Panama with Bernie

Last month, I went on an amazing vacation to Panama! It was fun, steamy, and easy on the wallet. The Quatchis opted to stay at home. I'm glad they did too because the weather was in the high 40s / low 50s, and there were some intense (though brief) thunderstorms. Bernie, the Quatchi's new pal, had never been outside of Toronto. He was the perfect travel buddy!

On our first full day, we went to Contadora Island to go snorkelling and laze on the beach. I didn't bring my cell phone so unfortunately, no photos from that day.

The next day, we went to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. We took a 45-minute taxi ride outside of the city, and then another 45-minute ferry.

We hiked the whole morning, and saw lots of insects, amphibians, birds, and monkeys! See the monkey climbing up the tree?

 This is the Cinta Costera. It was a nice place to walk...until it started to pour!

We retreated to the nearby fish market and tried cheviche from a few vendors.

Not bad for $1.50, eh Bernie?

The rain continued to come down so we headed to Albrook Mall, the largest shopping centre in the country. We spent majority of our time in the supermarket. We bought a bunch of local snacks and drinks to try throughout the trip. Always a foodie at heart!

We stuffed our tummies and realized some exercise would be good for us. Since the sun was back, we went to the hotel pool.

After a swanky dinner at Maito (highly recommended!), we had a few cocktails at the Hard Rock Megapolis. The views were fantastic from the 62nd floor. Cheers to Bernie!

Our hotel was great. While most people tend to stay at resorts when they visit Panama, we stayed in the city centre, and did a bunch of day trips. I don't have a TV at home so it was a real treat to have so many movie channels in Panama. The room had two beds, so Bernie had one all to himself!

I'll post more photo soon!

Name that City

Bernie, the newest member of our family, joined BC and I on our latest vacation. Can you guess where we ventured to? Hint: the place in the photo is celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year.

36 Hours in Ottawa

Maggie joined my girlfriends and I on a short trip to Ottawa. This was Maggie's second trip outside of Toronto. In February, she went to Montreal with the Mins.

After settling into our hotel, we checked out the stalls and shops in the Byward Market. As you can tell from the photo above, it was a bit windy!

We had a late afternoon laze before heading to Navarra (think Top Chef) for dinner. Maggie opted to enjoy the hotel room. She liked the idea of having the whole place to herself. I tucked her in before I left for a night on the town.

The next day, we had brunch and went on an afternoon stroll. Here's Maggie outside of the National Art Gallery. She didn't want to get too close to the massive spider across the street!

Our next stop was the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica. It took Maggie a while, but she made it up to the top of the church steps. I scooped her up so we could go inside.

We caught the tail end of the Tulip Festival. Of course we stopped to smell the flowers.

Maggie liked reading all the historical plaques around Parliament. Even in French!

It was a gorgeous day to mill about. Maggie = one happy monster.

While crossing a bridge, Maggie paused to look at the locks at the Rideau Canal. She was hoping to see boats go through but no such luck.

After a relaxing of day of sightseeing, we booked it back to the hotel to get ready for a wedding. Our friend got married at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club - tres chic! We were glad to be a part of the festivities.

Enjoy the rest of the long weekend, fellow Canadians! Happy Victoria Day!

The Min's Mission to MEC

Q sent the Mins on a mission today. He wanted a few things from his favourite store, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC).

It was as a busy Saturday afternoon on King Street West.

It was also hopping inside of MEC. The Mins was in awe of the product selection.

After some casual browsing, the Mins got down to business. He found a great bike bell...

...as well as some insect repellent, among other things.

The Mins' shopping trip was a success! He got everything Q wanted. Hugs all around!

Northern Uprising

It's been six years overdue...

LET'S GO RAPTORS!

Coconut Snowballs

Even though we Torontonians are ready to say goodbye to this cold weather, Q's buddy, the Snowman, is gonna miss his favourite season. To cheer up the Snowman, Q and I baked snowballs. Coconut snowballs!

Coconut Snowballs 

1 3/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, divided

2 teaspoons melted coconut oil

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Place 1 cup of shredded coconut in a food processor along with the coconut oil. Process on high speed, scraping down the sides periodically, until it reaches a paste-like consistency.

Add the maple syrup, coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and process until well combined. Add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut and pulse until just combined.

Shape the mixture into 12 (1-inch) balls and coat with the remaining shredded coconut. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.

Source: The Kitchn

There were a lot of firsts with this recipe - first time using a food processor, first time baking with coconut, and first time using coconut oil. It was also my first time baking something gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan. I am using the term "baking" loosely. As you can see from above, no baking required!

This Is Not A Toy

The Design Exchange has great exhibits, and this one was no exception. The Mins joined BC and I to see "This Is Not A Toy", co-curated by Pharrell Williams.

This sculpture is called The Simple Things. It's hard to see, but the items are encrusted with thousands of diamonds and other precious stones.

The Mins liked these smiley guys. They are from a series called Wish Come True.

I have friends in Hong Kong that collect To-Fus. They take the To-Fus on their travels, like I do with the Quatchis.

Can you guess who designed this Be@rbrick? Mr. Lagerfield, of course! The Chanel doll was donated by Jeanne Beker.

This KAWS piece was one of the largest at the exhibition...

...and these guys were some of the smallest. There were rows upon rows upon rows of them! We felt like kids in a toy shop!

Swan Lake with the Perfect Date!

Maggie is really getting into the culture scene here in Toronto. She was the perfect date to see Swan Lake at the Four Seasons. We pounced on a last minute deal and got amazing orchestra seats for $33 a pop. For once, we weren't in the nosebleeds!

The ballet was beautiful! I know the music quite well but haven't seen the ballet in full nor live. Maggie quite liked the snazzy building too. For such a little monster, it was a big place to be!

It's 11:18 PM...

We planned on going to bed early, but we were wide awake! What to do...what to do...

The Mins had an idea - make a simple dessert! After a quick Google search, we came across an easy peasy brownie recipe. It involved few ingredients, one mug, and 75 seconds in the microwave.

 The photo doesn't do it justice but the brownie turned out great. We'll be keeping this recipe in our roster for when we need a chocolate fix. Now to bed we go!

For 30 other mug recipes, check out No. 2 Pencil.

Our Second Lemon Tart / Pie

The last time we made a lemon tart, it was an epic disaster! My crust was the downfall. Since Q and I were baking for a dinner party this weekend, we didn't want to take any risks, and bought a pre-made pie shell. Thank youuuuu, Tenderflake!

Whole Lemon Tart

1 partially baked 9-inch tart shell

1 average-sized lemon, rinsed and dried

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon table salt

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 F. Place the tart shell on a baking sheet.

Slice the lemon into thin wheels, remove any seeds, and toss the rounds (lemon flesh and peel), sugar, and chunks of butter into a food processor. Process until the lemon is thoroughly pureed. Add the eggs, cornstarch, and salt and pulse until the batter is smooth.

Pour batter into prepared tart shell. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool on a rack, unmold tart pan, and serve.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Our Quatchtastic notes: Q and I were able to make do with a blender as opposed to a food processor. We used one regular lemon, and the fleshy half of another. We had enough batter to fill one 9-inch pie shell and four mini tart shells. The 9-inch pie took almost 60 minutes to set (the oven we used was an oldie). If we had powdered sugar, we would have sprinkled it on top to cover up some of the imperfections. We ate the pie warm and chilled. Both ways tasted great!