playdate

Quince

Quince is one of those restaurants that I've passed by dozens of times and never really thought about checking out.
Not sure why, it looks appealing enough with a nice clean and simple exterior and warm and inviting interior- yet I never felt the mojo.
That is until last fall.
I was in the area (Yonge & Eglinton) and couldn't figure out any where else to eat so we decided to give it a go.
We were pleasantly surprised.
Eight months later I can still recall a rabbit terrine that was so delicious.

Baby Talk

Here at Playdate, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our editor's new bundle of joy. HBM has been working on through it, and is counting the minutes at this point, if she hasn't already delivered by the time I hit publish. She's not alone, either. There are plenty of other bloggers out there who, right this very moment are gestating siblings or settling in with their new additions, and that's just among the ones I know.

Absolutely Fabulist

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a product whore.  It's partly due to the fact that I'm an actor, and it's important casting-wise to make sure that I'm putting my best face forward, and partly due to good old-fashioned vanity.  Whatever the reason, though, I've tried many MANY different skin and hair products.

It's been awhile since I've been ready for my close-up, though, Mr DeMille.  An endless winter and too many sleepless nights have run roughshod over my looks, and I feel the need to do a little spring cleaning. Here's what I can't live without when I need a pick-me-up..

Fire It Up

We had our first official, all-family barbeque blowout on Saturday, capping off a day of festivities in advance of Mother’s Day and my little Bee’s third birthday.

I loves me a barbeque. It has become a weekend tradition at our place, with friends and family knowing that they are welcome to come ‘round pretty much any weekend of the warm months and fire it up with us.

Or I should say, with Chris, as I don’t actually do any of the bbqing. (That’s just one more reason why I love having them.)

#3 -- Lorac Gloss Stick

Last week your faithful Addictine was strung out on a new job high and missed a post. This week I'm paying the price. My favourite lip gloss ran out.

I even went so far as to get the lip brush out so I could dig out every last ounce of delish lip goodness. Pshaw, you say. It's just lip gloss. A dime a dozen. But I swear to you that Lorac Gloss Sticks are no ordinary lip gloss.

Composting for Beginners

Each morning you throw out a coffee filter and a handful of used coffee grinds.

Your weekend breakfast feast of bacon and eggs leaves behind a pile of broken eggshells.

The kids have an apple for a snack, but leave the core for you to pick up.

I’ve got news for you:  those coffee grinds, egg shells and apple cores are packed full of nutrients that will make awesome food for your garden if you change your habits.  Rather than throwing your kitchen scraps into the garbage, start a compost pile!

This month our focus is on greener gardening, and composting is arguably the simplest way to green up your gardening habits.

Continue reading "Composting for Beginners" »

Piercing my illusions

I pierced my navel 13 years ago when I was 25 years old.

I had just been dumped by my long-time boyfriend. I had cried off a good ten pounds of excess weight, was working out like a mad woman and was in the best shape of my life.

It was a painful but exhilarating way of confirming my emancipation. “I am hot. I am fearless. I am embarking on the next chapter of my life.”

Shooting for health (and thinner thighs)

Before I get into my wrap up on the last four weeks I spent participating in the President's Choice Healthy Eating Challenge I'd like to direct your attention to the name of this column.

It's called Shooting for Hip.

Emphasis on shooting: as in aspiring towards, trying, struggling, seeking, working on it, giving it a go, taking a crack at it, etc.

Diva though I may be, I have never pretended to be the picture of hipness (hipitude?) and after four weeks of "shooting for" it, I am not the picture of health either.

But I have learned a few things.

Pressure is not cool without Bowie and Queen

Am I the only person who liked the Will Ferrell movie Kicking & Screaming?  Although I'm a huge Ferrell fan, I generally find his movies to be, in essence, simply overextended Saturday Night Live skits  (With notable exceptions:  Elf and Anchorman).  But this one amused me, despite it's portrayal of coffee as an evil personality-changing drug. Mmm, coffee is your friend...come on over to the dark side...oh, um, er - sorry I digress.

Hey Baby, What's On The Menu?

When my daughter Bee was about seven months old, I introduced my exclusively-breastfed first child to her first solid food – delicious, nutritious, homemade organic sweet potato mush. It was an exciting event, with the mess to prove it, but it marked the end of what crazy me actually considered the easiest part of infanthood. To be sure, until that afternoon, my child had been the ultimate in portability – have boob, will travel.

Although I was happy to usher Bee into this new chapter of life, to be honest, I was not all that psyched about having to worry about packing food for her when we left the house. So we took it slowly with solids, and eventually, like every added dimension of parenthood, we got used to it, and I think, got pretty good at  it.