The patio at 135 Osborne St. has been my favourite Winnipeg one for many years. I was delighted that the little oasis has been resurrected by The Back Rabbit Bistro. Tucked away behind the main building was a vine covered enclosure which sweeps you away from busy Osbrone St. When the strings of white lights illuminate at dusk you could be in a funky Toronto neighbourhood or historic Old Montreal.

On this evening, Beep and I were meeting D for an after work supper. We arrived in advance to be sure to get one of the coveted patio tables.

After a visit and a lovely libation, we were getting a bit peckish and decided to share an order of fries to tide us over.

These were not any old French fries. They had been lightly seasoned with rosemary, dusted with threads of parmesan and served with an aioli for good measure. After we had polished them off, I read a text indicating that D had been further delayed and to start without him. Without further adieu, we got the menus out again and surveyed the small plates and thin-crust pizzas before deciding to order pasta.

Beep’s “go-to” is shrimp and noodles and she was impressed with the number of perfectly cooked shrimp and the lightness of the white wine cream sauce on the linguine. My tastes were opposite but equally enjoyable.

The linguine I choose was pungent with tastes of fresh pesto and olive tapenade (a Southern France concoction) which was rich and hearty tasting. A crumble of feta further elevated the dish and added a creamy texture and pleasant saltiness. Every twist of the fork was so satisfying; I didn’t even offer Beep or D (who had just arrived), a taste.

Service was efficient and pleasant and we could have happily lingered under the leafy canopy for hours.

Kath’s quote: “ If our experience of eating outside is coloured by all these things—smell, anticipation, context, childhood memories, even gratitude—whether or not it really tastes better ends up being subjective.”-Annalisa Barbieri

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

A successful arrival in Cancun means navigating through the airport, meeting the shuttle and being dropped of at the ferry terminal as soon as possible. On this day we touched down at 11:20 and caught the 1 pm ferry.

Although tired and pretty pasty looking, we were happy travelers. The ferry ride over is always the most exciting time of the journey for me.

I love the comings and goings of the Isla ferries. Sometimes I make the crossing, just because.

It is this particular sight that I am enthralled with-the impossible turquoise of the sea.

Although we have made the trek down the airport strip dragging our luggage on previous occasions, on this day we grabbed a cab and dropped off our bags at Luna d’ Miel. As always, everything was in perfect order in anticipation of our arrival. Isabel has trained her small staff well and the little hotel is always a pleasure to stay at.

We then headed right back into Centro to purchase boneless ribs from Tino’s (Blog post), milk for coffee, manchego cheese, lime mayo, cervesas and wine. We considered ourselves all set. It was busy in Centro.

But the lovely islanders were not too busy to welcome us back to their paradise.

One of the many things that I love about staying at Luna D’ Miel is our vantage for sunset. We wondered if it might possibly be a nice evening for one.

We were not disappointed! The sunset was spectacular and we were reminded anew of the beauty of the island.

D had brought a very bad head cold with him, so we intentionally laid low that first evening. Our cozy bedroom invited us home.

I have recently been in touch with Isabel the owner and manager of Luna d’ Miel. She still has openings for the 2015-2016 season. Contact her at this address infolunadmiel@yahoo.com.mx.

Kath’s quote: “She would be half a planet away, floating in a turquoise sea, dancing by moonlight to flamenco guitar.” -Janet Fitch

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

September is upon us and although it does not feel as if summer is not coming to an end any time soon (there was a heat warning today), I am settling into a new routine. I am so excited to begin my numerous posts about the restaurants of Isla Mujeres, commencing with this long time favourite of ours, which happened to be the first place we got food during our most last jaunt in spring of 2015.

Over the years we have enjoyed Tino’s on numerous occasions and I even have a blog post entitled: “Pigging Out in Isla Mujeres” http://foodmusings.ca/isla-mujeres/pigging-out-in-isla-mujeres/ written by Sister#3.

We were barely off the ferry, when we hightailed it to Tino’s for a mess of ribs. Actually we now order the boneless pork slabs that Tino barbeques on an open flame each weekend. When you see this smiling oinker above and the fence below, you know that you’ve arrived at the right place.

Travellers, gringos and locals alike line up for a half or full kilo of ribs-bone in or out and grilled chicken.

Here is the man himself: cheerfully and methodically portioning out the orders and taking care of the grill himself. He’s been known to sing and dance back there on occasion too. And oh my goodness, can he cook up some good ribs!

Kath’s quote: “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” ― George Bernard Shaw

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

When you holiday in a tiny cottage in one of the vicinities’ beach areas, you need to plan your meals to correspond with the heat of the day. Often times we prepare an entire dinner on our outside grill but sometimes we treat ourselves to supper at a neighbouring beach.

We have been long-standing fans of Chef Tyler Gray of Ty’s Cafe and Bakery at the Sandbar Motor Hotel in Grand Marais. Ty is a clever businessman providing food-service on Grand Beach’s famous boardwalk and impossibly tall burgers at his main locale. We love his Breakfast Poutine (hash browns topped with cheese curds, bacon, two eggs and hollandaise sauce), Big Kahuna Burger (the works AND grilled pineapple), Coconut Shrimp and Maple Pecan Danish. He also maintains permanent daily specials so that cottagers know that it is Pickerel and Chips or Roast Beef night.

On this Thursday evening the feature was a Chicken and Rib combo for 15 smackers. We were pleasantly surprised when a half rack of fall-off-the-bone ribs arrived with not one, but two pieces of fried chicken. My husband was gaga for his baked potato (we hadn’t turned on the oven for days) and I was equally impressed with the hand-cut fries. Even the cole slaw was fresh and tasty!

The portion for this and all of Ty’s creations was more than generous. I had to take half of my ribs and a piece of chicken back to the cottage with me for a future beach picnic. I did somehow manage to eat all of my fries… Had we not been quite so stuffed, we may have purchased a blueberry pie on our way out. Everyone who dined that evening left with a loaf of dark rye from the bakery counter. Ty’s baking is as excellent as his meals.

Kath’s quote: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

Today I was struck by the math that I have been married for more than half my life.

D and I have been friends for almost 40 years.

The numbers have caused me to reflect on what has made our marriage a success (not always, but mostly). Paul Newman wrote the following to Joanne Woodward on the day that they wed and if I were to search for the advice that would come closest to our own, this would be it:

“ Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the Art of Marriage, the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say ‘I love you’ at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon; it should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have the wings of an angel. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is finding rooms for things of the spirit. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and obligation is reciprocal. It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.“

Today D left me a note on the kitchen counter which made me smile and his words have stayed with me all day. Tonight we will dine together at a couple of places that I have been but D has not had the chance to visit. The plans are not grand but I am as excited as a school girl. We don’t feel the need to give each other extravagant anniversary gifts but D often brings home my favourite flower on this day. I bought him a football magazine so he can read up for his NFL picks this weekend. He kisses me before he leaves our bed every morning and we often find ourselves holding hands in the night. We write each other notes if we are not going to be together and hide them under pillows or in toiletry bags. We’ve had our share of difficulties, disagreements and sorrows but we have had many more times filled with joy, laughter and utter contentment. We still love to be with each other more than anyone else in the entire world. What a feeling.

Kath’s quote: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine“. Song of Solomon 1:2

Celebrating our 30th anniversary in Boston.

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.