I got a lot of joy out of doing some birthday baking drop-offs this month, and I also GOT VACCINATED at the end of the month! Here’s what was happening in the kitchen:

  • April kicked off with Easter! I had a small Easter dinner with my parents, and my contributions were My Favourite Mashed Potatoes and these very cute Mini Almond Tarts (with Raspberry Glaze) that I saw Molly make on Girl Meets Farm. They were a little fussy to make, but tasted incredible.
  • I was feeling nostalgic for Danielle’s and my trip to New Orleans, so I made Shrimp Po’boys for dinner one Saturday night, plus Banana Pudding. Not as good as the real thing, but it was fun to try and re-create those dishes.
  • My nephew Matthew turned 12, and I decided to make him this Peanut Butter Mousse Pie and drop it on their doorstep for a surprise. It had a graham cracker crust, thick layer of chocolate ganache and peanut butter mousse on top. I hear it was a big hit!
  • And now the regular recap of what I was cooking this month, broken down into three categories:
  • Stuff I made from the archives: My Favourite Waffles (I’m re-watching Parks & Recreation so this was absolutely a Leslie Knope induced craving),
  • Some of my favourite go-to dishes: Brown Sugar & Chili Rubbed Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner from Oven to Table,  Panko Crusted Baked Tilapia, Everyday Meatballs with Kale Caesar
  • New things that I tried and liked: Pineapple Pork & Coconut Rice (would use chicken next time though), Cilantro Lime Shrimp (I ate this with rice and steamed veggies, but would also be good as a filling for shrimp tacos)
  • Take-out: I drove out to Sotiris to pick up a huge Greek feast one Sunday night this month, and it was so amazing and delicious!

Other non-foodie things I was obsessed with this month:

  • The Oscars happened, but honestly, it’s just too depressing to sit here by myself and watch them without my crew.
  • I really only watched Parks & Recreation this month, but took a brief break every Wednesday when new episodes of The Circle were added on Netflix.
  • The Planet Byn BookclubTM read Detransition, Baby this month. This is a book written by Torrey Peters, a trans author, and it showcases a lot of complex relationship dynamics and gender identity journeys. We agreed it was an intense read that opened our minds to non-hetero normative love stories. Next up is Good Company with an optional second read of The Push, just because I keep hearing so much about it!

Flashback!