of adventure. Maybe next year I will try with Kim.

So, to get back to Kim's bday. A few of our freinds and ever-growing family joined us. Wendy was the first to arrive at 2p.m followed by Reina. We took the kids to the wading pool. they had such a blast, refusing to come out even as the water was draining on them. after that, we went to the play area..the younger kids played on the slides, swings and other equipment. at around 5 pm, we headed home. Keith got lovely hot kebabs going and everyone ravenous from all the activity, enjoyed them. mum/dad/ connie's parents and giselle and family came in. June/ lancy came later. June/Lancy brought ribs and pasta bake for the kids. Connie's mom made meatloaf and tongue. mummy made chicken sukka and rice. keith made kebabs and bread pudding. I made jerk bbq chicken/ apple coleslaw and the cake. Vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting.

Ky's bday

The boys all turned up at around 2p.m (Zac/Jayden/Joshua/Jeremy/Adrien/Hayley/Nicole/Ben/Gracie.) Jayden had a new ipod..apparently the latest, so all the young fellas took turns in checking it out and playing. they also played some WII games. At 4p.m we headed to the pool. The boys as expected had a blast. they came back home at 5:15. had a quick bite of assorted pizza and salad.

We cut the cake. Chocolate cake with white chocolate/butter scotch chips frosting. The boys then headed out for a movie 'Captain America' which just opened on the D-DAY. they came back home at 9:30 and some of them stayed on till 12:00 am. (Zac and Jayden).

So that's all for now..I will updating with Yohann's bday details..later this week.

Galaktoboureko-greek pie-semolina

http://www.kalofagas.ca/2008/04/29/galaktoboureko-%CE%B3%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%BA%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B5%CE%BA%CE%B

My dear freind Penny forwarded me a recipe for Portokalopita and we decided to google and look at other versions..comparing, trying to choose the best..basically we could envision with our minds what it would taste and look like..so went clicking from one website to another, until we reached this..and I decided I HAD to try this one....i'm posting the recipe.

Galaktoboureko is as popular (if not more) than a Greek baklava. Essentially, it’s a dessert of custard made from semolina flour and a crispy phyllo shell and soaked in a lemon syrup.
As long as you allow the phyllo to defrost properly in the fridge overnight, ensure it’s bought from a store that sells fresh phyllo (high turn over) and you’ve ensured the phyllo stays moist and you’ve brushed melted butter on each sheet…you’ll do just fine!
Galaktoboureko (γαλακτομπούρεκο)


7 eggs, room temp.
10 cups of whole milk (room temp.)
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of fine semolina flour
1 heaping Tbsp. of butter
zest of 1 lemon
1 package of commercial phyllo
2 sticks of melted butter (for brushing)
14″ X 11″ Corningware baking dish

Syrup
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of water
juice & zest of 1/2 lemon

Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add your eggs, sugar and semolina and mix constantly over medium heat until incorporated.
Add the milk, zest and butter and now continue to mix using a potato masher until your custard is slightly thick, yet not runny. Place a tea towel between the pot of custard and the pot’s lid, cover and reserve (off the heat).
Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Butter the baking dish. Count how many sheets you have in your package of phyllo and divide in half. One half will go on the bottom, the second half will go on top.

In the bottom of the pan, layer your one half of phyllo, leaving the edges hanging over the sides of the pan. Brush each sheet generously with the melted butter. Pour the custard mixture over the bottom phyllo layers.

Fold the excess phyllo over and into the pan and evenly distribute the remaining sheets of phyllo to entirely cover the custard. Again, ensure that each sheet is brushed generously with butter.
With a very sharp knife, score the phyllo (just penetrating) to make your desired size and shapes of your Galaktoboureko pieces (this makes it easier to cut later and this will also allow the syrup to penetrate the pie better.
Bake in the middle rack for 35-40 minutes or until the top is nice and golden-brown. Allow the Galaktoboureko to cool to room temperature.
To make your syrup, add the sugar, water, juice and zest and bring to a boil and count 10 minutes for your syrup to develop.
Using a ladle, pour your syrup over the Galaktoboureko (1 ladle at a time) until your syrup has been absorbed.
Carefully complete the slicing of your pieces (tracing your initial cuts), allow to cool for approx. 1 hour and refrigerate uncovered over night to set. Serve cold or room temperaturengwithmarialoi.com/recipe/recipeview/galaktoboureko-sweet-milk-pie

Strawberry shortcake Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I am planning on making a strawberry shortcake, what nicer way to enjoy strawberries? and it has all our favourites: whipped cream, strawberries, cake..yum yum..my kids are gonna luv me forever..I fell in love with the recipe from 'The Way the Cookie Crumbles" adapted from the Cooks Illustrated recipe
http://www.crumblycookie.net/2011/05/22/strawberry-cream-cake/

Strawberry Cream Cake (from Cook’s Illustrated)
12 servings
Cake:
1¼ cups (5 ounces) cake flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
5 large eggs (2 whole and 3 separated), room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Strawberry Filling:
2 pounds fresh strawberries (medium or large, about 2 quarts), washed, dried, and stemmed
4–6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Kirsch
Pinch table salt

Whipped Cream:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (3½ ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon table salt
2 cups heavy cream

1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a round 9 by 2-inch cake pan or 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and all but 3 tablespoons sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reserving whites), butter, water, and vanilla; whisk until smooth.

2. In a clean bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 3 egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With the machine running, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds. Stir one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten; add the remaining whites and gently fold into the batter until no white streaks remain. Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a greased wire rack; peel off and discard the parchment. Invert the cake again; cool completely, about 2 hours.

3. FOR THE STRAWBERRY FILLING: Halve 24 of the best-looking berries and reserve. Quarter the remaining berries; toss with 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on the sweetness of the berries) in a medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain the juices from the berries and reserve (you should have about ½ cup). In the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, give the macerated berries five 1-second pulses (you should have about 1½ cups). In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer the reserved juices and Kirsch until the mixture is syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the reduced syrup over the macerated berries, add a pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside until the cake is cooled.

4. FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: When the cake has cooled, place the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Reduce the speed to low and add heavy cream in a slow, steady stream; when it’s almost fully combined, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2½ minutes more, scraping the bowl as needed (you should have about 4½ cups).


Another way to do the Whipped Cream (from All Recipes http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/whipped-cream-cream-cheese-frosting/Detail.aspx)
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions
In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.

5. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Using a large serrated knife, slice the cake into three even layers. Place the bottom layer on a cardboard round or cake plate and arrange a ring of 20 strawberry halves, cut sides down and stem ends facing out, around the perimeter of the cake layer. Pour one half of the pureed berry mixture (about ¾ cup) in the center, then spread to cover any exposed cake. Gently spread about one-third of the whipped cream (about 1½ cups) over the berry layer, leaving a ½-inch border from the edge. Place the middle cake layer on top and press down gently (the whipped cream layer should become flush with cake edge). Repeat with 20 additional strawberry halves, the remaining berry mixture, and half of the remaining whipped cream; gently press the last cake layer on top. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top; decorate with the remaining cut strawberries. Serve, or chill for up to 4 hours.

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

By Julie Albert & Lisa Gnat (author: Bite me):Serves 12

Gonna make this for Keith's bday..He said he wasn't a big fan of cheesecake but then he's only had the store bought ones..this one aims to change his mind..
Ingredients for Crust

1½ cups Oreo baking crumbs
½ cup melted butter
¼ cup whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate

Filling
4 (8oz/250g) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups chopped toffee bits (Heath or Skor bar)
¼ cup purchased caramel sauce
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil.

2) For the crust, in a medium bowl, combine Oreo baking crumbs and melted butter. Press the mixture evenly and firmly over the bottom and halfway up the sides of the springform pan. In a small saucepan, bring the whipping cream to a simmer over low heat. Add semi-sweet chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from heat and pour evenly over the crust.

3) Chill crust in refrigerator to firm slightly while preparing the filling.

4) For the filling, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, scraping the bowl several times. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat the mixture. One at a time, beat in the eggs, scraping the bowl as needed. Using a spatula fold in vanilla extract and toffee bits. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Finish by spooning caramel sauce over the top. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake 65-70 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.

Yohann's 2nd recital/ Kyren at Cory's bday

Yohann has started T-Ball..we go to the park every Tuesday to join in the game. On thursday,s he goes to practice. Summer is so hectic, it is like one big party..by the end of summer, i am secretly glad it's over and we can rest a bit...He is also learing the piano...recently we went to his recital..He was the youngest player. Being the youngest, he was to go first, and that made him nervous but did not stop him from playing his absolute best. we were so proud of him. Kim kept hollering 'Yoyaaan yoyannn der', so i had to take her out. since it was held in a librabry (the coxwell library is so fabulous. that should be the standard for all libraries..i wish..sigh)..they had a space for under 5 years complete with cute color coded keyboard and computers and loads of space for them to run around. kim had blast banging her lil fingers on the key board!!. I was half expecting someone to come up and say 'shhhhhhhh' but no, all we go is "so cute"..phew!!




Things have been hectic at home...kim automatically says no for everything (before you can even ask)..she'll just look at my face and say 'no'..she knows where the boys hide their candy..she'll help herself to some (esp the sour candy) and enjoy them. If they catch her, she'll just yell 'noooooooo' so loudly, that Keith or myself will tell the boys to back off before they have had a chance to explain the situation..

I am reading the 'clan of the cave bear'..i just love that series...kyren is so into reading too..we went to the library on Saturday and he picked up a bunch of mystery novels...He had gone for his freinds pool party on Yohann's recital day...Later in the evening, after the recital, when we went to pick him up i wished i was ten again..the boys (and a girl) had a blast..they had water guns fights, swimming competitions..of course ky was still learning but he's not the one to back out of something because he hasn't yet mastered the skill..so like his mommy ..ready to take on challenges..if she is not tired that is.


I finished my cake decorating course at which I had a blast. I had so much fun being creative. I made a hot pink cake with roses..it didn't come out the way i expected..but still..still hot :-)..i am smitten by this cake decorating bug..i've fallen hook line and sinker..i love it..let;s see for how long though..knowing me, i will fall in love with something else next week..and cake deco might just be yawn yawn zzzzzzzzz.

CREAM PUFFS

from Canadian Living Cooks Step by Step

Pastry Cream

3 cups (750 ml) milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup (175 ml) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50 ml) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. (15 ml) cornstarch
2 tbsp. butter (25 ml)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (7 ml)
2 cups (500 ml) whipping cream
In heavy saucepan, heat milk until steaming. Meanwhile, in bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour and cornstarch; gradually pour in milk in thin stream, whisking constantly. Return to clean pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking, for 5 minutes or just until boiling; cook, whisking, for 2 minutes longer or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla.
Pour into bowl; place waxed paper directly on surface to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool, at least 4 hours. Whip cream, gently fold into pastry cream with spatula just until combined.
Note: Pastry cream can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Choux Pastry

2 cups (500 ml) water
1 cup (250 ml) butter, cubed
1/4 tsp. (1 ml) salt
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) all-purpose flour
8 eggs
Glaze

1 egg
Line two 17- x 11-inch (45 x 29 cm) baking sheets with parchment paper, or grease and dust with flour. In heavy saucepan, bring half of each of the water, butter and salt to boil over high heat; immediately remove from heat. Add half of the flour all at once; stir vigorously with wooden spoon until mixture comes away from side of pan in smooth ball. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes or until film forms on bottom of pan. Transfer to bowl; stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Make well in centre.
Using electric mixer, beat in 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until shiny and pastry holds its shape when lifted. Using pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch (5 mm) plain tip or with spoon, pipe pastry into 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) round by 3/4-inch (2 cm) high mounds on pans. Glaze: Beat egg with 1 tbsp (15 ml) water; brush half over pastry, flattening tips and making sure glaze doesn’t drip onto pan.
Bake in 425 degree F (220 degree C) oven for 20 minutes; rotate trays. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C); bake for 10 minutes or until golden. With knife, make small hole in bottom of each; bake for 5 minutes. Turn off oven; let stand in oven for 10 minutes to dry. Transfer to rack; let cool. With wooden spoon handle, enlarge hole in each puff. Repeat with remaining choux pastry ingredients and glaze to make 85 puffs in total.
Spoon pastry cream into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch (5 mm) plain tip. Pipe into hole in each puff, squeezing bag gently until puff is filled with cream. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheet. (Puffs can be lightly covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 hour.)
I always like to dust them with icing sugar and pile them high on a lovely serving dish. Warning: they go very quickly!

Food Blogs I love

Blogging has become so mainstream now and because it is free finally people can blog about their passion without the hassle of creating and maintaining a website. so thank you Blogger. the quality and volume of information too is fabulous. If I am looking a nice recipe (most likely cakes and sweets), there is just abundance of information and many of the blogs really resonate with me..bye bye food network..

I especially love this one:

http://creampuffsinvenice.ca/category/dessert-and-pastry/

the giving that resonates with me..

here is one:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/c-clinton-sidle/the-spirit-of-giving-like_b_799639.html

The Spirit of Giving: Like a King, a Ferryman or a Shepherd?

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Submit this storydigg reddit stumble A few years ago I arranged for students to do volunteer clean-up work for a local land trust. We spent the day cleaning up garbage that had been dumped on recently acquired property near family homes in a poor rural community. The day was wet but we had fun helping out in the muck, mire, and stench of the clean-up. By the end of the day we were tired and dirty.

In our closing, I asked everyone for their personal reflections. As we went around the circle, everyone was expressing their gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to help. Then we came to someone who was in tears. She said that the highlight of her day was when she went up to say hello to one of the families. They thanked her from the bottom of their hearts for cleaning up their "back yard." Now the children could play again in the forest without fear of getting hurt. We were then all in tears.

In giving, you receive. When you give something to someone else, you are often the one who feels best. Reflect for a moment on a time when you helped someone with a flat tire, given directions to a person who is lost, given up your seat to someone who needs it more, or simply given support to someone having a bad day? What happens to you inside? I'll bet your small act of generosity was the highlight of your day. Everyone is better off and you often feel a 'helper's high.' One of the fundamental truths of life is that none of us can sincerely help another without helping ourselves too.

I have written before about a time a when I decided to wrap up and cash in a basket of coins I had accumulated. Every day when I get home I empty whatever change is in my pocket into this basket. In the past, the change would disappear as my children would pick through it for extra spending money. Now in an empty nest, it was overflowing. So I threw the change in a bag and took it to the local grocery store where there was an automatic coin sorter.

It was Christmas season, and as I was entering the store, an old friend of mine was ringing the bell at a Salvation Army donation stop. I spontaneously handed the bag of coins to him and we instantly broke into laughter and appreciation for what we were both doing. That moment stuck with me as a source of joy and comfort for days.

Not only our Christian heritage but every one our world spiritual traditions points to the value of generosity to our happiness and well being. There is true wisdom in this. Our modern academic researchers too have shown that altruism and generosity bring a sense of well-being and good mental health.

But during this time of year, it is easy to forget this original meaning of the "holiday spirit." We get wrapped up in the process of giving but often along the way lose the true spirit of giving. As a friend once said to me, "We can lose God in prayer to God." We can give money, we can give time, we can give a piece of ourselves, but what is most important for our happiness, well being and the benefit of others is what is in our hearts.

Does your giving feel like single acts, as in giving to a noble cause each year, or is it more of an everyday experience? Who is more generous, for instance, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and a host of other billionaires who make one-time gifts of vast amounts of their fortune to create foundations and causes in their names, or the mothers in Darfur who give up meals each and every day so their children can eat? Both are important, of course, but I believe that the potential benefit to ourselves and others are greater if our giving is more of a way of life and comes without expectation of something in return. Imagine the ripple effect if we all lived our lives this way.

There is an old Buddhist metaphor that asks, do you give as a king who magnanimously shares his wealth with his people after it is gained, or do you give as a ferryman who ferries himself and others across the river safely together, or do you give as a shepherd who makes sure his flock is always in front and arrives safely first? Which do you think brings a greater benefit and sense of well-being?

I haven't always given of myself, but I learned to behave into a new way of being (another way of saying 'fake it 'til you make it.') I remember debating with a friend, for instance, about how I wanted to be more generous in my feelings with others but couldn't. Since I didn't feel generous, I argued, how I could I be generous? It wasn't authentic. Finally one day I just tried complimenting a friend, even though it didn't feel quite natural to me at the time. Surprisingly, not only was he was moved, but so was I. My acting generously aroused feelings of generosity.

Sometime later, in a meeting with friends, this issue of giving of myself came up again. They weren't satisfied with the emotional connection they were getting from me. So they challenged me to sit in front of each one of them, look into their eyes, and express what I saw and what I felt. To my amazement, squeezed in this way my intuition and my heart came rushing forth. Somehow, on a gut level, I knew both the gifts and the challenges each person had in this life and pointed to them accurately. In expressing this in words, I also felt a deeper appreciation for them. In those few moments, I gave myself totally over to each one of my friends and discovered a gift that I always thought was missing but was really there all along.

Giving in these little ways is now a big part of my life. We can all learn to give. Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." There is real transformative power in giving, and that is the true spirit of Christmas.

Clint Sidle is the Director of the Roy H. Park Leadership Fellows Program at the Johnson School - Cornell University and author of This Hungry Spirit: Your Need for Basic Goodness (December 2009) www.larsonpublications.com.

Yesterday was Kyren and Yohann's musical concert. Kyren and his class sang two songs from Lion King (I just can't wait to be king and can you feel the love tonight). When Kyren was in line waiting to get on stage, Kim kept yelling, "kyn cum yer, kyn cum yr"..and she kept turning her head and pointing to the empty seat next to us...
Yohann and kyren had a brotherly dispute just before leaving (over gum!!) and Yohann refused to go to the concert (whats new?-he knows when to pull the plug). Keith and myself ofcourse resorted finally to threatening coz we were were afraid this boy was derailing our plan to reach on time. we went 'i'm going to call the police and let them know you are at home alone' ..no response to the threat...then i pretended to call his teacher to complain 'Yohann does not want to go to the concert'..i spoke in a loud voice because i wanted him to overhear..but he yelled back ' I don't care'...then finally exasperated and tired, i said ok don't go onto the stage but let's go to the concert because we cannot leave you at home alone. so he finally agreed. he wore a white shirt and black pants (concert ready, but not willing to go on stage). so off we went. He seemed in a good mood in the car. because i did not know how to activate the video function on the camera i handed it to him, gosh i feel old, he was very excited and started taking pictures and zooming in to take kyren's picture (although i don't know why he did that, he can see kyren personally every day)..anyways, all is good and my darling kim yelling..kyn cum yr..Kyrens' program got over and then it was his class that was lining up to go onto the stage, as were crawling along, i was nudging him 'go yohann, go, go'...he was rocking on heels back and forth, not sure what to do..i shoved him in the front and called out to his teacher Mrs Godfrey and she was all smiles "yohann come come'..so he had no choice but to relent...

Trendy turn-offs and fashion fights (I can totally relate)-Article by Jessica Napier

What better compliment than your husband turning and saying 'wow' 'u look awesome'!!..I have my own personal style that sometimes does not sit well with Keith..still, it is important that I hold my own and not give in all the time to the way he wants to see me dressed up. he has his style and I have mine..while i'd love for him to say 'wow'..i am not about to compromise all the time. Like when I got my new bag...he thought it was ghastly and not everyone liked it, infact most people didnt' and because of that reaction i started to doubt my judgement...but I thought to the time when I laid eyes on it and when I was walking out of the shop, so proud, with my head held high and my bag in full view to the public..like to say' look, what I found' :-)

still having said that, i am changing and finding my unique style and guess what? we actually sometimes agree on fashion. the article below by Jessica resonated with me.infact she articulated it better that I could have..

Trendy turn-offs and fashion fights

The other day, I found myself standing in my closet with a serious case of nothing to wear syndrome.
After I had spent half an hour rummaging through an enormous pile of clothes, I eventually decided to throw on an old standby summer dress. I emerged from the closet in a fun, flirty (and maybe most importantly, forgiving) frock only to be met with unappreciative groans from my boyfriend who had been patiently waiting while I had my wardrobe-related meltdown.

“Couldn’t you wear something a little tighter?” he asked, eyeing my flowy, empire waist garment. “That looks a little bit like a tent.”

Apparently, my testosterone-fuelled roommate is not a fan of comfort over curves. I decided to keep the dress on regardless -- this was hardly the first time we had feuded over fashion.

Our most memorable clash was our war of words over the siren-red lipstick. I say sexy bombshell, he says unkissable harlot. It seems most men do not appreciate puckering up to someone with an intensely pigmented mouth.

Why do men and women have such vastly different opinions on our favourite items of clothing? I have to assume that guys don’t really care about the clothes themselves, they’re more concerned with how we look in them. Figure trumps fashion, and so the trends we find en vogue are often given a thumbs down by the men in our lives.

Looking back, we’ve all made some style faux-pas at one point or another. In the ’90s, my middle-school self had a bad perm and an even more heinous collection of French berets.

I guess I’ve always taken an experimental approach to fashion. This year alone I’ve dabbled in bold shoulder pads, floral hair bands, faux fur vests, clogs, pastel blue nail polish — hell, I even own a pair of jeggings. But more often than not, these looks are met with an eyebrow raise from a partner who doesn’t seem to appreciate my penchant for achingly trendy items.

So what fashion fad do men hate the most? UGGs. Yes, according to a recent study (and by that I mean an informal poll of my male friends and coworkers) these ubiquitously frumpy boots top the tragic trend list.

Sorry guys, but as long as there are mid-February snowstorms and icy sidewalks, you’ll find us stomping through the slush in our hideously practical footwear.

Girl Crushes- so true for me...(by Jessica Napier)

The fine art of admiring your girl crush

A couple weeks ago, I spotted her at a too-hip-for-me restaurant. I instantly felt flustered and had to whisper an awkward explanation to my confused dinner companion. Look at her! Her hair is the best and that dress is so cute and she’s in interior design and, Oh my God, did you see her shoes?

Luckily, my friend understood; we’ve all experienced that totally irrational nervousness around a girl crush at one point or another.


Let me clarify, I’m not rethinking my sexuality. I have a girl crush and my feelings are very platonic; it’s a decidedly non-sexual appreciation.


A 2005 New York Times article on the subject of girl crushes describes the phenomenon as the “fervent infatuation that one heterosexual woman develops for another woman who may seem impossibly sophisticated, gifted, beautiful or accomplished.”


That sounds about right.


Girl crushes are those fantastic femmes we put up on a pedestal because they’re just so unbelievably cool. They are the women that design jewelry as a career, never have a bad hair day and can actually wear an on-trend jumpsuit without looking like a plumber.


Evidently, I’ve fallen pretty hard for my own same-sex object of desire. But it’s totally harmless and not at all creepy (I promise). I don’t want to get with her; I just want to hang out, maybe borrow some of her clothes.


The best girl crushes aren’t close friends (that’s just weird) but someone to admire from afar. Celebrities are common subjects for girl-crushing, but personally I am much more likely to develop a thing for a friend of a friend, a girl who rides the bus with me, or (dare I say it) a stranger I stumble upon while browsing a long-lost classmate’s Facebook profile.


Let’s reiterate — I swear this isn’t creepy.


Funnily enough, my boyfriend usually offers a pretty lacklustre response when I point out a girl that I think is oh-so-awesome. While you might assume he’s just trying to be diplomatic, this actually makes a lot of sense. Girl crushes are Girl Hot rather than Guy Hot. Trust me, there’s a difference. Megan Fox is Guy Hot, Alexa Chung is Girl Hot.


Women become enamoured with women who are funky, stylish and successful while men tend to worship … well, body parts.

J's awesome poetry

OBAMA

Smart, President Ruling, Caring, Solving
Obama rules the U.S.A.
I live in a house
Cooling, Living, Heating
Tall, Convenient
Awesome

Open Door Open Door
Open, Connected
Opening, Swaying , Creaking
Numbers, Multiplication
Closed door

What I dislike
Doing lots of homework
Going for a bath
Watching T.V
Playing games on the computer
And I dislike math


What I like My mom and dad
Playing soccer
Playing manhunt
Having no homework
Riding my bike




I like fishing on a boat
But sometimes I ta0ke a break and watch a goat
I like when the water is calm
But then my mum puts Balm
And then we go home and vote


I like reading a book
And then my brother comes and the book shook
And he wants me to play
And then I say ‘No Way’
And then he starts helping my cook!’


Pencils in my pocket are really very green
But then someone stole it and he is very mean
I went in search of the pencils that were in my pocket
So I searched and searched, and the man was keen
So he gave my pencils back and so I was clean


Betty bought some butter
The Butter was Bitter
So Betty bought some better Butter
To make the bitter Butter better

Fall / AutumnI like Fall so much!
Halloween is in Autumn
Don’t you like it too?


J - Jamming with the Guitar
E - Enter into Jeremy’s pride
R - Reading books all the time
E - Everlasting love for the computer
M - My brother’s turning good
Y - Yes its true! Even I cannot believe it

H - Huron is One
O - Ontario is Two
M - Michigan is Three
E - Erie sounds weird
S - Superior I cannot pronounce


Pencils

Yellow, Slender
Writing, Helping, Decorating
Awesome to have
Eraser

Obama
Wonderful, Cool
Ruling, Dancing, Partying
Best President ever!
PRESIDENT

Jan 26th, Dad and Mom's 26th anniversary + sisters lunch at SoT

Yesterday, we went to South of Temperance, a really hip resturant in downtown toronto (Bay and Adelaide)..I loved the Bar setting area, so contemporary and cool..anyways, reached there late and was so surprised when I ordered the slow braised lamb shank, it came within 10 mins. service was fantastic..a really cool guy was confirming that our choices were good. He recommended the fish tacos for gel (which was ridiculously good) and reins had salmon (kinda boring choice, given the resturant we were in)..you can get grilled salmon with veggies anywhere even in my kitchen :-) :-). but the vibe in the resturant was so cool...well dressed Bay Street folks, some so hiply dressed...I just love the vibe downtown, it is much better than where I am presently located at Bay and Wellesley....still cool, nice shops and all and I love the creativity of some people in putting together what I consider their own personal style. Dessert was blueberry pudding with mascaporne sauce and some fruit coulis...reins has a coffee with white chocolate...which was ok..at least she didn't order icecream or something totally safe..and gel had chocolate something which was good too..

That evening, I remember sitting on the bed with Kyren, Yohann and Kim....Ky sitting on the periphery of Kim's crib..his legs dangling over..and yohann sprawled on our bed with kim jumping all over the place..we were talking about who they hang out in their breaks with...yohann said a couple of names including Selena..and I had questioned 'isn't she a girl? and he said 'yeah, but not girly girl, more like a tomboy..and then they both warned that Kim better not turn into a girly girl, because no way they were going to watch barbie movies with her.the talk turned to Karate and Ky was showing me his moves, swinging his legs really high and falling down as a result of the momentum of his swing :-)...yo, as usual quick to copy and prove he's so far behind..tried some moves too.. and Kim, wanting not be left behind..started to follow her brothers moves which was really funny....but so cute because she was frowning and trying to concentrate, so intent on being a big girl..those few moments were priceless...

We went on Jan 26th to Tuckers market place with the whole valdeiro family...that was so much of fun for the boys...they hung around the dessert counters and had a blast...but were very dissppointed when they asked if they could play hide and seek and we said 'absolutely not'...ky and J started crying, informing us that they had to endure eating and sitting down and now we tell them there is no reward for their good behaviour?...they could not believe that we said that they could not play in the resturant,....anyways, kim was walking about trying to jump and everytime she managed to get her feet of the ground she fell on her bottom and said 'ooowwwww'...nicole on the other hand had her eyes trained on reins and everything she did, she wanted her mom to look and applaud....she only had eyes for her mom...nobody or nothing else mattered...love is, looking at a person all the time with stars in your eyes..remember those small cartoon strips that showed up in Midday' ...I used to cut and hold on to them because I thought they were so cute. anyways I whispered to gel and asked that she bring mum, dad, J&A home for coffee...so that's what they did..we talked and the kids played..everybody went home and to bed, tired and happy..oh! what a nice life we have!!..who do we thank for our good luck? nobody but god..I mean Jesus.... so thank you buddy, for watching over all of us and ensuring that everyday for all of us is full of happiness...Whenever I thank god for the good luck I have, my thoughts turn to the poor people esp children begging for food or working their 5 year old arses off...how does god not look at them and feel any compassion..at least he had a good life growing up..he screwed up..big time..flawed judgement, I'd say, and then I take back my thanks...because for me to be really happy I need to know everyone in the world is at peace...that is his job and he ain't doing a good job at all.....sorry, but that's just the truth.