I got attacked by a seagull. And I do not use the term “attacked” lightly. It was Hitchcockian.

Let me tell you what happened. And then we’ll talk about cranberry lemon loaf.

I was starving after my Sunday yoga class. I thought I’d stroll through the bustling Granville Island market, and find something for lunch. I did. I found a delicious bratwurst with sauerkraut, fried onions and spicy mustard. Bratwurst in hand and not a seat to be found, I thought, “why not go eat on the dock?”. Live music, a nice view of the boats, and a momentary break in the rain. So off I bounced toward the wet benches, ponytail swinging happily behind me.

About 20 steps onto the slippery landing, a deafening screech ripped through the air. I barely had time to emit a gurgling scream of horror as a seagull the size of a twenty-five pound turkey dive-bombed my bratwurst. His evil razor sharp beak was wide open, tongue vibrating with the piercing shriek, evil beady eyes bulging, ugly pink feet scraping my head as he went in for the kill.

Now, I am not one you want to tussle with over food. I take it very seriously. My limbs still agile from seventy-five minutes of downward dogging, I managed a wild and dramatic twirl and duck.

Bratwurst safety secured? Negative. Continue Reading »

Okay, I know most of y’all are all amped up about turkey right now, and cookies aren’t a priority. But I’m sure by the weekend your priorities will shift. So I’m sharing these now, before I dash of to New York City for the weekend (!!!) to take in the Thanksgiving day parade, followed by Black Friday.

I realize that I have demonstrated difficulty handling store lineups, and big crowds make me want to rock in the fetal position with crazy eyes, humming loudly to myself. But Black Friday in NYC still seems like a good idea to me…

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A week ago I was at the last farmers market of the year (tear!). An apple merchant was selling caramel apples. I bought one.

It was divine.

A crisp, tart apple enrobed in thick, chewy caramel.

I regretted buying only one, seeing as I had to share with my chauffeur (a.k.a. my boyfriend, who prefers to wait in the car while I go to the market – absolutely baffling behavior. Who would wait in the car when you could be stroking pumpkins and sniffing apples and admiring all the colours of tomatoes?!)

Needless to say, I closely monitored the size of every bite he took.

When all that was left was a popsicle stick and a few apple seeds, I knew that more was non-negotiable. Continue Reading »

Do you love pumpkin pie and swoon for cheesecake? Then I’m pretty sure you’re going to love these. Spiced pumpkin cheesecake batter (yum!) swirled into a gingered sour cream cheesecake batter (double yum!).

The buttery crust is made with oats, cinnamon and pecans. I could eat it all by itself, it is that good.

I’m going to keep this post short and sweet, I just wanted to share the pumpkin love with my fellow Canadians before Thanksgiving this weekend!*

To my American friends, you could make a turkey with the works and celebrate with us ‘nucks! No? Not happening? Okay, well I recommend you at least make pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars as a test-run for your own Thanksgiving…
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Tarte Tatin could be described as an upside-down apple pie, but that would be selling it short. Yes, it is an apple filling cooked with a crust on top, but it is so much more.

The apples are first pan-cooked in a butter-sugar caramel. Then a buttery crust is placed over the apples, and the whole deal is transferred to the oven.

When the finished tart is flipped, you have a perfectly crisp (never soggy!) crust, topped with soft apples bathed in caramel and their own sweet juices. It is heavenly.
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