Summer Picnic

We had a lovely summer picnic at the Beaches, care of Suresh Doss. The picnic featured delicious South Indian dishes, many which were new to us.

Clementine loved the tiffan box from Anitha’s Homestyle Kitchen. Her favourite appetizer from the box was the masala vada (fried fritters with chana dal, onions, and herbs).

The main dishes were prepared by Minerva Tiffins. This sambar idil (savoury rice cake in lentil soup with peanut sauce and spices) was very filling.

The other mains included puri bhaji (friend bread) and pongal (rice and lentils).

We had mango lassi shortly thereafter. It was so delicious, we finished the whole thing before taking a photo.

Clementine really liked that the dessert was monster size. It was served in a small clay pot, which we were able to take home with the tiffin box.

We are now back home with happy tummies. Suresh will be hosting other picnics this summer. Sign up for his newsletter on his website for more details.

Day Trippin'

Buddy, B, and I had a leisurely day trip to Provincetown (a.k.a. P-Town) last weekend. We took a ferry from Boston, hoping to see some whales along the way. We spent the morning in P-Town checking out the shops and art galleries along Commercial Street. Buddy enjoyed smelling the flowers wherever he could. Everyone's garden was in full bloom.

We had lunch at Canteen. It didn't quite live up to the hype. Buddy gave the meal a 7 out of 10. We shared a lobster roll and shrimp banh mi.

For the afternoon, we sunbathed at Race Point Beach, an easy $2 shuttle ride away from town. We contemplated renting bikes, but we wanted to take it easy. If you really want to take it easy, Uber is also an option.

We had an enjoyable dinner at Sal's, which is on a quieter stretch of Commercial Street and right on the water. After dinner, we grabbed froyo at Bliss. We ended up napping on the ferry ride home.

Thanks for a nice day, P-Town!

In Hamilton

Bernie and Dumbo have been spending time in Hamilton with B. Today they spent the afternoon sitting by the window watching the world go by. There were lots of people moving in and out of neighbouring apartment buildings. Bernie and Dumbo occasionally took a peach break. We picked some up from the farmers' market and they were super sweet!

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!

Congrats, Team Canada!

Q and the Mins have been watching the Olympics as much as possible via the CBC website. They especially enjoyed the opening ceremonies, as well as the swimming, gymnastic, and running events.

Congratulations, Team Canada! We're proud of your performance at Rio 2016 and your your current Olympic medals!

Farewell, Kingston (and PEC)!

I made one last trip to Kingston recently. It was bittersweet. I made great memories in Kingston but I'm also excited to moving on to another chapter of my life. The Mins wanted to go to Juniper, a new cafe by the water, before we parted ways.

We did a quick day trip to Prince Edward County. It's a pleasant drive along the water from Kingston. We took the ferry to the island. Can you see the Mins' reflection in the car mirror?

We checked out a few wineries. The Mins' favourite was County Cider Company. We bought a case of the peach cider for the summer.

We went to Sandbanks, one of the largest beaches in Ontario. I've been wanting to go here for a long time so I'm glad to check this off the bucket list.

We grabbed ice cream at Slickers. The strawberry rhubarb hit the spot! The campfire flavour was even better (and quite possibly the best)!

We ate dinner at the Drake Devonshire. The inn has a small beach with lots of lounge chairs and a fire pit. It was a great spot for the Mins to relax after a big meal.

Farewell, Kingston (and PEC)! Thanks for the memories!

Buddy the Beach Bum

Buddy and I escaped to the beach on Friday! We met up with BC in London, and ventured on a pleasant one-hour drive to Grand Bend.

The beach was nice and clean, and not too crowded. Buddy was excited for an afternoon in the sun.

Buddy spent most of his time napping, eating snacks, and reading a book.

Buddy was a natural beach bum!

Sarah + Blue Jays

My good friend, Sarah, is from Vancouver. She originally purchased Q and mailed him across Canada in a nice squishy envelop so he would have a comfy journey. Sarah knew I wanted a Quatchi when I visited her on the west coast. I resisted at the time, thinking I had too many stuff animals.

Recently, Sarah came to visit Toronto. We haven't seen each other in over five years, so it was a real treat to host her for a few days. Hanging out was like old times. We've only known each other for...oh, you know...OVER 20 YEARS!

Leading up to Sarah's visit, Q was super excited and could hardly sleep. He was so happy to give her hugs when she stayed with us. It was a nice reunion.

On Tuesday night, we went to the Rogers Centre to cheer on our fellow Blue Jays. We had a swell time pigging out on ballpark food, doing the wave, and watching the game. Unfortunately our guys lost to the Red Sox but they made it up the day after.

Thanks for coming to visit us, Sarah!

Love, Sammers and Q

Let's go to the Ex!

I've been going to the Ex for many years, and this year was no exception. Q liked the hustle and bustle of the midway. He hopes all the toys go to a good home.

My friend, Julia, played a darts game...

...and won! Q liked Julia's new friend from Despicable Me.

After grabbing some dinner, we visited the farm. Q had never seen an alpaca before. He thought they looked a little sleepy.

While people were lining up for deep fried butter, doughnut cheeseburgers, and chocolate covered bacon, I ordered a classic - an ice cream sandwich.

The Ex is open for a few more days. Check it out if you're in town this long weekend!

Feeling the Heat

Q can't believe how hot it is today!

He's quite furry so he doesn't do too well in the heat.

I grabbed a strawberry lemonade popsicle to help him cool off.

To see the recipe I used, and a bunch of others, click here and here.