Night at the Movies

Colin was super excited to watch Star Wars on the big screen! We went with my parents and brother.

Colin loves movies but hasn't been to the cinema before. He thought the lobby was spacious.

We watched the film in 3D IMAX. We were happy to reserve seats in advance because the theatre was completely full.

The movie was great! We liked it a lot. Colin is asking me to find the older ones so he can watch them at home.

DJ Maggie in da house!

Maggie is our resident DJ. She's been compiling holiday tunes over the past few days to keep the Christmas cheer going.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all the hope, wonder, and joy that the holiday season can bring!

Remember my dad's snowmen collection? Well, Hallmark has him hooked so of course he bought the latest and greatest for this year. The Quatchis liked the baking theme of the 2015 snowman.

The Quatchis are spoiled from friends near and far. Thank you, Sophia, for the Saje, tea cup, and tea infuser!

And thank you, Lauren, for the Duchess tea and Starbucks mug!

We are so grateful for the friendships we have made via the blog. You're the best!

Christmas Countdown

T-minus two days until Christmas! Wowzers! 

Tim has been gearing up for the big day by reading A Christmas Carol. Thanks, Sophia for the book!

Buddy helped me wrap gifts and write cards.

We hope all your holiday preparations are going swimmingly!

Brunching with Bernie

Remember Bernie's foodie tour in the summer? One of his pit stops was Maman. The ice cream sandwich was delish!

Yesterday, Bernie had brunch with B and I at the new Toronto location. The restaurant decor was charming and the food, super. Bernie is hoping to score another ice cream sandwich next summer on home soil!

Turner

J.M.W. Turner: Paintings Set Free is the current exhibit at the AGO. It features rare works on loan from the Tate. Norham Castle, Sunrise was the Mins' favourite painting.

The Mins enjoyed learning about "one of the most radical and influential artists of the 19th century". The Mins also enjoyed having a staring contest with the silhouette of Turner.

You have until January 1, 2016 to check out the exhibit. Enjoy!

Mmm...cake!

I have been perusing many baking blogs lately, and came across this Swedish Visiting Cake on Pastry Affair. Spencer was a big help.

He made sure I had all the ingredients ready...

...told me when the butter started to brown...

...mixed orange zest with sugar...

...sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the batter...

 ...kept an eye on the cake while it was baking...

...and waited for the cake to cool before slicing some up for his pals...

We didn't use any leavening agents so the cake was flat and chewy. We had a wedge with some black tea for an afternoon snack. The cake is supposed to get better with age so we can't wait to try it tomorrow, and even the next day.

Mmm...cake!

Good Hair Day

"No Bake" Baking

Snowman loves "no bake" baking. He helped me whip up three dozen of these bad boys for a charity event at work. They consist of only seven ingredients, and are healthy to boot. Plus, they taste awesome.

Granola Bar Bites

1 cup rolled oats

Pinch of salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Splash of vanilla

1/4 cup almond butter

1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup

1/4 cup dried berries

With a fork, stir together oats, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla in a medium bowl.

Stir in almond butter, honey, and dried berries.

Once the mixture is mixed well, use your hands to roll 12 one-inch balls.

If the mixture is too dry to roll into balls, add a bit more honey or almond butter.

Source: my name is yeh

These balls are foolproof, and didn't take long to make at all. Snowman and I saved a few for ourselves. We had them for breakfast the next day.

Afternoon Tea at The Grange

Q, my mum, and I went for afternoon tea at The Grange, a.k.a. the original home of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Q and I ordered Tropical Green tea while my mum ordered Citrus Calm. Both were quite good. The savouries and sweets were excellent too. Our tummies were very happy!

Despite it being cold and rainy, we had a nice view from our table. This park is fittingly called The Grange Park. For photos of the park back in the day, click here.