January 30 2012

We had to rush this meal because it was done right before our dog training class. Anyways, I prepared most of this meal myself because everyone else was busy at work. The menu was Dijon Herb Crusted Salmon and Arugula Salad from the Nordstrom Flavour cookbook. After setting off the smoke alarm over 6 times we get the final result.

It was amazing! The herbs really make the salmon and rightfully so because there was every herb you could name on there..

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Overall we gave this meal an 8/10 not because of the individual tastes but there seemed to be a component missing from the meal.

January 30 2012

Abby at her Rally-O dog training class. No treats for this class so she didn’t want to participate in the course more than twice. For an old girl she’s doing really well!

January 22 2012

Me using the the potato ricer to make the gnocchi. This was the best part of the cooking process!

Gnocchi was made with potatoes, flour, porcini mushrooms and a bit of cheese. Delicious!

Gnocchi with sage sauce. This meal was excellent and was a little more difficult than the last two meals that I’ve made. The porcini mushroom gave this dish a little extra flavour and was a great way to spice up the gnocchi.

The rating for this meal was 7.5/10. We figured that we need to adjust our rating system to make it consistent for our meals. We’ll work on that part! We also decided that we probably won’t get a 10/10 unless it’s a three course meal and something that would be served in a restaurant.

Great recipe from David Rocco’s Made in Italy Cookbook.

January 21 2012

It finally warmed up enough to take a picture of Abby with her boots on. With the lowest being –49 with windchill anything warmer than –20 seems like it’s ok to wear shorts. Unfortunately, none of the weather phased Abby as she wanted to go out everyday this week for her routine walks.

January 15 2011

So, we attempted to make Jerk chicken today.. It did not turn out great at all and the rice didn’t help either. Overall rating for this recipe was 5.5/10. The only thing that really made this meal appetizing was the blood orange salad with my made up salad dressing.

Jerk Chicken Recipe: Light Hearted Cooking with Anne Lindsay (don’t attempt unless you can grill it). I was quite disappointed with this. 

The good news: I went to the farmers market to purchase most of the ingredients. Another component to our weekly cooking regimes.

Next week: home made gnocchi. I hope it tastes better!

January 14 2011

Today my Dad and I went downtown to a live art piece called “Limelight”. They set up spot lights on Stephen Avenue and just waited for people passing by to come experience their moment in the spotlight. It was a pretty fun experience but a little difficult to get a great shot.

If you’re wondering, I had my moment in the Limelight although not as creative as the one pictured above.

#53–be a part of a bocce ball tournament

What better place to knock this off my list than a beach in Jamaica.

If you’re wondering, yes we won, and I have the t-shirt to prove it. All those years of practicing really came to good use against the team from Saskatchewan. And yes, I contributed quite well to the teams score.

#88–take a photo a day for a year

Well, I did it. A photo a day for a year.

My idea was that I would pick up my camera and learn how to use it. The camera was a gift for Christmas in 2010 and I couldn’t think of a better project then to use it everyday (almost everyday).

It was difficult to take a picture everyday. At 11:50pm I realize I forgot to take one, now what?! I grab my camera equipment and try and find something. This project made me see the world in a different way. From small minute insects to a panoramic of the city and everything in between. When I go for walks I now look at everything, what would be a great picture? How could I make that picture look different? What angle could I try?

I learnt a lot of tips and skills throughout the year as well. As I look back I can see the progression of my photos throughout the year. I’ve become more critical of my work and have become more accustomed to each lens that I own.

Throughout the past week I keep thinking about taking a picture every single day but have decided that I would rather focus on my photography skills than just trying to put a picture up. This year, I think I’m going to try and post a picture every week to continue improving my skills.

#99–cook a different meal a week for a year

Ok, week #1. I sure like to choose year long projects!

My goal is to try different meals to challenge my cooking skills. This week was a simple recipe from Nordstroms Flavors Cookbook Lime and Cilantro Chicken Tacos

I give this meal a 7.5 out of 10, not because of our cooking skills but just because it was OK. We’re aiming to find a meal that is a 10/10. Can we find one this year?!

January 2 2011

Last day on the beach and then we are heading home tonight. Couldn’t have asked for a better holiday. Great company, great weather, great food. Same time again next year?

January 1 2011

Dinner our at the Japanese restaurant. They put on a pretty sweet show.