toronto design week - offsite

so by now i think everyone knows about the toronto design show that is happening this week.

but in case you were looking for something less mainstream to check out there is a whole toronto design offsite website dedicated to exhibits that are happening around the city.

i think this installation, come up to my room, at the gladstone hotel seems pretty neat. anyone in toronto want to go with me?

tomato chick pea soup with rosemary

so there is something that i must admit here. i love soup. it is honestly the best. they are all great, blended, chunky, spicy, brothy. i love to take them to work and heat them up with a bun or salad. winter begs you to bring out your soup pot and put it to good use.

this is one of the easiest more delicious recipes i have ever come across. seriously, so tasty with a base of creamy salty tomato and the fresh rosemary gives it depth and heartyness. and a breeze to make. literally the hardest part is opening so many cans. this recipe is made in the blender but if I had an immersion blender i would have used that and would be able to say this is a one pot meal.

i first read about this recipe on orangette. a fabulous recipe blog if you don't already salivate over all of her recipes.

yields about 6 servings.

ingredients:

2 15-ounce cans chickpeas

3 Tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 3-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, needles removed from stem and finely chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes, one 28-ounce and one 14.5-ounce

A pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups vegetable stock (I used Imagine brand)

Drain the canned chickpeas in a colander, and rinse them well.

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat, and add the garlic and rosemary. Cook for a minute or two, and then add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, a few grinds of pepper, roughly half of the chickpeas, and the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat to purée. If using an immersion blender, purée the soup directly in the pot. Otherwise, wait a few minutes, until the soup cools; then purée it in batches in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot. Add the remaining chickpeas, and warm the soup over medium heat. Serve warm.

warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over med heat. add the garlic.

chop up the fresh rosemary. given the super low cost of the rest of the ingredients i would defiantly say don't skimp out and use dried rosemary. so much of the flavor is from this ingredient.

add the rosemary to the party in the pot.

next add the whole tomatoes

and some salt and pep

and the sugar. i had brown crystal sugar, i don't think it matters

rinse the chickpeas while the rest of the ingredients are simmering.

i didn't have any stock on hand so i used the crystal stuff that you add boiling water too. not my finest moment but just know if you use this stuff you probably won't need too much extra salt for seasoning.

add about half of the chickpeas to the pot

and the stock too. now simmer that for a while. maybe do some dishes or decided to pull out the blender for the next step only to realize the horrible waste of space in the cabinets above the fridge, so then you get a little distracted organizing that. you know, or maybe not.

take the soup off the heat for 5 or 10 minutes to let it cool slightly before putting it in the blender. be careful to only fill the blender slightly over halfway because the soup will expand and will still be extremely hot. also i seem to have misplaced the lid to mine so this make this step extra important.

blend all of the soup.

put it back in the pot and add the rest of the chickpeas. i warmed the soup back up because i wanted to add some extra seasoning, as you will see in the next step, but if you didn't want to add anything else the soup would be ready now.

after tasting it i decided to go with some extra rosemary and pepper. it was the first time making this recipe when i took the photos but i have made this soup many times since and always go heavy on the rosemary.

then its time to pack it up into mason jars and let it cool down some more. mason jars are the perfect thing to bring soup to work in. the perfect amount, no spilling, super easy to clean, plus pretty cute looking i think. sometimes i just heat the soup up in the glass jars and eat it just like that.

enjoy :)

from the inspiring kerri smith and creator of wreck this journal

mythbusters.

such a good show.

i would like to write this show. or be on it? or market it?

there is just this guy with a bow tie pulling eels out of jars.

i wanted to show you this but google isn't feeling it.




anyway. haha. sidebar.

i remember once my friend mel said that in the middle of a lengthy speech/discussion/answer and shes going on and on and all of the sudden ...but actually side bar!. or something to that affect.

effect?

i never know.


there needs to be a riddle. like i before e

and never eat shredded wheat.

i can't even tell you how many times i use these riddles. i mean i know east is to the left on a map. i know this. but i default just do it in my head. always.

i debate about talking about this but its a point i feel i want to make and its on my mind and that is enough criteria on this random thing thats sometimes a blog.

and its not run on sentences although i guess we both kind of went there.


anyway.

i kind of want to change jobs. but. its so hard to know! how can you know? tell me please. i hope this doesn't turn into a 'thought the grass was greener on the other side' situation.

there are also a lot of reasons not to switch. (okay i say switch like i have something lined up but thats not even close to the truth, i have nothing lined up, its just sorta floating around in my head lately) some of these reasons include i make decent money, my boss and i get along well, it has earning potential/could branch into other similar jobs, i like the people i work with a lot, i will get an amazing 20' x 14' office with three windows and room for an assistant within two months. but.

there are also downsides. such as new company i.e. no proven success, everyday is a bit of a mess, limited stability. possibility of pay increase/more vacation time. although i feel like this is semi possible at current job too.

okay now i see this in list form i am tempted to wait this feeling out haha.

Congratulations you are reading one of the outlets of my lists. listslistslists. i love lists.

ilovelists. il ove lists. il ovel sits. ilo velsits. ilov elsists. ilovel sists. okay anyway enough of that.



i'm really digging raymi lately. do you other blog people read her? shes good. its like big brother/sex in the city/toronto life popped out a love child. i read her blog every day without fail. i am giving you fair warning this dedication is easily easy to fall for. hah easily easy. boom. i'm leaving that little bomb for you. I DON'T BACKSPACE MY LIFE.
i bet she gets a bagillion hits a day, i couldn't even imagine.

well google gave a couple of mentionable responses to I DONT BACKSPACE MY LIFE:




just kidding. they were terrible.

actually maybe we are on to something...




the duck was kind of worth it.

okay well its almost 11 and i am trying out a new routine where i get to work at 8 and try and leave before 5. today was a total fail. i was there before 8 but somehow didn't leaving until 7. ?? i don't even know why. well i do, but its not like i'm a brain surgeon or anything this shit isn't life or death. but it does have deadlines.

goodnight dears.

best craigslist ad ever

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/fuo/2145853029.html

Best ever coffee table - $150 (Bloor/Lansdowne)

It's super solid, weighs a lot.

You can put your feet, hot trays of nachos, remote controls, books, magazines on it and still have room for drinks.

I don't know what kind of wood it is made of. Could be teak based on the color/strength/grain of wood.

The tile is ugly/charming. Easily enough replaced with tile of your choice or even glass.

Legs can be removed for moving.

Dimensions: 17.5" high x 54" long x 34 " wide.

I love this table but have come to the realization it does not fit in my house. The guy that sold it to me years ago told me if I looked after it, it would look after me, and he was right. Cash only. Pick up only.

hello!

helloooooooooooo

yes i am here!

here!

so. whats new you say?

a gabillion things.

but for starters.

thanks for reading this. really. if your reading this you i owe you big time. i'm grateful for your patience and your ability to check back every so often. even if i let you down more times then not. your the best.

now...everyone has blogged the crap out of new years resolutions and yes i completely understand if you don't want to listen to another person ramble bramble on about how 2011 is going to be

the

year

so without further ado (sp?)........

i give you my 5/11 resolutions for 2011 on 01.11.11

1. drink more coffee

yes so for most people this is counter productive their body but I LOVE COFFEE. real coffee, anything made with espresso and hearty 2% milk. coffee makes me happy, it makes me giddy, it makes me productive. and we all know how much i LOVE productivity. coffee is my treat. the ultimate saturday starts with a latte with cinnamon. i'm a better person with coffee. i guess my resolution could be be a better person, but lets cut the chaise and give credit where credit is due.

2. give more compliments

i love when i get compliments. it makes me happy to see someone noticed something. i need to pass this feeling along. pay it forward. give to others what i have received.

thanks again for reading this.

3. eat real meals on weekdays

a real meal does not come from a drive-through window, or from the take-out section of the grocery store. it doesn't come in a square box with dipping sauce.

weekdays are not my best examples of being a housewife. i rarely get home before 8 and i've been really lazy about making food. BUT. there are things that are easy to make.

EGGS

QUINOA STIRFRY

LEFTOVERS

SOUP

ENGLISH MUFFIN WITH BANANA

VEGGIES AND DIP!

there are so many more things. so no more excuses. eat at home.

4. call my friends more.

if being a friend was judged on how quickly i return your phone call or email.

i would fail.

miserably.

but 2011. i will make the effort. you will see.

LETS GET HOPPED UP ON SKYPE

5. get back into the crafty spirit.

i used to really like making things. and then....i just wasn't inspired. but i can feel it start to tingle back up into me. i have some pretty great fabrics laying around and yes. yes yes yes. i will make something wonderful with them. and IF i keep this goal up i will reward myself with a new sewing machine. because 60% of not pulling it out to make things is because its a temperamental bitch and eats fabric. but when i don't use it i can't justify buying a new one. ITS A VICIOUS CYCLE. that ends now.

and so does this blog post.

but i will be back.

there are still 6 more resolutions to be told!

good night kids.

and again. your the best.