This month was jam-packed with so many activities, parties, pickleball and other fun things, but looking back, I still managed to cook a lot at home and even try some new recipes. Here’s what went down:

  • My friend from work, Andi, had our Sunday afternoon Pickleball playing crew over for brunch at her house so we could bond before going to Pickleball camp in Vegas (more on that next month!). She and her partner BL made the most delicious brunch spread, and I just have to document it here because it was the perfect combination of dishes: Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche, Roasted Beet Salad, Greek Orzo Salad, Cherry Tomato & Bocconcini Skewers, lots of fruit and mimosas, natch. I brought Barefoot Contessa’s Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake because I was trying to use up all the citrus I bought for my Blood Orange & Tangerine Squares back in April.
  • I went to a Cowboy Carter Hoedown and it was the most fun I had all year! We were each supposed to bring a cocktail or snack based on a song from the album and my contributions were: II Hands II Heaven cocktail (which was just a French 75 with a puff of white cotton candy on top to look like a cloud) and Salty & Sweet Honey Buckin Tarts (which was this Salty Honey Pie in tart form – I forgot how good this pie is!!!). More on the Hoedown below.
  • For Mother’s Day, I made my mom this new Blueberry Muffin Loaf from Smitten Kitchen, and while I didn’t actually eat any of it, it looked and smelled amazing!
  • Krishna and I met up in Kensington Market on the May Long Weekend and had lunch at Parallel Basta; I’ve been wanting to go to Parallel since before the pandemic, so I was so excited that this new location opened up that is a bit more accessible. We shared Falafel, Hummus and a Fattoush Salad and everything was incredible. I need to go back for the Chicken Shawarma Pita.
  • LaDonte came over for a little brunch before we did some shopping at Sherway, and while it didn’t match Andi’s spread, it was still pretty good. I made Cheddar Chive Egg Bites, Granola with Yogurt & Berries and Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies. He brought Harry and Heels donuts, which you can now buy at select Farmboy locations, and they were to die for.
  • I guess it was a month of finally eating things I’ve been drooling over for years because I also FINALLY had Pizzeria Badiali!!! This place is talked about non-stop on TikTok for being the best pizza in Toronto, but notorious for its long lines. I found myself in the office on a quiet Friday, so I took the streetcar over around 11:30, hoping it wouldn’t be too busy by the time I got there. It wasn’t, and I got to try to two slices I’ve had my eyes on: Vodka Pie and Cacio e Pepe. No toppings on them besides vodka rose sauce/ cacio sauce and lots of cheese, but they were bubbly and DELICIOUS. Very thin, crispy crust, plus I also had a delicious garlic dipping sauce. Worth the hype for sure!
  • Later that day I ventured to Yorkdale Mall, something I do about once every 5 years, because the amazing Gaby from What’s Gaby Cooking was on her book tour and stopping at Crate + Barrel. I was so excited to meet her in real life, and told her how I’ve been following her since the Slutty Brownie days and didn’t even have a grill but was so excited for her new book. I said “I feel like I’m meeting a friend!” and she said “WE ARE!” which was too cute. She was just as bubbly, fun and friendly as she is online. As she would say: Obsessed!
  • This is a story of how much of a loyal friend I am: My friend from work Adrienne wanted to have a Bridgerton Tea Party when the Season 3 episodes came out, but she was on vacation in Croatia when they were scheduled to drop. She asked if I (along with her other friends) would wait to watch the episodes until she got back and let me tell you, there was a lot of self-restraint involved over the May long weekend to actually not watch. But I did, and her party was so cute. I brought scones, jam and whipped cream, and she had little tea sandwiches, cake, tea and other snacks for us to eat before we started watching what Lady Whistledown and company were up to.
  • Now here’s my regular recipe round-up for the month:
  • Stuff I made from the archives: Turkey Taco Bowl, Cashew Crunch Salad
  • Some of my favourite go-to dishes: Tahini Kale Caesar from Cookie + Kate
  • New things that I tried and liked: Black Bean Tacos (no real recipe just something I saw on Instagram), Banana Cottage Cheese Pancakes, Herby Chicken Meatballs with Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce & Kale Salad w/ pickled onions and garlic breadcrumbs, Honey Chipotle Chicken Fajitas
  • Homemade Snacks: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites (and I added crushed freeze-dried raspberries! So good!), Banana Bread Muffin Tops

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

  • As mentioned above, the Cowboy Carter Hoedown was the most fun I’ve had all year. It was at Revival, a club near and dear to my heart, and the night started off with lots of fun R&B songs, plenty of Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child throwbacks and warming up our vocal chords. Then at midnight (yawn, I’m normally in bed), they started playing the full Cowboy Carter album, in order! Plus there were screens with the lyrics so you could sing along! I’ve never been to anything like that before and it was just an absolute blast. The event organizer threw a few Renaissance parties back in Summer 2022 that I always regretted not going to, so I’m so thankful I didn’t miss out on this one!
  • In other music news, the month was basically monopolized by the Drake vs Kendrick beef (even my mom was asking me about it!) and I’m still processing everything. Apparently Kendrick is having a one-night only concert in Compton on Juneteenth, so I’m afraid of what’s in store for Drake there.
  • Kristine and I kicked off Summer Movie Season with The Fall Guy (love both Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt!) and it was really cute. Hopefully there are a few other good things coming out soon. I’m wistful for the days when there were blockbuster movies coming out every WEEK in the summer!
  • It was a pretty good month for reading too. I read Welcome to The OC, which is an oral history of the show, and really liked it. Next up was Anita de Monte Laughs Last, and it took a while to get going, but once it did, I was loving it. I took a chance on another Carley Fortune book, Meet Me At The Lake, even though I hated her first one and was pleasantly surprised (even if she took the plot from Before Sunrise). The only disappointment this month was Happiness Falls; I found the narrator very annoying and I hate a mystery with no resolution.

Flashback!