The former United Foods Wholesale building, Toronto, ON

United Foods Wholesale was in our 'hood ... there were always vans and trucks pulling up in the loading docks to stock convenience stores.  It was demolished to make way for more condos.

Fall 2009
The building next to it was scheduled to be knocked down

Fall 2009
The building next to it was scheduled to be knocked down

Fall 2009
Sod was laid after that building was knocked down

Fall 2009
Sod was laid after that building was knocked down

Spotted at Queen W/Dovercourt, Toronto, ON

Burger Bass, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had a late lunch today at Burger Bass (Queen W/Dovercourt).  They just opened a couple weeks ago in our 'hood.

Gord ordered a 99 Burger with no tomatoes.

I ordered a Bach Burger with no onions or lettuce.

Sunnyside Beach, Toronto, ON

It's been sunny on and off all day and fairly warm (just above freezing) ... so I decided to drive to Sunnyside Beach, which is about a ten minute drive SW of us, to go for a walk.

Looking south toward the water from the parking lot ...

Looking eastward towards downtown ...

Straight ahead ... brrrr!

Honey-Dijon Grilled Thighs

I found this recipe in my 125 Best Chicken Recipes cookbook and made it for supper this evening.

Suggested menu:

• Honey Dijon Grilled Thighs
• Tiny New Potato Skewers
• Green Saland with Garlic Vinaigrette
• Fresh Fruit

Grease grill and preheat to medium-high.

• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp liquid honey
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 8 boneless chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper

In a bowl, combine mustard, honey, oil, lemon juice and thyme.

Pre-mixed

Mixed

Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

Former Toronto Business Development Centre building, Toronto, ON

The building that housed the Toronto Business Development Centre used to be in our 'hood (King Street W/Sudbury Street).  It was demolished to make way for a sales centre for condos that are going up just west of this site.

December 2010

December 2010

December 2010

Book ~ "Nice Girls Still Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers" (2014) Lois P. Frankel

From Goodreads ~ Internationally recognized executive coach Dr. Lois P. Frankel teaches women how to eliminate unconscious mistakes that could be holding them back, and gives invaluable coaching tips that can easily be incorporated into social and business skills. The results are career opportunities women never thought possible and the power and know-how to occupy the corner office!

This was interesting an book because it was focused on women and the mistakes we make in the workplace, whether you are an admin assistant or a VP.

To start, there is an assessment to see what you should work on ... my scores were pretty even for all the categories.  My overall score was in the middle and indicated ... Fine-tuning is the name of your game!  Although you often engage in behaviours worthy of a winning woman, there are times when you don't get your due because you get caught up in nice girl syndrome.

And that led you to the 133 mistakes in chapters that you should work on (and I find myself guilty of some of them):

• How you play the game - doing the work of others, working without a break, pinching company pennies, avoiding office politics, holding your tongue, etc.
• How you act - being too thin-skinned, needing to be liked, not needing to be liked, trying to be one of the guys, flirting, acquiescing to bullies, being a doormat, etc.
• How you think - thinking like employe, taking full responsibility, viewing men as authority figures, skipping meetings, letting people waste your time, ignoring the importance of network relationships, etc.
• How you brand and market yourself - having an elevator speech, minimizing your work or position, waiting to be noticed, inappropriate use of social media, ineffective use of social media, being invisible, etc.
• How you sound - asking permission, apologizing, using touchy-feely language, trailing voice mails, etc.
• How you look - obvious ink and piercings, tilting your head, wearing inappropriate make-up, the wrong hairstyle, inappropriate attire, grooming in public, poor eye contact, etc.
• How you respond - holding a grudge, believing others know more than you, allowing yourself to be the scapegoat, crying, etc.

In addition, there are real-life stories you can relate to and coaching tips for each mistake.

This book makes you aware of what women shouldn't be doing in the workplace and a reminder of things we already know.

Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast

Annie, a Facebook friend and colleague in our Montreal office, knows that I use our crock pot fairly often so recently emailed me this recipe for Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast.  I made it for supper this evening.

• 2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast (I used tenderloin)
•  kosher salt, to taste 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (I used minced garlic)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
• 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 tablespoon honey 

Season the pork with salt, garlic powder and red pepper flakes and place it into the slow cooker. Mix together the broth, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and pour it over the pork.  Then pour the honey over.

In the crock pot, ready to go!

Set the timer for four hours on high or six to eight hours hours on low.  I cooked it on low for seven hours.

Once the pork is cooked and tender (it should shred easily with a fork), remove from crock pot with tongs into a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and put back into the crock pot and ladle 1/2 cup sauce over the pork and keep warm until ready to eat.

Topbox - February 2014

My February Topbox arrived today.

For only $12 a month, you will receive a Topbox with 4 carefully selected, indulgent, beauty products. Then test the products in the comfort of your own home.

Here's what was in it ...

Happy Family Day!

Today is a statutory holiday here in Ontario.

Enjoy and spend some time with your family!

Quick-Roasted Lemon Thighs

I found this recipe in my 125 Best Chicken Recipes cookbook and made it for supper this evening.

Suggested menu:

• Quick-Roasted Lemon Thighs
• Parmesan Oven Fries (Toss sliced potatoes with olive oil, Parmesan cheese and pepper; spread out on a cookie sheet and bake in 425F/200C oven for 30 minutes, turning once)
• Sautéed zucchini and red bell pepper slices
• Fresh fruit

 Preheat oven to 425F (200C).

• 6  fresh thighs
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1tbsp Worchester sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Place chicken thighs in a glass dish just big enough to hold them in a single layer.
2. In a blender or mini chopper, combine garlic, lemon juice and Worchester sauce; purée until smooth.  Coat chicken with mixture and leave at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3. Arrange chicken on a rack in foiled-lined roasting pan.  Sprinkle with salt.  Roast in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

The former Downtown Dodge Chrysler site, Toronto, ON

When Gord and I decided to buy a new car in March 2004, we went to our local car lot, Downtown Dodge Chevrolet (King Street W/Shaw Street).

We walked around looking at the cars but nothing really grabbed us. Greg, a sales guy, came out and really started doing a hard sales job on us. He even insisted that we borrow a Neon for the afternoon so we could check it out and run any errands.

The "errand" we had planned for the afternoon was to drive to different car lots to check out cars. For security reasons, we had to leave him the registration and keys to our car, which was understandable.

We ended up checking out maybe five car lots in the west end of Toronto. The second one we went to is where we found the car we ended up buying.

Greg called us every evening for a couple weeks trying to sell us a car, even after we told him that we'd decided to buy one elsewhere.

The King streetcar tracks were replaced a couple years ago. Downtown Dodge Chrysler closed shortly after they finished repairing the part in our 'hood. I had read they said it was because that part of King Street W was closed for months which cut off traffic that could have been coming to their lot to buy a car.  The building was demolished to make way for condos.

1980s

Over the years, the space was rented out for various events including Toronto Fashion Week.

Toronto Rock 9, Rochester Knighthawks 17

The fourth Toronto Rock home game of the season was tonight and Gord and I were there (we have season's tickets this year).  The Rock is a professional lacrosse franchise in the National Lacrosse League (NLL).

The Rock were playing the Rochester Knighthawks ... Rochester had beat Toronto a couple weeks ago.

 The Rock Cheerleaders entertained before the game started.

 Iggy was excited about tonight's game!

Scotty Newlands sang the national anthems.

Book ~ "The Girl with a Clock for a Heart" (2014) Peter Swanson

From Goodreads ~ George Foss never thought he'd see her again but on a late-August night in Boston, there she is, in his local bar, Jack's Tavern. 

When George first met her, she was an eighteen-year-old college freshman from Sweetgum, Florida. She and George became inseparable in their first fall semester, so George was devastated when he got the news that she had committed suicide over Christmas break. But, as he stood in the living room of the girl's grieving parents, he realized the girl in the photo on their mantelpiece - the one who had committed suicide - was not his girlfriend. Later, he discovered the true identity of the girl he had loved - and of the things she may have done to escape her past. 

Now, twenty years later, she's back, and she's telling George that he's the only one who can help her.

George dated Audrey for three months during their first year of university.  When she went home for Christmas holiday, she committed suicide.  Looking for closure and grieving, George visits Audrey's parents in Florida to express his sympathy ... and discovers that the girl he loved wasn't Audrey at all, so wasn't really dead.  He goes back to university hoping she'd contact him.

Fast forward twenty years and she shows up in his life asking for a favour.  Only then does he find out that the girl he knew he didn't know ... he knows her even less than he thought.  But she gets him tangled up her web of lies and he's torn between naïvely wanting to help her and wanting to know the truth.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I thought it got off to a slow start but picked up once it got going.  It is written in third person perspective.  It jumps back and forth from today to twenty years ago ... the chapters that are in the past are in italics so it's easy to keep track.  I liked this approach for this story because it kept me wanting to read more to see what the heck had really happened twenty years ago ... so I liked that all wasn't revealed chronologically.   As a head's up, the language and some activity is for mature reader.

George was admittedly at a point where he was just cruising through life ... he had a job he'd been doing for a while and a girl friend he occasionally hooked up with.  Having the love of his life suddenly come back into his life gave him the jolt that he needed to care again.  I wasn't crazy about the ending ... I would have liked to have known what really happened rather than it being left in the air with a couple possibilities.

I'd recommend this book and look forward to reading others from this author.

Trius wine club - February 2014

Gord and I have been members of the Trius Wine Club for over ten years.

Every month, 2 bottles of our best wine will be delivered to your door along with Winemaker Craig McDonald’s tasting notes and Chef Frank Dodd’s recipes.

The cost is $43 a month and it's only available in Ontario.

We picked up our Trius wine club box today ... they tried to deliver it yesterday and we weren't home.

Here's what we got this month ...

• Trius Cabernet Franc 2012 ($14.95) ~ The recipes included that pair with it are Sugar Cured Beef Tenderloin with Apple Cream Sauce
• Trius Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2012 ($19.95) - We aren't fans of chardonnay :(  The recipe included that pairs with it is Maple Roasted Salmon and Spinach

Morgan and Crumpet enjoyed the box afterwards in their own way.

What used to be Gord's spot on the couch ...

... is now Crumpet's!

When we bought our couch last month, we quickly discovered that kitty claws leave marks on it.  So we threw a bunch of blankets and pillows on it to protect it.

On the right is Gord's spot (mine is on the left).  I came home one day this week and discovered Crumpet sleeping there ... she'd never been there before.  And now that's where you'll find her all the time.

Look how cute she is ... it's no surprise that Gord sits elsewhere and doesn't move her.

But as soon as she moves there's a mad scramble to reclaim his spot!

Book ~ "125 Best Chicken Recipes" (2014) Rose Murray

From Goodreads ~ In today's busy households, chicken has become a standard meal for people who want good and healthy food in a hurry. 

With "125 Best Chicken Recipes," there are dozens of different ways to prepare delicious and inspired chicken dishes - all in record time. 

Whether using a skillet, frying pan, oven or grill, most of these recipes can be prepared in 20 to 30 minutes. With just a few ingredients, chicken happily takes up flavors from all parts of the globe, whether it's Coq au Vin from Europe or the savory curry flavors of Easy Tandoori from India. 

I like chicken and we eat a lot of it.  But I rarely do anything exciting with it ... sprinkle on some premixed spices or Shake 'n Bake it.  So that's why this book caught my eye.  The recipes seems easy and quick and you don't need fancy ingredients.

The book starts with a quick chicken pantry ... ingredients to have on had to make the recipes.  Then there are some instructions on buying and cooking chicken.

The recipes include:

• Woks, Wings and Wraps - Burmese Chicken Thighs, Tex-Mex Wings, Roasted Chicken Fajitas 
• Substantial Soups - Chicken Cheese Chowder, Hot and Sour Soup 
• Satisfying Salads - Curried Chicken and Pasta Salad, Thai Chicken Noodle Salad, Chicken Caesar
• Oven Roasting and Broiling - Orange-Rosemary Glazed Chicken Breasts 
• Sautées and Skillet Suppers - Quick Coq au Vin, Braised Chicken with New Potatoes and Peas 
• Pasta and Rice - Mediterranean Pasta, Penne with Herbed Chicken Sauce 
• Great Grills - Gremolata Grilled Chicken, Chicken and Summer Fruit Kabobs

I know that chicken is low in calories but it would be nice to know the nutritional information of the recipes.

The recipes I've tried are:

• Quick-Roasted Lemon Thighs
• Honey Dijon Grilled Thighs
• Crunchy Garlic Wings
• Spicy Roasted Wings
• Basic Whole Roasted Chicken

I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

King Rustic, Toronto, ON

After Gord and I left Bar Wellington, we started walking home.

King Rustic (King Street W/Strachan) opened a couple months ago and we stopped in and checked it out.

We sat at the bar.

Bar Wellington, Toronto, ON

I met Gord at Bar Wellington (Portland/Wellington) after work for supper this evening.

My beer tasted good!