I didn’t take a single picture of anything I cooked or baked this month, with the exception of this absolute stunner of a cake (more on that below). But I did spend a lot of time in the kitchen this month and need to document it:

  • I tried to get creative this month for my co-worker’s bridal shower, and instead of making Lemon Squares, I swapped the lemon juice in this recipe for a mixture of blood orange and tangerine juice. The squares were a very pretty peach/pink colour BUT I didn’t reduce the sugar in the recipe and it totally overpowered the mild flavour of the juices. Womp womp. Of course no one cared and everyone ate them, but I was super disappointed.
  • Thankfully my baking mojo was back in time to make this cake (pictured above) for Kristine’s mom’s 70th birthday party. I also had a heart attack when she asked for a “simple two tier cake”, but she just meant two layers, so crisis averted. It ended up matching the colour scheme for the party perfectly, and I was so obsessed with it.
  • Lydia and I went to see Six: The Musical, and started off our night at Ruby Soho for a cocktail (even though it makes me feel OLD to hang out there, the drinks are fab!). I had a Limoncello Spritz and Lyd had the Fashion Television and it was the perfect kick off for our evening.
  • We then ventured to Cafe Renée for dinner, which my friend from work had recommended to me a few weeks ago. It’s a little French influenced bistro and we were obsessed with the whole experience. We sat at the bar, had a few more cocktails during martini happy hour, and then started with Gruyere Cheese Sticks and a Caesar Salad. Then we shared the Ricotta & Spinach Gnudi and the Raviolies du Dauphine, which was just bathed in butter. Everything was delicious, we loved the bartender serving us, and I simply must go back for the Rigatoni alla Vodka.
  • The following week I went to Miss Likklemores to celebrate my friend’s promotion, and had another amazing experience. Definitely recommend going with a group of 4 so you can share so many things like we did: Plantain Chips, Salt Cod Fritters, Doubles, Nuff Nuff Slaw, Mac Pie and Miss Paula’s Carrot Cake for dessert. I got outvoted on dessert, so I have to go back to have the Passionfruit Tart.
  • Here’s my regular recipe round-up for the month:
  • Stuff I made from the archives: BBQ Salmon Tacos, Egg Bites (this time with Spinach & Feta for a Spanakopita vibe),
  • Some of my favourite go-to dishes: Cheesy Skillet Chickpeas (used to make these a lot during the pandemic, and they need to make a comeback!), Falafel (from Smitten Kitchen Keepers), Copycat Sweetgreen Caesar
  • New things that I tried and liked: Sweet & Spicy Chicken Meatballs and Broccoli with Tahini Noodles, Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers (I liked the concept of these more than this recipe – which I added rice to – need to tinker with it a little bit more).
  • Homemade Snacks: Zucchini Muffins, Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

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

  • I feel like I spent most of the beginning of the month obsessed with the Sephora Sale and continuously updating my shopping card with the things I wanted to buy! Ended up with some new gems (Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Skin Tint, Merit Bronze Balm, Merit Dewy Highlighting Balm) and some old faves (Hourglass Arch Brown Sculpting Pencil, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Glossier Cloud Paint).
  • Our benefits program changed at work, so I had until the end of the month to use up some expiring funds, and treated myself to a massage at the Ritz Carleton Spa. I spent the whole day there, taking advantage of every amenity (sauna, steam room, swimming pool, both lounges, all the spa water, all the snacks) and it was heavenly.
  • I read a lot this month, so I’ll just do some quick reviews: Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? (the best book I’ve read so far this year), Freaks, Gleeks & Dawson’s Creek (too short, didn’t go into enough depth on each show it covered), What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat (insightful and thought-provoking read about how fat people have been discriminated against throughout history), Bright Young Women (another 5 star read, true crime-esque but not scary or gruesome), Maybe in Another Life (I normally love a Sliding Doors story, but this one was just meh).

Flashback!