readings lately

i've been doing a lot of reading lately, and wanted to share a few memorable things.

les adieux: saying goodbye to my childhood home

as i prepared to move back to chicago this week, i also said goodbye to my childhood home as my parents will be moving further downtown in a few months, onto a beautiful old street in walking distance of their works in toronto. i'm excited for the move - i've always wanted to live within walking distance of all my favourite shops and spots. however, it was a bit nostalgic saying goodbye to the lovely home i've lived in since i was six years old.

beet brownies, broiled grapefruit and watermelon salad? oh my!

so it doesn't roll of the tongue quite as well as "lions & tigers & bears," but i have had a lot of fun mixing up fruits and veggies in traditionally sweet or savoury foods lately!

the idea for the delicious beet & orange brownies came from this delightful cookbook, kitchen & co. by ellie grace. you can hardly taste the beets - it's all about the butter, dark chocolate and orange. mmmmm. you won't regret trying this recipe out.

the joys of summer: part 2 - the most wonderful day of the year

my younger sister and i have a tradition. once a year we make a pilgrimage to dutch dreams, the strangest, busiest, most indulgent ice cream place probably in all of toronto. i used to go for birthday parties as a child and my parents still talk about how weird they found the place. the line up is always at least forty minutes long in the summer, and the decor features some of the kitschiest, border-line creepy, silly paraphernalia you'll see.

anyway, after our wonderful, restorative yoga class last night, we decided it was time. i'd made a trip to the dentist and was feeling particularly virtuous after he pronounced that i was "good" and had no cavities. (score one for the 23-year-old)

treasures await....

the joys of summer: part 1 - grapefruit cake

in summer comes the time for free time & indulging in the indulgences! i love being in toronto because i walk or bike everywhere or go for pretty jogs around my neighbourhood, therefore not feeling bad at all when i bake a gigantic cake or go out for the biggest ice cream you've seen in your life!

the other evening my friend beth and i eagerly tried our luck at this grapefruit cake recipe. i'm going to be perfectly honest. i'm a HUGE grapefruit fan. i eat half a grapefruit every morning, will always order grapefruit juice if it's on a menu, use grapefruit bodywash,  and buy most of my clothes in a shade of light pink grapefruit.

anywho, bethy and i had a jolly old time with this slightly tricky recipe!

clémentine wine, of course, keeping with our citrus theme...

adventures in castleton

a week ago, i came back from the castleton festival in virginia, where i spent two months singing, performing, studying and hanging out on the property of dietlinde & lorin maazel. it was a gorgeous place to spend the summer. here are just a few of my photos of cows, zebras, zonkeys, performing, and people of course!

lemon ricotta pancakes and a day at the market

there's nothing like two months on a farm surrounded by opera singers to make you appreciate how much of an introvert you like to be! i'm currently having a beautiful time at my cottage relaxing, cooking delicious things, and basking in the quietness of country life. today was a day for lemon ricotta pancakes and farmer's markets. 

the finished product 

 

check out the cute sign outside the "100 mile store" and just how PRETTY lettuce can look in a mason jar! pinterest, anyone?