Allan Gardens

Maggie joined me on an impromptu visit to Allan Gardens. It was the first time for both of us.

There were several benches inside the gardens to sit back and relax. This bench was in the Palm House.

The gardens are very peaceful. Here's Maggie looking at a small indoor waterfall.

The status in this photo is of Leda and the Swan.

Maggie really liked the colour of this flower, since it matched her headband.

Maggie is pointing to a pile of turtles (there were literally five on top of each other). A few more were swimming in the pond with some fish.

This was probably the most unique flower Maggie spotted at the gardens.

Maggie spent most of her time in the Cacti House. We have some mini cacti at home, so when she saw how big they could get, she got excited.

If you ever visit Allan Gardens, let us know what you think!

Goooooaaaaalllll!

The Quatchis and I watched the World Cup finals at my parents' place this afternoon. It was an intense match!

We hope you enjoyed it wherever you are!

Classic Corn Muffins

My family and I had southern BBQ last week. Ever since, I've been craving homemade corn bread. If you're counting calories, this recipe isn't for you. If you're looking for classic corn bread, in muffin form, that's sweet and crumbly, read on!

Corn Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup medium cornmeal

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 extra-large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and eggs. With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until they are just blended. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the tops are crisp and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly and remove from the pan.

Source: Ina Garten on the Food Network

Q opted to use less sugar than the recipe called for, and ended up making 15 large muffins instead of the usual dozen. The muffins tasted great right out of the oven. Serve them warm if you can!

Mini and the Fishies

Today, the Mins and I took some friends from Hong Kong to the aquarium. We were thankful we bought timed tickets in advance. The place was very, very, very busy!

The first tank we encountered was full of fish! It was fun to watch them swim in schools.

The Mins enjoyed meeting this eel-like characters. They look like grumpy old men, eh?

These fish were really active because it was feeding time.

One of the highlights of the aquarium was going through a tunnel. The fish, sharks, and stingrays were swimming all around us.

Look up, Mins! There's a sawfish!

The jelly exhibit was much more colourful than I expected. They were in all shapes and sizes. Some were even upside down! The Mins liked these ones the best.

It wasn't until we left the aquarium did we realize we missed a bunch of sharks, seahorses, and turtles. So take your time and enjoy! Even if you're from Toronto, it's well worth the visit.

It's tea o'clock!

The Quatchis love going for afternoon tea with my mum! On the weekend, they hit up the Lobby Lounge at the Shangri-La. The dessert tier was their favourite! Don't they look smart in their bow ties?

More Panama with Bernie

One morning we rented bikes and rode along the Amador Causeway. We passed by the Biomuseo, designed by Frank Gehry. It will open sometime this year, I think.

Transportation is quite cheap in Panama. Buses within the city are 25 cents. Taxis should not be more than $5 (we learned to bargain because there are no meters in the cabs). The subway was free, and brand spanking new!

To get to the canal, we were adventurous and took a "red devil" bus. These buses are retired school buses from the U.S. They are owned by the bus drivers, who in turn are paid by the government to run the service. The buses are completely decked out! Eventually they will be discontinued, and replaced with official metro buses. Many Panamanians rely on these buses to get in and out of the city.

The Panama Canal was very impressive. It is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

We saw a bunch of cargo ships go through the Miraflores Locks. Some fun facts:
The locks drain faster than a bath tub.

- On average, 30 to 40 large boats go through the Canal each day.
- The average toll for a cargo ship to pass through the Canal is $300,000 USD.

There are two UNESCO heritage sites in Panama (but collectively recognized as one) - Casco Viejo (where we went twice for dinner and drinks), and  Panama Viejo, the original city.

Panama Viejo today is only ruins. And understandably so since it was originally built in the early 1500s.

We collected some souvenirs throughout the trip. Here's what Bernie brought back to his friends.

Thanks for the great time, Panama! We had a blast!

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!