September felt like an extended summer, and I continued to eat lots of tomatoes and peaches instead of squash and apples. Here’s what was going on:

  • My friend LaDonte celebrated his 30th birthday and I was so honoured to make his birthday cake (pictured above – it was funfetti cake inside!). I’ve been seeing glitter cherries everywhere over the past couple of years and was so excited to decorate with them. I ordered this edible glitter from Sweetapolita, but my hot tip is to mix it with sugar and then dip the cherries in it, which worked the best out of all my attempts (which were numerous and led to my kitchen covered in maraschino cherry juice while I attempted to figure this out!!!). He loved his cake and it was a huge hit at his PJ Party!
  • Sadly, we said goodbye to one of my favourite co-workers/friends this month, as Kelly moved on to a new job. She has a very dark sense of humour so I knew she would love this cake for her funeral/goodbye party, which was at the new Earls on King West (we loved it, but it was SO loud):
  • Continuing with the sad theme of the month (too many goodbyes!), my bestie Krishna is embarking on a new adventure and moving to Hong Kong! I demanded some 1×1 time with her before she left, and we went to brunch at Gusto 101, which was a full circle moment for us, as it’s where we went for our first friend date over 10 years ago when our time on a charity committee came to an end. I had an Aperol Spritz and a fantastic omelet on the patio, before sobbing on a street corner as I said goodbye.
  • Kristine came over for our regular Emmys watch and I made us Copycat Chipotle Bowls with marinated chicken (can’t remember which recipe I used!), peppers & onions, cilantro lime rice and a whole bunch of toppings: guac, salsa, cashew queso, shredded lettuce, grated cheddar, pickled onions, hot sauce and lime wedges. I feel like this took forever to prep BUT it was so good and also packed up well for tasty lunches for a few days after.
  • My Libra Gang from work went out for a “Libra Season Opener” dinner at Campechano, per our annual tradition, and I had some great vegetarian tacos, in my ongoing attempts to choose veggie options when they look good.
  • Now here’s my regular recipe round-up for the month:
  • Stuff I made from the archives: Thick, Rich Tomato Sauce, Cheddar, Chive & Potato Egg Bites, Kale & Couscous Salad with Zesty Lemon Vinaigrette, Kale Caesar
  • Some of my favourite go-to dishes: Everything I made that was tried & true has already been blogged! What a win!
  • New things that I tried and liked: Pasta Bake with Red Pepper Sauce (I really liked this, but would swap the ground turkey for mushrooms and peppers next time), Turkey Chili
  • Homemade Snacks: Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites, Pumpkin Muffins

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

  • I got a pair of wide-leg jeans and feel like I’m 22 again. Just need a tube top and some Sketchers and I’m there!
  • Where did I take my wide-leg jeans for their inaugural outing? An Argos game! I’ve been wanting to go to one for years, and finally made it happen as a work event. It was so fun, I definitely want it to be an annual tradition.
  • Lydia and I went to see the Beetlejuice sequel and were thoroughly entertained! Winona has been our fave since Grade 9. Lydia even showed up in a “Lydia” T-shirt (Winona’s character in the movie is also a Lydia) and I screamed when she unzipped her coat!
  • I read a few duds this month, but had one 5 star read: The Wedding People by Alison Espach. The premise is very dark and bleak, but it’s actually so funny and it will definitely end up being one of my faves of the year.

Flashback!