Where does the time go?
An October recap and some sleepy autumnal thoughts
Good Evening my little apple muffins! Wow I have been busy, and sleepy and doing lots, but I have simply abandoned you!! As we wind down into a sleepier season, I find myself returning and reflecting. The clocks fell back, the daylight is shorter, the furnace has switched on, the lamps are glowing warmly, and we snuggle into a slower pace. I think at this point in my life, there is truly no point in being upset when the seasons change and it gets darker. It happens every year, there’s nothing we can do, but embrace it. Of course seasonal depression is very real, and that can’t always be helped, but I do believe there are some things we can do to buffer the lower energy, and the seeming lack of joy.
Last year I went to some of the coldest places in January — Oslo, Helsinki and Amsterdam — and it really taught me the beauty in the darkness, and the cold. I can still remember so vividly walking through the ice covered streets, peering into the uncovered windows, homes lit up with warm lighting, books nestled on shelves, and families enjoying the indoors. I really want to bring that energy here this season, allowing myself to enjoy my home, the company of friends, tasty and hearty dishes, and coziness all around. I can genuinely say I’m really looking forward to it! There’s so much good in slowing down. It’s truly a chance to look at ourselves and our lives and see how we’d like to move forward. Less distractions, more care and intention. I think there is a certain romance to it, and that romance can just be between you and your life. The love of the world around you, the love of the opportunities coming your way, the love of eating a delightful little soup as you wind down from the day, and of course the romance of loving yourself and the little life you’ve built for yourself. A reminder that romance can exist in your life without someone else, though that kind of romance is also lovely and a wonderful part of this time as well. Alright, I’m rambling, truly prattling on! I think that’s all I have to say for now. I never got a chance to tell you about all the good things I ate in Montreal, so I’ll put some pictures below from my little trip! I suggest listening to some Nina Simone and Norah Jones type of vibe while you scroll through!
Also - would love to know if you, my reader, would like it if I put together a running list of my favourite places to eat from different cities I’ve been to? Would that be fun? I think so. Okay enjoy my little photo diary!
Stash Café in Montreal. Wonderful Polish food. Oh man what I would do for those potato pancakes right about now!!
My mom is probably laughing to herself as I write this, but man I love beets. (I used to say they taste like the earth, which is a fact, but now I like it)
Gaspésie Camion Gourmand in Le Central. GORGEOUS Fish and Chips, yet somehow the salad was the true star. so lovely, perfectly dressed, DELIGHTFUL!
Iconoglace. Now this is a Sundae, holy cannoli!!
I love the markets in Montreal. Toronto needs to step up their game for real.
Pain D’epi, the best yogurt in the WORLD in my opinion. It’s so freakin good, I can only dream to recreate it. Lovely berry compote, the most creamy tangy housemade yogurt, and a hazelnutty gorgeous granola! WOWZA!
I need a reason to cook in Montreal. We need to do a supper club weekend or something.
La Banquise. Hell yeah. A real good poutine.
Dinette Marcella. To be honest the vibes were really nice here, and I’ve enjoyed other dishes before, but the pepper was way too coarse and the carbonara too salty. Still pretty good, but maybe order it with a salad to cut the richness.
L’Amour du Pain. Quite good! I mostly love the atmosphere of this place, as it’s nestled inside of Maison Pepin which is one of my favourite places ever.
Okay that was the Montreal recap, back to regularly scheduled programming:
Mini Zeppole from Alimentari! Yum!
Lamhan lemongrass chicken banh mi and green thai iced tea. Perfection.
A nice little vegetarian dinner with rice, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, sour cream, and praline chili walnuts.
Strawberry Hojicha cookie from Roselle. THE BEST COOKIE EVER.
Mac’s Pizza. The best. Arguably the best pizza in Toronto.
Roasted pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes with radicchio and cucumbers along with a dill yogurt sauce. Lovely!
This is your sign to pickle a red onion. It goes a long way and adds so much flavour to most meals!
Pierogi, beets, dill, sautéed onions, pickled red onions, sour cream and cottage cheese. In my Polish era hehe.
Oklahoma burger. Honestly really lives up to the hype! One of the best fries, super creamy on the inside and crunchy and flavourful on the outside.
Thanksgiving! My moms quiche and a green bean salad. A very nice time!
All the goods!
Mashed potatoes, lentil stew, sour cream, parsley and feta! Made way too much of this, but it was very nice.
Been a bit of a big pizza month for me. Rapini and sausage and fior di latte. Very very good. 850 degrees in Etobicoke!
Homemade English Muffins. Soooooo good!! Not even that hard to make!
Potato Rosemary Pizza from Spaccio. YUM!
A true reset meal with rice, peppers, cucumber, pea shoots, salmon, radicchio slaw, pickled red onions, and sriracha mayo!
Dumpling Chicken Miso Broth Ramen with a Jammy Egg! Sooooo cozy!
Greek yogurt with skor bits, honey and cinnamon. Honestly a very good dessert!
Dad’s breakfast sandwich. Very nice! A little pricey, but worth it for the vibes. The coffee slushy was also tasty (I got a lot done that day haha)
Homemade hummus with olive oil and za’atar. Highly recommend!
Hummus bowl! Beets, pickles, pickled red onions, parsley, feta and a jammy egg! I love making a whole meal from scratch and it being super yummy!
Shocklingly good! I had 15 minutes to put this together. Rice, stir fried firm tofu and veg with pickled red onions, crispy fried onions and sriracha mayo! So good!
Gusto 501 Pepperoni Pizza with hot honey. Mmmmm! Very good crust, light and not too chewy.
Coconut Pandan cookie from Roselle. Another absolute banger!
Best cappuccino in the city! Larry’s! So fluffy and perfect, and DECAF! Paired with their insane cheese croissant!
Goulash at Drom. This is the half portion. Very nice! What fun to have some goulash and watch your friend play music!
The perfect lentil salad with feta, pickled red onions (shocker), feta, tomatoes, parsley, yellow pepper, pickled onion vinegar, olive oil and salt/pepper!
Homemade juice! Beets, parsley, cucumber, carrot, celery and a bit of honey!
Wow a girl can really eat in a month. That took a while to compile! But feels very freeing and nice to have it all put together and neatly packaged. A nice fresh way to start November. Excited to see where this month takes me and you! I hope you find some time to eat well, enjoy your life, and find ways to enjoy this slow season. There is a lot to be discovered here, find where your joy lies within it!
xVeryMadeleine
looks really good, now i want to go on that trip