Spring means renewal and I felt that deep in my core this month. Life is starting to feel rich and fun again, and April was full of family and friends:

  • I was so excited for Easter this month! We still didn’t have our full family around the table, but we’re almost there! My Mom made the turkey and gravy and I brought everything else: My Favourite Mashed Potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes (I was just craving these this year, so we had two kinds of potatoes and I didn’t make stuffing), Maple Roasted Carrots with Lemon & Pistachios, Shaved Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, and Honey Yeast Rolls. For dessert: Lemon Jelly Roll with Raspberry Cream Filling and Easter Egg Sugar Cookies (pictured above).
  • After eating so many SconeWitch scones in Ottawa last month, I decided it’s time to find the best scone recipe to make at home. For my first trial, I asked my friend Jess to recommend her go-to recipe (she’s from the UK and loves to bake, so she’s a trusted source) and she directed me here: Lily’s Scones from Nigella Lawson. They were great – tender and flaky, but didn’t crisp up on the bottom like the SconeWitch ones. To be continued!
  • I went on a cross-border shopping trip with my friend Erin! We hit up Target and Trader Joe’s, and both were super busy and crowded (and not many people were wearing masks) so I had a bit of anxiety while we were shopping. But I still had fun and picked up a few snacks and spice blends at TJ’s, and then lots of new sparking water flavours at Target (Passionfruit Bubly! Beach Plum La Croix!).
  • The biggest thrill of the day is that there’s a Crumbl Cookies in the same plaza now, and after seeing these damn cookies every week on TikTok I knew I had to try them. Crumbl is running a racket where they offer six cookie flavours each week, and they change every Monday so people feel stressed to try them all before they’re gone. They always look SO GOOD, but I was skeptical that they wouldn’t live up to the hype. Well, THEY DO! So thick and chewy and absolutely amazing. Obviously I’ve now been researching copycat recipes! Here are the ones I brought home: Boston Cream Pie, Pink Sugar Cookie, Caramel Cake and Milk Chocolate Chip.
  • My work bestie Nat (previously talked about here & here), got a new job! I’m simply bereft at the thought of not having her a Teams Message away, but as I told her, our friendship will transcend the workplace and she’s now stuck with me for life. She came into the office a couple times before she finished up, and obviously I had to send her off with an epic goodbye cake, featuring the “best advice” for women in business from Kim K:

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

  • I went to a Raptors game with my friend Sarah! I was kind of stressed on the way there, but once we got settled, I had a BLAST and the Raps won AND clinched their playoff spot! I would say like only 10% of people (me and Sarah included) were wearing masks, but it all ended up okay.
  • I had the most relaxing Good Friday day off – I went for a facial, and then came home, had tea & scones and started Bridgerton Season 2. EPIC! So many people saying they didn’t like Season 2 as much as Season 1 but I loved it! I read the book so long ago, so I forgot enough of it (and a lot was changed for the show) so I was still surprised at everything that happened.
  • It was an up and down month for books. I read Lucky (terrible) and In Five Years, which I wasn’t expecting to be EXTREMELY SAD based on the description, but was very good. For the Planet Byn Bookclub, we read Fiona & Jane, which was good, but not great. I’m not a huge fan of short story collections, but I thought this would be different because the characters were at least the same throughout the stories, but it just left me wanting more.
  • Kristine and I made a triumphant return to the movies to see the new Fantastic Beasts movie! While it didn’t blow me away, I’m never complaining about Jude Law as the hot, young Dumbledore. It also inspired me to continue my Harry Potter re-read, and Half-Blood Prince is on deck for May!

Flashback!