{ halifax etc. }

My MIL had a dentist appointment in the city the other day, so E and I tagged along to explore, have lunch and explore some more.

First stop was the public gardens. I don't think I even knew this existed in Halifax and I've been there a few times. It was absolutely beautiful and the perfect place for E to get out of the stroller and get some exercise. Oh, I should mention he now walks on his own (though it's not reflected in these photos).

We had lunch with my MIL and then we all went over to the Hydrostone Market which reminded me a lot of Europe.

There's a great store called Liquid Gold that sells tons of great olive oils, balsamic and wine vinegars among other epicurean delights. The best part is, you get to taste everything before you purchase. This trip, I settled on some Tunisian olive oil, basil infused olive oil and strawberry balsamic vinegar. 

Our time in Chance Harbour is coming to a close. Next up, we're off to the Annapolis Valley for a wedding. I met up with the bride in Halifax this week and spent some time today sewing some bunting for her picnic wedding on the shore.

Going to miss the view of the ocean every day and watching the sun set over it at night.

{ rakia }

Yesterday was D's birthday and, because my mom arrived yesterday afternoon so that she could babysit for me this morning, we took the opportunity to have a date night to celebrate. We went to a new-ish spot in Leslieville called Rakia Bar.

A menu inspired by central and eastern European cuisine, they are known for their wide selection of Rakia which is fruit brandy. Their rakia are distilled from plum, pear, quince, apricot, juniper, raspberry and apple. 

D started with a pear based rakia. 

And I started with the Zwack (an apricot based rakia). Each was served with mezes, including some cured meat, olives, pickles and cheese.

The decor was industrial yet warm and chic yet comfortable. I love the glass cabinet in the bar in the top photo and the way the bottles of rakia were displayed. 

D wasn't the only one gazing at me all evening, Nicholas Tesla did, too.

Our meal was amazing. D started with the smelts.

I had the pork and beet sliders (minus the bun) with coleslaw and beet chips.

D's main was duck confit.

And I had the already-fallen-off-the-bone goats milk braised lamb shank with fingerling potatoes and spring vegetables.

While I could only manage half a glass of the Rakia before I switched to wine, it was a really interesting flavour and I enjoyed what I had. And the food alone was worth another trip to Rakia Bar.

{ baby food galore }

One thing I've been doing while on mat leave is making food for E. At first we started introducing one pureed food at a time and that was fun for 2.75 months but this weekend I started making some baby casseroles!

I took my inspiration from a book my friend, H gave me as a baby shower gift, called First Meals.

Screen grab of book cover

This week's menu includes: 

• Sweet potato, leek, cauliflower and cheese casserole;
• Cauliflower, onion and tomato casserole; and 
• Cauliflower, peas and leeks casserole.

So far, E has been gobbling them up!

{ spring is springing }

I can't say it has sprung yet because this is Canada and sometimes, even though the flowers have started to show their pretty little blossoms, a frost can come along. But spring is in the process of springing. I found these in my garden and, this being our first spring in our new home, they were a pleasant surprise. Can't wait to see what else pops up!

Because it was such a lovely day, it was the perfect day to meet up with my friend C for a trip to the beaches. We had lunch at Il Fornello and I'm kicking myself for not taking photos of the pizza we had. Then wandered west, stopping in some great shops, including Nesters, Pied a Terre and Love the Design. We also indulged in a treat at Bobbette & Belle...chocolat chaud!

Bobbette & Belle is such a beautiful retail space...

I love the gallery walls of antique china plates. Such a simple idea but so effective and eclectic.

They have the most stunning display of cakes I've ever seen (and the photo below only captures one portion of the display)! Almost too pretty to eat...almost...

C bought some yummy looking cupcakes to go and I have a feeling they won't last long. They look delicious.

Such a nice way to spend a spring afternoon.

{ tea for two moms }

Yesterday, E and I were preparing to have another mom and her baby over for tea. I have been thinking a lot about D's and my trip to Paris (where we spent the second half of our honeymoon) a year and a half ago, so I thought I'd look up a French treat that is tea friendly.

Voila! I found this recipe for mini clafoutis. My substitution is that I'm using blueberries instead of cherries because I have some in the freezer. I'm also making it gluten free by using a gluten free all purpose flour mix and some xanthan gum. I also cut the sugar down from 3/4 cup to a 1/2 cup.

As E and I was making my way to the little supermarket around the corner for some eggs, my neighbour across the street who is also on mat leave let me know that if I'm ever mid-recipe and short on an ingredient, to give her a call - so nice! I told her she should certainly do the same. When we got back from our little excursion, I realized I was short on milk and had to call her up and take her up on her offer much sooner than I ever thought!

The mini clafoutis turned out great! A nice alternative to muffins. If you've never tried clafoutis, the best way I can describe it is that it's somewhere between the consistency of a pancake and a crepe. Bon appetit!

{ christmas is in the air }

I know, I know...it's been a while since I posted. In my defence, D has been away for nearly a week twice in the last 4 weeks so things have been a bit hectic. On top of that, we've been preparing for an early Christmas with his family this coming weekend and actual Christmas with my family. 

We got a real tree (a first for me since I was about 7 years old).

I've put this urn together on the front porch.

And today I'm busy making cookies for a cookie exchange with the other moms and babies in our group while E is napping.

On that note, he is now napping for 2 hours in the morning and it is amazing! I can actually get some chores done...or nap myself!

Still to come: an update on my crafternoon. It was reasonably productive despite some technical difficulties. I'm still working on the pieces I'm making so I'll share more once my sewing machine is up and running again.