Meet Mini Q's new friends - the Labbits!
January 31, 2012
January 23, 2012
Kung Hey Fat Choy!
The Quatchis are celebrating Chinese New Year with the family. My mum gave them lai see.
They also snacked on leen go.
To see what's in store for you in the Year of the Dragon, click here.
Happy Chinese New Year!
Sun Nien Fai Lock!
Kung Hey Fat Choy!
January 10, 2012
New Year, New Recipes
I've made banana bread before, but a new year calls for new recipes! I thought this one would be interesting because it includes sour cream (which I haven't used in a quick bread before). Mini was napping but Q was game on helping me bake. He was quite helpful in taste testing too!
Best Ever Banana Bread
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs well beaten
1 1/12 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, sugar, oil, sour cream, and eggs. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mix to the banana mix, stirring until just combined. Bake in a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan at 325 F for 60 to 75 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.
Source: Winnipeg Free Press
January 6, 2012
To the Hills
Mini Q wanted to dive into the Neptune Pool! The Italian (indoor) Pool was quite nice too.
In Solvang, a.k.a. the Danish capital of the United States, we pigged out on pastries. The Olsen family founded the town way back in the day.
It's as if Mini Q was in Denmark! Lol.
One afternoon, we visited the Gainey Vineyard. Our tour guide was hilarious. I had a great time learning about wine making, trying different wines, and walking around the property.
Santa Barbara was uber chill. Didn't see a whole lot, but I'm happy we stopped by.
I was told prior to my trip that the people at Venice Beach are interesting to say the least. I think they were sleeping in the morning we went!
Parking on Rodeo Drive was remarkably easy to find, and cheap, especially on a Friday afternoon. The shopping though - not so much...
After driving through the Hills, we visited the touristy places in Hollywood, including the Mann Chinese Theatre.
On our last full day in LA, we had lupper (a lunch/dinner hybrid if you will) in Santa Monica. The beach, Palisades Park, and the Third Street Promenade were quite lovely.
And that's it! Seven days of pure Californian bliss!
January 2, 2012
On the Road
After San Fran, we made a quick pit stop in Berkeley and stayed overnight in Palo Alto. We drove to Half Moon Bay the next morning. We were hoping to see some surfers out and about, but it was a wee bit chilly. Mini Q really enjoyed the fresh air.
We stopped in Santa Cruz for lunch. It was kinda eerie how quiet it was by the amusement park. The Mins and I had the whole beach to ourselves!
On day four of our California cruise, we did the 17-Mile Drive through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach. There were heaps of pelicans and sea lions lazing on the rock in the distance. We made several stops along the route, including one at the Lone Cypress.
In Carmel-by-the-Sea, we indugled in a "Dirty Harry" burger for lunch at Clint Eastwood's resto - Hog's Breath Inn.
Ya don't see beaches like this in Toronto!
We spent the afternoon driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in the Big Sur. This was by far my favourite part of the trip! The views were unreal, and kept on getting better and better when we drove south. This photo was taken at Pfeiffer Beach.
It was here I started to wonder, what ever happened to Michelle Pfeiffer?!? Dangerous Minds was a great movie. If you have any insight, please do let me know.
December 31, 2011
December 29, 2011
The City by the Bay
People told me San Francisco is great, and boy, were they ever right. On the way to my aunt's boutique, the Mins and I walked up Lombard Street. This stretch of the street is famous for being quite steep and crooked. There are eight sharp hairpin turns in total.
It was really nice to see my Aunt Mary. She took me out for lunch at Delarosa, and toured me around the city. My aunt insisted that we check out the Palace of Fine Arts. After a quick afternoon stroll, we drove to Golden Gate Park.
The de Young Museum looked pretty cool from the outside. I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in San Fran.
Also cool looking was the California Academy of Sciences, which has an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum, and a 4-storey rainforest, all under one roof.
I'm really glad we visited the Rock. The audio tour was really interesting, and the island had great views of the city.
The Mins escaping Alcatraz!!! Tee hee hee.
The clouds look ominous, but the weather was nice that morning.
No visit to San Fran is complete without a ride on the cable car!
Nor a photo opp with the Golden Gate Bridge!
December 27, 2011
Happy Holidays!
A slightly belated happy holidays to all of our Quatch Watch friends! The Quatchis and I had a great Christmas. It was filled with fun, family, and lots of good food!
On Christmas morning, the Quatchis opened their stockings. From Santa, they received red mittens and M&Ms.
Look at the Mins! Lol. What a funny little guy!
Sophia made us (the Quatchis and me) matching scarfs! They're pretty awesome, eh? Thanks a bunch, Sophia! The Quatchis and I can't stop wearing them!
December 20, 2011
Name that City
Mini Q joined me on an adventure last week! We kicked off our road trip from this city. Can you guess which one it is?
November 20, 2011
Sweet, Spicy, Chewy Ginger Cookies
The Quatchis and I made these cookies for a bake sale at work tomorrow. I think they'll be a real hit!
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp white sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup fancy molasses
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and 1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in egg, scraping sides of bowl well. Add molasses and combine. Add dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
Shape dough into 24 balls, and toss in a plastic bag with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Place a few inches apart on baking sheets and bake for 17 to 20 minutes. When done, cookies will be crinkly and golden.
Source: My friend BC
Source: My friend BC
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