done well: September 2009

She Bangs!

>> Thursday, September 24, 2009 – me, musical/movie references, style and fashion

From me

I *heart* bangs. They're such a great way to make you look and feel like a whole new person.

I've been told that my face shape and stick straight hair don't really go well with bangs, but I keep giving it a try. Perhaps because so many others look so fabulous with bangs.

See exhibit A: Anne Hathaway. (Picture by George Pimentel.)

Exhibit B: Zooey Deschanel. (Picture from cbc.ca)

Exhibit C: Anna Ellison from Charm City Cakes

Since my bob has completely grown out, it was time to try the bangs again. Yes, the stick straight hair, small eyes, and small forehead are not ideal for the Anne-Hathaway-bangs, but I will always *heart* bangs, even when they're only semi-fabulous on me. And I didn't cut my hair "boy short," so Dustin is elated.

From me

Yucky

>> Tuesday, September 22, 2009 – food, yucky

From Food

My name is Kelly, and I'm a Food Addict. "Hi, Kelly."

I love to cook, bake, eat, watch Food Network, read food blogs, go to Farmer's Markets, walk down every aisle of the grocery store, get food flyers in the mail, read food flyers online, read cookbooks like novels, read food magazines like novels and I love to blog about food.

In all the cookbooks, blogs, and foodtv shows, the food is always portrayed as being amazingly fabulous. I'm picturing Giada De Laurentiis closing her eyes and exhaling a sensual "MMMMMM...." barely after the fork has touched her mouth.

Is it always that delicious? Does their food always taste that good?! Probably not, and it would be really nice if they admitted it once in a while. *Sometimes* I would see Jamie Oliver taste something and say that it needed more salt -- but only sometimes.

I do a lot of learning by figuring out what does NOT work well. There needs to be a show like What Not to Wear, but about food. How Not to Cook. Stacey and Clinton would surprise people in their kitchens and show them footage of all the terrible things they're doing to food.

I will kick it off:

Do not grill mature zucchini.

Usually, my favourite way to eat zucchini is thickly sliced, covered in a good olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and then thrown onto a hot grill. Since I still had half of a giant zucchini, I thought I would cook it just like that. Doesn't it look delicious?

From Food

Not this time. It was quite yucky. It did not hold together well, and it did not have a juicy bite. It was mushy and quite dry.

I've discovered that when a zucchini gets to be really large (or mature,) it needs to be treated much more like a squash. It needs to be stewed, or used for baking. Chinese cuisine uses lots of mature melons for stewing or for soup. If only my mom was more computer savvy to tell me how she would have cooked the zucchini: Stewed Beef Brisket and Zucchini in a Garlic Black Bean Sauce. (And this is the point in the show where Stacey would say "Shut, Up!")

Good things grow-oh, in On-tario!

>> Wednesday, September 16, 2009 – flowers, food, musical/movie references, Out and About

From Out and About

I love farmer's markets. Too bad I can't ever remember to go to them!

There is a farmer's market at Nathan Phillips Square every Wednesday and my coworker remembers to go every week. It wouldn't be until 2pm on Wednesday afternoon that I remember about the market because my coworker would walk by my desk eating a fresh cob of corn.

I finally remembered to go on the very last week of Fresh Wednesdays and came home with some beautiful fresh flowers.

From Out and About

Although it's Wednesday, I won't be able to visit the market today because we're going camping on the French River until Sunday! No posts until next week! Cross your fingers for no rain in the Sudbury area!!!

Italian Coin Purse

>> Tuesday, September 15, 2009 – sewing

From sewing

I'm sure these flex coin purses aren't Italian, but the only people I know that carry these around are two of my Italian friends that use them to carry change. Hence, Italian Coin Purse.

I've wanted to try making one since I saw this tutorial on the fabulous U-handblog.

And then whilst rummaging in the hardware section at the workroom, I found the flexi frames required to make the purses!

I used leftover fabric from my friend Julie's Birdie Sling Bag thinking that maybe she would like a matching Italian Coin Purse. And then I thought: she's a teacher! Maybe I'll make it bigger and she can use it as a pencil case!

Issues:
1) I didn't make it big enough to fit a pencil.
2) Does a gym teacher even need a pencil case?
3) If I make one for Julie, do I have to make one for my other friend, Kelly, who also has a birdie sling and also works at the same school as Julie?!

Conclusions
1) Final product is so cute! (despite useless size.)
2) ...

From sewing

At the moment, this super cute cupcake/elephant Italian Short Pencil Case is sitting in my drawer being squeezed and admired every so often but without a permanent home: an orphan ready to meet Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.

Kelly and the Giant Zucchini

>> Monday, September 14, 2009 – food, garden, musical/movie references

From Food

If James can have a Giant Peach, then I can have a Giant Zucchini.

Like most who grow their own zucchini, my garden-wizard coworker has a large abundance that he is graciously willing to part with. Through a communication mixup, I was not at the office last Friday to receive the normal size zucchini he had designated for my culinary adventures. The zucchini continued to grow until Monday.

It was the size of my thigh. The right thigh. (My left thigh is smaller due to unnamed hockey accident.)

Fortunately, my designer bag of choice that day was the Matt and Nat Trainspotting -- the perfect shape for said giant zucchini.

From Food

James used the Giant Peach to escape his horrid aunts. I have no horrid aunts. (Only horrid ants.) So I pulled out a couple zucchini bread recipes and went straight to work.

Oh Cuisinart food processor (with grater attachment.) How I love thee.

From Food

From only half of the zucchini, I grated approximately 10 (generous) cups of zucchini.

From Food

I tried a low fat version from Janet and Greta's Crazy Plates cookbook, and a recipe from Nigella Lawson's website.

The bread (is it really bread?) will accompany me to the office tomorrow where my coworkers will have to help me decide which recipe to squash. (heehee. squash.)

Left: Crazy Plates, Right: Nigella Lawson; From Food

Now to figure out what to do with the other half of the zucchini... Suggestions?

The Hills are Alive!

>> Monday, September 7, 2009 – musical/movie references, Out and About

I know you've all been dying to know how my Sound of Music experience went. I sang (in my head and out loud) all day long to every song I could remember from the musical.

I started by pretending my lunch bag was a guitar case: "What will this day be like? I wonder." I taught my coworkers how to sing: "When you read, you being with ABC; when you sing you begin with doh rei mi." They weren't as receptive as the Von Trapp children.

From Out and About

My parents and I posed in front of the poster like a bunch of tourists (I was too embarrassed to ask someone to take the picture for us, so this was self-taken,) and I managed to catch one picture of the Princess of Wales Theatre when none of the 85 smokers were in the way, blowing smoke into my face, and tossing their half-smoked cigarette on the curb.

A little sepia tone effect courtesy of Picasa and it makes me feel like it was 1959 and I was lining up for the original Broadway production.

From Out and About

The show was fantastic. Elicia Mackenzie's Maria was well done, although I think she may have watched Julie Andrews' version one too many times. I think she may have even gasped the same way that Julie Andrews did... The staging was phenomenal: the opening scene took my breath away. And the children were so great! I've always said that when kids do well on stage, they can steal the show.

Dustin and I have been watching a lot of Alias season 1, and I found that Elicia Mackenzie had an uncanny resemblance to Jennifer Garner's character. My brain was momentarily confused. "What is Sydney Bristow doing dressed up like a nun? What is her counter mission?!"

Elicia Mackenzie featured in Toronto Life

My next show? So You Think You Can Dance!!! The tour hits Toronto on Tuesday September 29th, and I'll be somewhere in the 300 level screaming my face off!

Tomato and Thyme Risotto

>> Wednesday, September 2, 2009 – food, garden

Although I'm Chinese, I have to admit that my favourite way of preparing rice is the Italian way. It's deliciously creamy, full of flavour, and has endless possibilities. Although it also takes about 40 times more effort than pressing the button on the Tiger Rice Cooker, I think it's (sometimes) well worth the effort.

From Food

As suggested by Jamie Oliver in his book Cook with Jamie, I try to plan ahead and make a batch of basic risotto, remove from pan when it's 3/4 of the way cooked, spread it out on a sheet pan to chill and seal it in an airtight container for storage in the fridge. I take it out just before dinner when I want to spend 10 minutes (not 40) standing in front of the stove finishing the dish.

From Food

I inherited some fresh tomatoes from a garden that was going to be unattended for a week; add it to my increasing pile of cherry tomatoes (some of the yellow ones made it!) from my balcony garden, and a delicious tomato and thyme risotto was born.

From garden

From Food

Inspired by Carrie and Christian

>> Tuesday, September 1, 2009 – musical/movie references, sewing, weddings

From sewing

Earlier this summer I found this beautiful fabric that was reminiscent of the Christian Dior dress that Carrie Bradshaw wore on SaTC in season 3.

The fabric just sat there all summer as I tackled birdie sling after birdie sling, a new Japanese Dress class from the workroom, a leather clutch, and a million other home projects.

I always planned to make it into a beautiful dress. Although the CD dress was likely impossible, I decided to try a modified version of Heather Ross' Mendocino summer dress.