Bestie Melinda arrived Friday evening of the weekend of my birthday soiree. We headed from the airport to The Keg Steakhouse + Bar which was appropriate since we both worked there when we had just met at 19. In the lounge that evening was one of the waiters from 40 years prior so we had a little catch up chat with him as well.

The next morning I woke up to greetings and smooches. It was my 60^th birthday! D wanted us to vacate so that he could put finishing touches on the house and some of the appetizers that he was preparing for the party. We ended up at the Marion Street Eatery housed in the Marion Hotel, which Melinda remembered from the days when her husband played there in his punk band.

We both opted for the decadent Eggs Benedictine. The hollandaise sauce was light and lemony and the egg perfectly poached. But the piece de resistance was the just carved slice of old fashioned ham that substituted for the typical Canadian back bacon. Oh so good.

Still having time to kill, we found our way to the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden at Assiniboine Park. We both loved the play of dappled light through the newly greened trees that landed on the artist’s exquisite renderings.

The afternoon was spent with two other old friends, sitting in the sun and drinking tea. The perfect start to a wonderful weekend.

Kath’s quote:

If you are cold, tea will warm you;
if you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.”
― William Ewart Gladstone

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

If you live on the Canadian prairies you know how short summer is and likely find ways to be outside as much as possible. When the three sisters decided to convene for an evening recently to officially kick off summer, the Keg Garry St. Patio was high on our list. The established landscaping is beautiful, as is the water feature and outdoor fireplace. We met early to find the perfect table amidst the after work crowd.

The evening started with strawberry basil mojitoes that were as refreshing as they looked.

But so was the beer

and my glass of merlot for that matter.

Soon appetizers to share of tuna tartare and crispy shrimp arrived.

Sister #2 who was not certain she would like the taste of raw tuna, dived right in. Since you can scoop the fish and chopped avocado up with a crispy wonton noodle, she decided she did!

The crispy shrimp is a new favourite especially when swiped through the delicious dip that it is accompanied with.

We are all steak lovers but were looking for an entree on the lighter side so we were delighted when our helpful server indicated that there was a marinated flank steak and grilled shrimp combo on special that evening.  We decided to share the huge entrée three ways and each ordered our own loaded baked potatoes.

Not only was the steak perfectly marinated and cooked but when it was served pre-sliced it was so easy to divide up. By coincidence the shrimp skewer came with three enormous shrimp (I always laugh inwardly when I describe shrimp that way).

With no room for dessert, coffee or after dinner drinks, we settled in for a real good catch up and then headed off into the still beautiful evening.

Kath’s quote:

“For there is no friend like a sister
In calm or stormy weather; 
To cheer one on the tedious way, 
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down, 
To strengthen whilst one stands” 
― Christina Rossetti, 

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

At “Life is Good” our summer beach house, weekends are lovely and brimming with family. I love to make suppers from scratch and serve up some special treats of things that the kids might not have the time or the budget to make on their own. With the price of protein as high as it is right now, I love getting wind of a nutritious meal that stretches an item like shrimp into a full meal deal.

Recently, the team at Go Barley sent me this recipe for Barley, Mango and Sweet pepper Spring Rolls with Dipping Sauce including delectable Shrimp. Having cooked often from their award-winning cookbook, I knew that the recipe would be packed with flavour, healthy & simple ingredients and affordable barley!

I prepared the pearl barley earlier in the day, while I was taking care of the dishes from brunch. This way, we were able to spend the afternoon on the beach with the Wee One, arriving home just in time for me to swing into action.

I got everything prepped in order to start making the rolls and was able to coax our 2 year old grandbaby to snack on the red pepper and mango to hold her over until supper time. The rolls were fun to put together and I even had a volunteer of our son-in-law to help me out. We have to be particularly resourceful when we are up at the lake because there are a couple of country stores but not one with a full complement of items. Therefore, when I ran out of large rice papers and had to resort to smaller ones, the process got a little bit more time consuming.

When another contingent of family arrived just in time for supper, everything was ready to go for a casual dinner. We knew that there would be snacks around the bonfire later that evening, so we were all content with the lighter fare.

Kath’s quote: “The keynote to happiness within the four walls that make any home is plain, wholesome, well cooked food, attractively served.”-
Louis P. De Gouy

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

Every once in a while, a special moment occurs in my new found career as a food writer. I wanted to sample the services of one of the restaurant home delivery services (Just Eat) and order a solo supper as my husband is traveling for business. I have spotted Jimels International Cuisine as I have driven past it on St. James St so it was on top of my list.

Although not well versed in Philippine cuisine, I knew that I had enjoyed every dish I had tasted. So I scanned the on line menu and placed my order for 2 House Specials- Tortang Talong (eggplant omelet) and Creamy Sisig (grilled marinated chicken). When the delivery arrived I was blown away by the beautiful presentation, even in those utilitarian Styrofoam containers and the volume of food for the money spent.

I immediately called the restaurant to compliment them and spoke to Imelda (“like the lady with the shoes”-she said) Abao. Her husband calls her Mel and his name is Jim, hence “Jimels”. The sweet woman was absolutely delighted by the call. In fact, she indicated that I was an answer to her prayers. They had come up against some hard times when someone ran off their savings. They were attempting to get back on their feet via the restaurant but she shared: “We have good food and we have lots of space. We just need more customers”.  I told her that I would try to spread the word. The response to a Facebook post and a Tweet was very positive from my followers. Hopefully that and this column will parlay into some business for them.

The suggestion to give them a try isn’t solely based on philanthropic motives; the two dishes that I sampled were excellent, utilizing fresh ingredients with a light hand for seasoning to let the natural flavours shine through.

Imelda shared her secret ingredient through her tear-filled voice: “love-we cook with love”.

Kath’s quote: “The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety, and satisfaction. A person cooking is a person giving: Even the simplest food is a gift.”-Laurie Colwin

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

When you are a food lover, the opportunity to taste everything on a menu cannot easily be passed up. But the sharing of food is an intimate experience and although D and I and my sisters and I, do so all the time, it takes a very close friend to share a plate. On this particular day, that good friend had not only joined me for lunch, but it was she who suggested the Prix Fixe Menu at Chaise Lounge, served family-style. When our brand new and enthusiastic server, heard our decision, he said “Well, let’s get cooking and start feeding you.”

We started by sharing potato salad and their amazing roasted beet and dill chevre salad

along with mini grilled Caesar salads. All were delectable.

I had tasted the basil pesto linguine on a previous occasion and it was equally good this time, so too the Toscana spaghetti.

New tastes for me were the grilled sandwiches. One was prosciutto, brie and pear, the other Portobello, roasted pepper, spinach and more chevre.

The screen is patio was cool and refreshing and we lingered over a fine wine. A perfectly lovely lunch. 

Kath’s quote: “A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” –Elbert Hubbard

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.