The Foodie Files

I've been thinking for quite some time about what else I want to talk about on my blog. I've long discussed my love of travel and I've talked about my adventures in recipe testing, but something I've been playing around with in my mind is finally coming to fruition.

As someone who loves food and dining out, I've been lucky enough to try a number of restaurants in and around St. John's. With the Newfoundland food scene really having taken off over the past few years, there is a diverse selection of restaurants out there, offering all sorts of food. I thought it was time I added my thoughts on restaurants around town. Will anyone read them? Maybe. Will anyone care? Maybe not. Is it an excuse to dine out? ...Maybe again. But as someone who is curious about food and how flavours blend together, and as someone who is always looking to try out the next big thing in town, why not??

That's why I'm going to really launch the Foodie Files part of my blog. While I'll still talk about recipe successes or favourite cupcake shops, I'm going to begin writing about my experiences with restaurants around town - my favourite dishes, apps that are must-tries, desserts that are to die for and so on. As someone with food allergies and sensitivities, I also think I'll bring a bit of a fresh perspective when it come to dining out, and the must-ask questions that one should bring up when dining out with a food sensitivity.

So stay tuned, the first Foodie File is coming up soon. Watch this space!

Stepping back into history

Travelling is something I've loved to do ever since I was young. I've been very fortunate that my parents insisted on going somewhere every summer while I was growing up, so I've been able to visit almost all of the provinces in Canada, a number of the states in the United States, and parts of Europe, Australia and Central America. Suffice it to say, I was definitely bitten by the travel bug at an early age.

Sometimes, though, it's nice to be a tourist in your own backyard. Which is why I took in a performance of Fleming at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist here in St. John's.

The one-man play features local Newfoundland actor Paul Rowe as Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming, the man whose determination and vision brought the cathedral to life over 150 years ago.

I won't give too much away, but will say that the play spans a number of years, from the beginning of the construction up to the celebration of the first mass by Fleming. It's interactive too, moving you around inside and outside the church, learning the history visually and aurally. 

Rowe does a fine job of portraying Fleming, using a mix of fact and humour throughout the play. His delivery is captivating, never allowing your mind to stray from the performance and keeping you interested at all times.

The play runs from July 5 to August 27, Tuesday through Saturday at noon. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and can be bought day-of just before the performance. For more information, visit the Basilica Heritage Foundation website or check out their Twitter account.

*Thank you to the Basilica Heritage Foundation for the complimentary tickets.

Pink sky at night...

I know the saying is technically "red sky at night, sailor's delight", but in this case, a pink sky was what we saw last night in St. John's. A sudden thunderstorm came over the city and poured for about 10 minutes. Shortly after, the sky brightened and cleared, and we were treated to this beautiful sight.

As I get older, I seem to be getting more and more of an appreciation for nature and the world around me. I just came back from a week out west in British Columbia and Alberta for a family wedding. Driving through the Rocky Mountains, I saw sprawling landscapes and natural beauty that really are a sight to behold.

The wedding ceremony was at a beautiful spot called Emerald Lake, in B.C. It was stunning. Snow-capped mountains, lush green forests and a teal-blue lake...breath-taking. 

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend driving through the Rockies, as they'll give you a new appreciation for the vast land we call home.

Countdown to Christmas...

The countdown to Christmas is really on, with only a few days left to trim the tree, wrap the presents and get those gingerbread cookies baked. It's been pretty green the past few weeks, except for a snowstorm I missed while away in Toronto, but last night, we had a little snow, just in time for Christmas. I don't think it's supposed to last, but at least we had a little dusting of white at some point during the season.

It looks so peaceful and pretty when it's first fallen, don't you think?

Sunshine on a cloudy day

There's nothing like opening your curtains first thing in the morning to see a beautiful sun shining down on the lake. Here's to a lovely day!

2014: The Year in Review

2014. What a year. It was a year full of big changes for myself, my family and my friends. Some changes were amazing and came in the form of new jobs, new living situations and new relationships. Others came in the form of illness and disappointments. Looking back on the past twelve months, I can say without hesitation that it's been one of the most eventful years of my life.

This year was definitely the Year of Weddings for me. With half a dozen close friends getting married over the past twelve months, and me standing or participating in some way in almost all of those weddings, to say I'm a bit wedding'd out is fairly accurate. Still, I'm so grateful to all of those friends for asking me to be part of their special days in some form or another.

Weddings weren't the only events that took place this year, though. Let's take a look back at some of the highlights of my 2014:



- Being bridesmaid for a close friend in her glamourous Toronto wedding in February. A long weekend in Toronto is always enjoyable, but when it includes a spectacular wedding of a favourite friend, it doesn't get much better than that. It was fabulous!

- Moving into a gorgeous new apartment with a spectacular view of St. John's. Though this is a small city, living in the east end instead of the centre or downtown areas of town has been a big adjustment for me. Still, it does have its perks - I can see the ocean from my window and have a beautiful view of Signal Hill!







- Taking off on a spur of the moment long weekend to our nation's capital to visit family and friends and escape the island for a few days. Sometimes, the best trips come out of the blue with very little planning. This wouldn't be the only time I did that this year...






- Helping my best friend of 25 years plan her beautiful garden wedding, and stand by her side as her maid of honour. As I'd said to Meg on her wedding day: we've been through a lot, and through it all, we've grown up together and shared each other's biggest and littlest moments. I was truly honoured to be with her as she went from Ms. to Mrs.






- Escaping to Europe on another spur of the moment trip for two weeks with a good friend. As I'd said before, sometimes the best trips come unexpectedly. We experienced the simple things in life: good food, somewhat good wine, lots of history and loads of beautiful scenery. Italy and France, I'd missed you.






- Finally returning to where I left my heart almost a decade ago: London. Breathing in that crisp, English air and feeling the rush of that beautiful city was magical. I felt a constant hum of excitement pulsing through me every day I was there. I know I'll be back again soon.







- Celebrating a different kind of Christmas in my new home. Instead of going to my folks' house, they came to mine, where we've enjoyed making new traditions.





As I said before, 2014 really was one of the most eventful years of my life. Lots of changes came my way, both positive and negative. But overall, it was a really great year. As 2014 comes to a close, I look towards 2015 and what it will hold: a big wedding for my family, a big birthday for me (30! Yikes!) and more challenges ahead, both personally and professionally. But that's okay. I'm ready for it all. I'm going to face 30 head on and take whatever else comes in stride. 

Welcome, 2015! It's time to be fierce.

It's been a while...

Almost two years, to be exact. Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it!

So long, old look.

You may notice things look a little less...pink around here. Yep. I decided that for the new year, I'd give this blog a new look. It's undergone a serious face lift. Out with the pink, in with the gold. (Though, I think there's still some pink lurking around somewhere. I can't get rid of all of it, it's pretty much in my blood.)

I've been really into gold lately - gold jewelry, gold nail polish, gold decorative pieces around my home...so it seemed somewhat fitting to infuse my online home with a bit of gold. I'm really liking the look, and I hope you like it too!

Hello, new look.

I took some time away from blogging the past couple of years due to my offline life getting busy and lots of changes happening. Now that things have levelled out a bit, I've decided that 2015 would be a good time to take it up again. New year, renewed blogging commitment. I'm not promising to blog every single day, or even every single week, but we'll see if I can pump out a few posts a month. Let's start slow, folks. I've gotta ease myself back into this. :)

I've also decided to change my blogging topics a bit - there will be less PR posts and more lifestyle/home decor/foodie posts. The Newfoundland food scene has really picked up in the past few years and I really enjoy going out and trying new restaurants, so look for some resto reviews in the coming months. As I said above, home decor is also something I'm going to be exploring on the blog. I'm still a big fan of Pinterest and have taken to trying some DIY pins I've found, so you can look forward to entries on some simple, DIY projects.

Thanks for sticking with me, and for coming back and checking things out. I hope you'll come back and see what I have in store for this little blog!

We Remember

I blogged recently about my time in Harlow and how it was such an amazing experience. While there, a group of us took a trip to Beaumont Hamel and visited the battlefields where so many Newfoundlanders gave their lives during World War I. Below are just a few of the pictures I took during that trip. 

As today is Remembrance Day, I thought it would be fitting for today's entry to be about remembering the young men and women who gave their lives in battles over the years, but I also believe it's important to remember the veterans who survived and are still living today. Thank you for your service to our country and to your fellow Canadians.

Harlow

There's something about this time of year that makes me really nostalgic. I always think back to what I was doing three, five, seven years ago, and how my life has changed since then. This time of year always makes me especially miss Harlow, where I spent the autumn of 2005 during my undergrad at Memorial.

When I talk to other people about their Harlow experiences, the same words usually come up every time; their time in that small English town was "life-changing", and I know that for me, it truly was. I had the opportunity to study great classics like Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, North and South and works by Shakespeare, and then visit the areas of England where the books took place, or where the author grew up, or where they were laid to rest. To be able to have an experience like that to look back on fondly is something I'm so grateful for.

The picture below is just over seven years old. Even though it's been a while, I can remember it being taken. I was sitting in a T.G.I. Friday's in London, the one on Coventry Street, just down from Piccadilly Circus and across from the London Trocadero. My folks were visiting me for a couple of weeks and we stayed in London for the weekend in a lovely hotel on Gloucester Road. I remember being so happy to see them and missing Newfoundland and the people there...but at the same time, I was completely content with being in England and loving my little life there.

I can honestly say I think about Harlow every single day since my time there.Whenever I talk to people who are considering studying abroad for a term, I always, always encourage them to do so, because you will undoubtedly learn more about yourself, others and life in general than you ever thought possible. If you're thinking about making a move, just do it. Stop wondering and do it. :)

Recommended Reads Part 2

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about five of my favourite blogs to read, and explained some of the things I love about them. I promised a part 2, and I don't like to disappoint; so here's Part 2 of my Recommended Reads!

a diary of little things and curiosities

I can't even remember how I came across Laura's blog, but from the first post I fell in love with it. Laura has this way of writing that sucks you in and makes you want to go back and read all of her blog entries. Whether she's blogging about where she lives or how she feels about something, her style is captivating. My favourite part of Laura's blog is her "Today I Believe" series, which I've blogged about before. She has a way of putting into words exactly how I feel about something, but can't seem to put into words myself. Her blog is a great read!


Notamodel

Amanda and I went through our PR program together a few years ago, and back then she was a blogging pro. I love reading Amanda's blog and catching up on her photo series, or her reviews of products that she's tried over the years. I also really like the premise of her blog "not a model", meaning that nobody's perfect, but everyone is beautiful in their own way. That being a notamodel is more about accepting yourself and embracing yourself. It's a refreshing read for sure!


It's a Colourful Life

Meghan and I have been best friends for over twenty years and ever since we were little, I knew she was really artistic. Whether it was doodling on the corners of notebooks or decorating display boards for school projects, Meg has always been creative. So when she started an interior design program last year, it really came as no surprise to those of us who know her. Since she started her blog last year, she's filled it with pictures of great decorating ideas for the holidays, beautiful furniture and creative ways to use the most random of items (like mason jars!) For some design inspiration, check out Meg's blog; you just might get some ideas for your next DIY project!


Gravitas & Giggles

Sara is one of my best friends from university who I did a term abroad in England with. It didn't take us long to become fast friends with our shared love of things like ruggedly handsome foreign men and coffee. Sara is a wonderful writer who composes poems, short fiction and has even written some children's stories. She posts her writings every once in a while on her blog, along with musings about books or her thoughts on the art of writing and of literature. What draws me to her blog the most is how she writes - so thought out and words carefully chosen, her poetry isn't the only writing that's magnificent; even just her every day blog is.


stephanie fusco 

Stephanie is a fellow PR girl who lives in Toronto and blogs about fashion, lifestyle and living in Toronto. Like some of the other blogs I enjoy reading, she writes products reviews and tells about her experiences at events around Toronto. She recently attended the launch of Banana Republic's Mad Men collection, which had some gorgeous pieces, like the Betty dress. Stephanie and I share a love for the colour pink, so usually when she posts about an article of clothing that comes in our signature colour, I fall in love with it too! Check out Stephanie's blog for some great posts about fashion, TO events and PR musings!


So there you have it - my weekly reading list. These blogs never fail to educate me on the latest trends in fashion, the hottest new restaurants in Toronto, great design ideas for my home, and new ways to cook healthy treats. I always enjoy posts from the bloggers listed above and in Part 1, and if you check them out, you might find that you enjoy their blogs too. :)

Happy Reading!

This Blogger's Recommended Reads!

I've been thinking about this week's blog post and I've been trying to figure out what to write about. Transatlantic Tastes is still on hiatus, but will hopefully be back next week. In the mean time, a blog post by my cousin-in-law, Colleen, got me thinking about blogging.

Colleen is a faithful blogger who posts nearly every day. Almost every morning when I come into work and turn on the ol' computer, one thing I do while I'm waiting for my email to load is go read her latest blog post. Doing this yesterday made me think about the other blogs I like to read regularly.

So, in the same sort of way people on Twitter participate in "Follow Friday" and recommend Twitter users other people should "follow", this post is my recommendation to you for blogs that you may enjoy reading, because I sure do!

{Every Day}

My cousin-in-law, Colleen, writes a wonderful blog from her perspective as a new mom. She talks babies, family, recipes and running, just to name a few topics. One of the reasons I love Colleen's blog is because she always posts amazing recipes, and her photography displays her culinary creations beautifully. As well, I always love seeing new pictures of my new little cousin, and her blog is a great way to keep up with how much he's been growing!





Shades of Aquarius

Katie and I went to PR school together a few years ago, and back then, I knew she was super fashionable. I think this girl has always been fashionable. But what I didn't know, and soon learned from her blog, is that she's also an amazing cook. Katie has blogged about so many delicious-looking and sounding dishes that she's made, I've had to make a list of the ones I'm dying to try myself, just to keep track of them all. I always enjoy reading her blog because I get to see what's happening with the latest fashion shows in the industry, and learn a new recipe while I'm at it.


It's a savoury life

Rebecca is a friend of mine from high school who lives in Ontario and works as a dietician. Her blog is generally consists of recipes and ways to take better care of yourself in terms of food and health. One thing I love about Rebecca's posts, however, is that as a dietician, she explains everything that she's posting about, like telling you the health benefits of different beans, or listing out a recipe for a deliciously healthy pizza and telling you which veggies would not only taste great on it, but the nutritional information that goes along with them. Her blog has made me stop and think about different foods that I used to avoid, but now include in my diet regularly.



The A List

Alanna is another former PR classmate from Toronto who writes the super popular blog, The A List. If I ever want to know what's happening in the celebrity world (and really, who doesn't?) I turn to Alanna. I love catching up on all the latest gossip and videos that Alanna posts, especially the videos about Sophia Grace and Rosie these days! Alanna also attends a lot of entertainment functions around Toronto, so it's really cool to read about her experiences at things like TIFF.




the rural knitter

Kayla and I studied abroad in England together during our undergrad, during the best months of my life (and possibly hers). Kayla's worn a few different hats in her time, (figuratively) but these days, her recent hobby has her wearing many different hats (literally). A newcomer to knitting, she picked up the skill faster than I could ever hope to, and has made some amazing pieces, one of which I'm sporting in the picture below. I love reading Kayla's blog and seeing what new piece she's knitted. Maybe I can wrangle a pair of mitts of of her sometime, to match my gorgeous pink hat. :)

So, these are some of the blogs that I read regularly and always look forward to new posts from. If you're looking for something to add to your reading list, why not check out one or all of these wonderful blogs?

I'll post Part 2 of my Recommended Reads next week. Until then, have a happy week!

Toronto, How I Miss Thee

As you probably know by now, (and if you don't, what parts of my blog have you been reading?? Kidding!) I used to live in Toronto, going to school and working in the public relations industry. While I love my home in Newfoundland, now that I'm back in St. John's, I realize that I do miss Toronto an awful lot.

When I first moved to the Big Smoke, I was going to school and living in Etobicoke, so I didn't get a chance to explore downtown Toronto a whole lot. But when I moved downtown after finishing school and lived in an apartment with some friends, that was like a different life altogether.

At the time, I was on the job hunt looking for work, with not much to do and little money to spend. While there were days I stayed home and watched a lot of television, (it was then I discovered and became obsessed with the Food Network -  a healthy obsession, I like to think) all that free time gave me a chance to explore the city and get to know it better. I learned street names and subway stations, districts of the city and where popular attractions were located.

Being away from Toronto has shown me how much I really do miss things like:


I miss living with my roommates in our brick townhouse in the heart of downtown Toronto. My friend Heather and I had gone through our public relations program together and our friend Brittany and later, new roommate Kristel, both strangers in the beginning, became fast friends, and are still friends of mine today. It was really nice, being able to come home at the end of our days, make dinner and talk about what had happened at work, and then watch some tv together, play video games, or just chat. I miss those days, girls. :)

I miss walking to the St. Lawrence Market on Saturday mornings with my buddy Paul and having pasta, buying fresh produce and stocking up on perogies. Being able to buy your produce from somewhere other than the grocery store is something that's rare in St. John's. I know we have a couple of little farmer's markets in the city and surrounding areas, but they're nothing like the St. Lawrence Market.





You must know by now that I love cupcakes. I mean, seriously love. So when in a big city like Toronto, there were bakeries and sweet shops that sure, sold cupcakes. But then there were cupcake shops, dedicated to just cupcakes.





Those were the places I used to visit fairly often...so much so, that the staff at one of them began to remember me. I knew then I had a problem. A cupcake-addiction problem...but it's fine, all things in moderation, right? I miss the cupcake shops I'd visit the most, like Prairie Girl Bakery, or Dlish Cupcakes. Both their cupcakes were so delicious.

I know my Toronto friends might think I'm crazy, but I miss riding the subway. (okay, I certainly don't miss the delays on the TTC, but I do miss riding the train sometimes.) I miss getting on the train and letting it take me to wherever I was going, listening to the stops being announced, seeing the people on the train with me, wondering where they were headed. Every once in a while, I'd run into someone I knew on the train (which was rare, since I didn't know very many people in Toronto) and that would always delight me; that in a city of millions, it's still a small world after all.

I miss the atmosphere of the city; so busy and noisy and full of lights and massive buildings and strings of traffic. Those are things that, no matter how much I love St. John's, it just doesn't have, like Toronto does.





My time in Toronto had a big impact on my life and the person I am today. I was out on my own in a city that, while I had visited numerous times on family vacations, was still strange to me. It was a big change. But it was one I had craved and one that I had needed for a while. And because it had such a positive impact on me, there's not a day that goes by that I don't miss that city and all it offered me.

While I do miss Toronto, and still wish I could be back there sometimes, when your home looks like this, it's hard not to feel happy that you're from such a beautiful place like Newfoundland.

Another Year Has Come and Gone...Goodbye, 2011!

I've been doing some reflecting the past few days - well, the past couple of weeks really - about how I felt about 2011. I can say right off the bat that it definitely wasn't my favourite year, and didn't turn out to be "The Year of Elizabeth...Again". I gave up on that a month or so in and decided I didn't need it to be. I'd save it for the next year. :)

Like 2010, however, 2011 was still a big year of change: change in jobs, living situations, relationships and most of all, change in me. It's funny to look back and think, "This time last year, did I ever expect all the things that have happened to have happened?" This time last year, would I have thought I'd be back living in Newfoundland? Probably not. It wasn't in my plans, but I am glad it happened. There have been a lot of things I've experienced, both good and bad, but it's all added to an eventful year.

And so, enough rambling. Let's do a recap of what 2011 held for this girl:




- Celebrating my 26th Birthday at home with my family and friends in Newfoundland after being away from them for months!

- Getting up at 3am to watch "The Wedding of the Century", the Royal Wedding coverage and ceremony, and having a "Royal Wedding Breakfast" for family and friends!

- Beginning work at one of the most amazing jobs I think I'll ever have: working on a television show for a national television network and meeting some wonderful new friends! 

- Working at CTV definitely had its perks: I got to work the CTV Upfronts and the MMVAs (Much Music Video Awards) and cross paths with lots of amazing musicians, actors and celebrities. It was really neat to see how things work behind the scenes!

- Getting to see Coldplay, one of my favourite bands in concert for the first time, was a real dream come true!








- Having the best weekend of my year with three of my best friends in Toronto. We came from all across the country for 3 days of hilarious chats, exciting wedding dress excursions and lots of dinners and drinks!

- Getting to visit Niagara Falls and Ottawa, two places I haven't been in a long time, to see family and friends before I left Ontario.










- Coming home and beginning work at the place where I started my PR career last year: the best marketing communications agency on the east coast!




So, as you can tell, it's been an eventful year. And after reflecting on all the things I've listed above, maybe it wasn't such a bad year after all!

One of my favourite things to do in life is learn: learn new recipes, learn about a new area of the world, read a new book, visit a new place, try something different. I really believe in living life to the fullest, and I try to practice that in my career and the rest of my life.

2011 was an interesting year, but to be honest, I've been looking forward to 2012 for months, for a number of reasons: My champagne birthday is coming up in March, and since it only happens once in a lifetime, I intend to make it the most memorable birthday of all; one of my best friends is marrying her long-time boyfriend, and her three bridesmaids are myself and our other two friends. A wedding of friends is something to definitely be excited about; I intend to take better care of myself and spend as much time with family and friends as possible, because as I've learned the hard way, you never really know how much time you have left with them.

And so, I can finally say, "So Long, 2011!" You helped me grow and I experience a lot. Here's to 2012, the Year of Elizabeth!

Happy New Year! This will be the best year yet!

"Twenty years from now, you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So sail away from the safe harbour. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain