Halloween Candy and Wine Pairings

After the age of 13, I was never much of a Halloween person, but now that we have a house, I look forward to handing out candy every year. We only ever get about twenty kids, but I enjoy our little tradition of watching a scary movie while eating all the leftover candy with a glass of wine. Luckily for us, The Kitchn put together this great guide to show which candy goes with what.

What I Did in TO

The spare time I had in TO was great! I'm sure it's a lovely city at most times, but in the fall it's stunning! I walked around Queen and King Street West and poked into a few shops- Lavish and Squalor being my favorite.

It turns out that Momofuku has four different restaurants, each on a different floor. I went for the more casual Nikai. It's a great cocktail bar that combines bits of both the Noodle Bar and Shoto menus. I had their famous pork buns as well as the chilled ramen. The thing about eating alone is that it's tough to try everything you want. Those two dishes were too much food, but I couldn't help myself!

I can't wait to go back next year and check out more of the city!

Toronto

I'm off to Toronto tonight for a course. I've never been before and while there's lots I'd love to do and see, I won't have much free time. I'm hoping to eat at Momofuku and explore King Street West, but that's likely all I'll be able to squeeze in until I head back again in May.

map found here

Let me know if you have any TO recommendations and have a great week!

Do or Don't: Floppy Wool Hats

In theory, I love the look of floppy wool/felt hats for fall/winter. They look so chic and add a sort of vintage vibe to an outfit, but in reality, I'm not so sure I could pull one off.

What do we think? Yes or no?

Calgary Cooks

Typically when I cook I either make things up as I go or I find recipes on the internet, but that doesn't stop me from collecting cookbooks. I love to flip through them over and over again. My latest love is Calgary Cooks, a book compiled of recipes from some of Calgary's best restaurants- Anju, Anejo, Candela, Model Milk, Cucina and dozens more. All of the recipes look beautiful, but I really admire that, for the most part, they're simple enough for the home cook.

You can find them at Our Daily Brett, Red Tree Catering, Cookbook Co. and Chapters.

It did get me to thinking about which dishes from my favorite spots that I would've picked. Here's my list:
Ox and Angela- either the Paella or those Patatas Bravas
Double Zero's Roasted Cauliflower
Anju's Chicken Wings
Shikiji's Chili Goma Ramen
Taste's French Onion Soup

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! We're heading north to my cousin's 2nd annual pig roast and spending the rest of the weekend with my family in Camrose.

I hope you get to eat lots, spend time with your loved ones and enjoy the long weekend! See you Tuesday :)

Pretty Pegs

Shortly after we bought our house, I swore I would never buy IKEA furniture again. Gone were the days of a basement suite filled with poorly put together Swedish furniture- I thought I'm an adult, after all. That is until we started looking for a new couch. We kept looking at the same one at Crate and Barrel and a similar one at Urban Barn, but we were having trouble justifying the $4000 price tag knowing that we'd like to redo the floors that said couch would sit on and perhaps knock down a wall in the same room. We went to IKEA looking for picture frames and lo and behold, there was couch almost identical to the ones we'd seen at the other stores for a fraction of the price. So...we bought it. Truth be told, I totally love it!

In typical IKEA fashion, the legs were just plain wooden blocks. I had read about Pretty Pegs somewhere on the internet and decided to give them a try. They have all different styles and colors of furniture legs for beds, tables and couches. I ordered the Estelle and I'm so happy with how they turned out.

Sorry for the poor lighting. We didn't put them on until it was dark out and they're wooden legs on a hard-wood floor.

Around Calgary- Our Daily Brett

Calgary caterers, Our Daily Brett, have opened up a stunning shop right in our hood! The space is stocked with kitchenware, hostess gifts and delicious food to go.

One of my girlfriends came for dinner last week, so I swung by and grabbed a couple of steaks and some of their homemade chimichurri- which we put on everything for the rest of the weekend.

I may never cook again!!

Green Goddess Dressing

I'm not normally a fan of creamy dressings, but I'd heard so much about Ina Garten's Green Goddess, that I figured I'd give it a try.

It's certainly not low in fat, but it has so much flavor that you don't need much of it. While it was delicious on salad, I think it would make the perfect dip for crudités.

Green Goddess Dressing
recipe from food network

1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. chopped scallions, white and green parts
1 c. chopped fresh basil
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 tsps. chopped garlic
2 tsps. anchovy paste
2 tsps. course salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. sour cream

Put everything except the sour cream into a blender and process until smooth. Add sour cream and process until just blended.