November is normally a pretty chill month for me (pandemic or not), but this year there were so many fun things going on! I also went to two restaurants that I’ve been thinking about for YEARS:

  • Lydia and I went to see Mean Girls: The Musical and had dinner at Byblos beforehand. I’ve been once before (for drinks and apps) years ago, and have always wanted to go back. We shared the Hummus Royale, Roasted Red Beets, Turkish Manti Dumplings, Pear Salad and the Black Truffle & Cheese Pide. And there’s still a bunch of things I want to try!
  • Our work holiday party got cancelled, but a few of us secretly planned our own little soirée at Clockwork in the lobby of the Royal York Hotel. Is this set-up new? How have I missed it? It’s so magical with sparkley lights everywhere, plus it was all dressed up for Christmas. We had many glasses of sparkling rosé and some frites and it was an amazing night. I can’t wait to return.
  • Somewhere else I’ve always wanted to go? Aloette! Krishna and I went and sat at the bar and had an absolutely incredible vegetarian feast. We shared the Iceberg Wedge, Crispy Squash, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Ricotta Toast and one other thing that I can’t remember! I also had a slice of the Chocolate Caramel Tart and it was *chef’s kiss*. I still want to try the Aloette Burger, so I’ll be back (this is a recurring theme this month I guess!)
  • Heather and I went on a Target & TJ’s run again and had a fantastic time as always. I got so many Christmas treats and snacks to haul home, I loved it. Plus we stopped at Olive Garden again for lunch and I was so happy.
  • Here’s my recipe round-up for the month:
  • Stuff I made from the archives: Honey Tahini Challah, Creamy Tomato Soup, Kale Caesar, Panko Crusted Baked Salmon
  • Some of my favourite go-to dishes: Essential Stove-Top Mac & Cheese
  • New things that I tried and liked: Chicken Shawarma Meatballs (already blogged!)
  • Recipes from Smitten Kitchen Keepers (listing them here instead of blogging about them all separately): Turkey Meatloaf for Skeptics + Crushed Ranch-y Potatoes, Molasses Spice Cookies
  • Homemade Snacks: Raw Chocolate Snack Bars

things I was obsessed with this month:

  • After finishing my HP re-read in September, the next step was to go see Harry Potter & the Cursed Child! Now while I’m still not fully on board with some (or all) of plot points of this play, I will say that the pure magic and spectacle of the production more than make up for it!
  • Kristine and I went to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and just absolutely bawled our faces off at the end. Such an emotional tribute to Chadwick Boseman! The stranger next to me had to give me Kleenex!
  • I read two fantastic books this month. True Biz is set at a high school for the Deaf, and I learned so much about the Deaf community, sign language and cochlear implants that I never knew or gave a lot of thought to. The second one is The Body is not an Apology which, not to exaggerate, is pretty life changing.

Flashback!