So I unintentionally took a break from blogging this month. Didn’t really mean to do it, but it was a short and busy month, and it just kind of slipped right by. I’m also working on a Top Secret recipe testing project, so most of what I baked this month I can’t even blog about! Lots coming up in October though – Thanksgiving, my Birthday and Halloween – so there will be lots of things to share. Here’s what else happened this month:

• I met up with the lovely ladies of Feast: An Edible Road Trip. Lindsay and Dana are basically eating their way across Canada, and are full of hilarious and delicious stories to share. We met up at Bellwoods Brewery for a little FBC tweet-up with Isabelle, Carole and new friend Megan.
• TIFF took over my life for about a week, and I went to a few screenings on my own and through work, where I got to hang out in the Visa Infinite Lounge at the Elgin Theatre, where we got to try freshly filled Lindt truffles. I actually have a slight Lindt ball aversion, due to a friend who used to work there and kept me in a fairly constant supply, but we got to try the new caramel ones, and they’re pretty good.
• I met up with my OGs (Original Gastroposters Libby & Carole) plus new friend Cindy at El Catrin in the Distillery District. Libby’s BFF is the pastry chef there, and we got to try ALL. THE. DESSERTS. They’re all amazing, but the Tres Leche Cake and Smoked Chocolate Bar were my faves. Actual food portions are really small though, so plan accordingly if you’re headed there for dinner.
• I signed up to be a Team Captain for a JDRF ride at work, and my teammates and I ran a bake sale that raised $635, no joke. It was a crazy success. I brought two of my recipe testing assignments, as well as some Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and a Toasted Coconut Pound Cake. As we were setting everything up, I thought to myself that no one was going to buy the pound cake, because it was the plainest thing on the table. Of course, it was the first thing to sell out. I tried the small piece I stashed away at home later, and it was pretty amazing. I may have to make it again to post here.
• My friend Nicole and I took a bread-baking class through Good Egg at Woodlot. Our teacher, Patti Robinson, has been working at Woodlot for about two years, and taught us all the bread-baking tricks she could fit into two hours. We learned how to make our own starter, leaven, and bread dough, then baked some loaves in the wood-burning oven they use onsite. It was really fun, interesting, and inspiring to see someone who works with yeast like a boss.
• We followed up our class with a late dinner at La Carnita. T’was my first time there, and it deserves all the hype it gets. I had a fish taco and a beef cheek taco, as well as a bourbon cocktail. All were perfect.
• My friend Aoife and I went apple picking at Chudleigh’s, which is always so much fun. Because of the poor apple crop last year, there was no PYO at Chudleigh’s, so we were happy to get back out into the orchard. We each picked a big bag of Honeycrisps, and a small bag of Galas (for guests, haha), and have plans to go back for Jonagolds when they’re ready in October.

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

• Breaking Bad. Again. Forever.
• I read Crazy Rich Asians, and while I’m sure I got a few side eyes on public transit, this book is hilarious and amazing. Highly recommend!
• Tennis Balls. The arches of my feet were bothering me this month, after a summer of stomping around in flip flops and flat sandals with no support, so I’ve been rolling out my feet with tennis balls, as per a video on You Tube. One at home, one under my desk at work, one in my purse.

Also, I’ll be headed to Denver at the end of next month for work; anyone have any recommendations for things to do/see/eat?