Favourite Summer Meal

I love Italian food. I know, right? Who doesn’t? I work with a man from Italy and I have learned quite a bit about Italian dishes. He has made this for me a few times at work and has shared his secrets for success with this dish.

Its very simple, with very few ingredients, but the taste to me is pure summer. It is also quick and cheap to make (especially if you have an over-producing zucchini plant in the garden) so its a dish I make often for myself. D wont eat much pasta himself but that just leaves more for me. :) 

Zucchini and Pasta for Two 

What you need:
1-2 small zucchinis cut lengthwise and then sliced into thin half-moons. 
1 handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1-2 Tablespoons of good olive oil (by good I mean one you like!)
2 portions of your favourite pasta (I’ve used bucatini, rigatoni and spaghetti for this dish)
Fresh ground black pepper

(Optional)

Cheese – Parmesan if you are a stickler for authenticity or feta if you are feeling rebellious - I often am.

Start your pot with water and a generous portion of sea salt for the pasta. Omitting the salt here really messes things up – I usually put in a full tablespoon. Keep in mind, however, that if you add cheese it will kick up the saltiness of your dish*.

Use a big handful of parsley!

As this comes to a boil, wash and cut your zucchinis and parsley. Heat your olive oil on high and add the zucchini – I like to cook this on high for a good 8-10 minutes to create a nice browning on the vegetable. Once the zucchini starts to look transparent and delicious, add the chopped parsley, stir it up and shut off the heat.

Yummy golden bits

By now your water should be boiling with the pasta cooking. Cook according to the package directions and to your taste. I prefer my pasta al dente, so I watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t overcook. Drain your pasta and reserve some of the cooking water. Over low heat, add the pasta to the vegetables and mix together. Add a tablespoon of cooking water to thicken the “sauce” and add your black pepper. Now is when you may add your cheese if you wish. Serve and enjoy! 

Love it!

*Sometimes I have added too much salt to the water, but you can always rinse the pasta to get some salt off if this happens to you. Try the pasta before you combine everything if you are worried about saltiness. 

Score!

I have been missing good old fashioned, double-boiled, Cape Breton-style tea ever since I got married and lost the use of my Mom's Corningware teapot. You can't buy these new anymore so it can be hard to come across one at a garage sale or second-hand store.

My aunt looked for one for months when she first got to Toronto, so I was expecting to have a hard time finding one myself. Today Mom and I stopped in at the Salvation Army and lo, I looked up and saw this beauty! Its in perfect condition, even better than my mom's, and it was priced right - 99 ₵  .   

Today was a good day! :)

Fatima

The view from our hotel room

We went to Fatima on our honeymoon in June. We arrived there in the night with D.'s Uncle and we stayed at the Pax Hotel. It was a large hotel, and the nicest one we stayed at apart from the Montochoro in the Algarve. However, the sleeping arrangements were far from ideal!

Two single beds = one double room

I did sleep very soundly that night! I think as a newlywed the hardest thing to get used to is sharing a bed with another person. 

Outside the older church at Fatima

Fatima was the most overwhelming place I have ever visited in my life. I have literally never seen so many people in one place before. The odor of melting wax, like the inside of a Catholic church on a hot day, was everywhere.

The line-up for candle offerings

I soon found out that many, many people burn candles and wax offerings at a huge pyre very close to the spot where our Lady appeared. People actually had  wax models representing illnesses and maladies affecting the body. I learned about this practice when studying Medieval Europe and I was half-shocked and half-pleased to see it with my own eyes. 

The first chapel built over the place of the apparition

The smell is really almost overpowering, and the heat from the huge fires is scorching. I found it was hard to pray surrounded by so many other people but we did light candles and place them among the racks. 

We visited the new Cathedral first.

 The new Cathedral at Fatima

The building is very simple and contemporary. Lots of people hate the look of it but I was intrigued to see a new style of architecture being used for such a purpose. The crucified Christ outside the new church is also in a more contemporary style and D. didn't like it much.

 The interior of the new Cathedral

The space between the old church and the new church is used by pilgrims who crawl on their knees to the spot our Lady appeared.

The long area between the two churches

I would estimate they crawl for a half a kilometre all the way around the shrine. I didn’t take pictures of the people out of respect – I was a little horrified by what they were doing, but mostly I was in awe of their personal sacrifice and religious devotion. It seemed to me that I could never crawl so far on my knees. But when I saw a young mother crawling with her infant, I knew that she was there in thanksgiving for an answered prayer and I was overcome with emotion. I know what it is to pray for something for years and years and finally receive that gift. 

The old Church

The old church was in a more traditional style. There were so many people present that it was difficult to pray in peace there.

The interior of the old church

For this reason I preferred the other churches we had visited that were comparatively vacant and peaceful. We did take a few moments to sit and see what people had made in devotion to the Virgin - it is amazing what hands can do. 

The altar in the old church

It was such an honour to go somewhere so special on my honeymoon.  

All in all, I enjoyed the experience but I felt overwhelmed most of the day and by the afternoon with the heat and the crowds I was glad to leave.

The Slippery Slope

Well turns out that dollhouses are crazy addictive!

Resist if you dare!

I had an inkling I would be in trouble and now I am! I have put together my dollhouse and it is almost finished. I just need to stain the roof shingles and touch up the paint here and there. As you can see I succumbed and bought wall paper.

actually its scrapbook paper 

What you do not see is the tiny furniture I am currently making and painting. Yep, I have gone there - given myself up to the siren call of dollhouse furniture. 

Dollhouses: Am I Crazy?

In Cape Breton, I have a favorite antiques store that I must visit every year. Myles from Nowhere is in Margaree Forks, by the Co-op, in case you are passing through!

Anyway, I saw a number of crudely made dollhouses for sale there and while I was intrigued by them, they were much too ugly for me to consider buying.

A few days later, on a blog I frequent, Nie Nie Dialogues, I happened to see a beautiful little house used in her decor - I can only guess that it is a dollhouse. I love how it is used in the room and since I am always dreaming about how I will decorate my own home, I felt that I must look around to see what was out there.

And so last night I plunged into the world of dollhouses! It is an expensive and labour-intensive world. I was seriously afraid that I was getting myself into a new and pricey hobby.

Luckily after some searching I came across the most wonderful website - The Little Dollhouse Company - and their shop is literally across the street from my boss' restaurant! It was a great excuse to eat great meal and peruse the dollhouses. Which is what D. and I did today!

I bought the simplest, smallest kit they had, and I am in love with it already. I took it out of the box and fit it all together and it is the cutest little thing ever. I can't wait to start building it!

The only bad thing is I was in a store filled with expensive, small and ridiculous items. So I was totally in my element! I am afraid that I have started down a path...even D. was drawn to the little furniture and accessories. I think we might be in trouble :)

Sadness

I was in Cape Breton for a week. It was a hastily planned trip to see my grandmother who was sick in the hospital. She died the morning of our flight in so we missed her by hours.

Its strange how a place I have loved so much and knew only under happy circumstances has become such a source of sadness to me in memory.

Now that I have been back a week I don’t remember most the fun times I tried to have. All I can see is her empty spot in the kitchen, and what I saw at the funeral. I remember her, and I miss her. Her absence jarred my whole experience of Cape Breton.

Although I have come to some sort of peace with her death, there are many moments of disbelief and profound sadness at the realization that she is really, really gone.

I haven’t been a Catholic for very long – its been four years since I was baptized – and while I feel a sense of peace because of my faith I am also experiencing a black hole of fear and doubt.


In any case, my grandmother was a good woman and I will miss her. I am sure I will love Cape Breton again without the sadness I am feeling now.

I want this!

This is a cross stitch kit called "Silhouette Collage" - designed by Eva Rosenstand. Its a huge project at 50 x 40 cm but it appeals to me on so many levels - the monochromatic imagery broken by the flowers in the centre. I love how the primary colours contrast with the black and white. And the subject matter is so sweet. Its a little expensive for me right now, so I will just have to dream about it for now. 

Our Wedding

Here is a small selection of pictures from my wedding.

It was photographed by Nika and Dusan from Wild Orchid Creations. They were wonderful and I would recommend their services. I found them to be very well priced - their work is very good and they were extremely helpful and professional.

My mother lent me an opal ring she wore on her wedding day. My engagement ring is a deep blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds - I love this ring (I basically had it custom made) and there are 15 diamonds which happily turned out to be our wedding date. This ring makes me smile whenever I see it.

My bouquet - It had ferns, ranunculus, lilacs, and some other flowers I can't remember now! It was beautiful, much beyond my expectations. It lasted all day and I was able to preserve it using silica gel - the colours are still vivid. I owe all my flowers to Roxy from Flower Parade.

Here we are at the church during the ceremony. D doesn't like the idea of being online so I don't want to show him much. Sorry! Rest assured he is very handsome :) I went through the RCIA program at this church so I was baptised, received my first communion and confirmed here. D received all his sacraments here too so it was important to us to be married here. Father Luigi performed the ceremony.

Here is a picture of me at the Presbyterian church at Black Creek Pioneer Village, where we had our pictures taken. This was the highlight of the day for me (you know, besides getting married). I love the history and the charm of the village. My father and I visit every year at Christmastime so to be able to take my photos here was a dream come true for me. It was annoyingly expensive and they have a lot of rules, but to me the pictures were worth it. Plus my bridal party, especially the guys and the children, were entertained by the village - this was a plus since they do a lot of waiting around.

Here is the cake with my beautiful cake topper. The cake was really tasty and decorated very simply. I ordered it from Just Temptations and I was really happy with them. The first two layers were "strawberry shortcake" and the top layer was chocolate mousse. We saved the top layer and I can't wait to eat it. I don't think I will wait the full year, though. I heard that 3 months is the max you should leave it frozen.

Here is the head table at Europa Catering, the hall where we had our reception. It was an old-school Portuguese hall, which was perfect since I married a Pork Chop. The food had to be perfect so we went with one of the best places food-wise. The hall was the nicest one I saw, since other banquet halls in the suburbs are all huge modern gymnasium-style complexes. Europa was in the city, and there are only three spaces that can be rented. We had the main room and I loved it.

Here I am with my Father. We danced to Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely? since I wasn't up for a sappy sad bastard father-daughter song. I am a really emotional person but at the same time my Britishness refuses to let it show. I knew if I had anything sentimental I would lose it and I wanted our wedding day to be happy and not a tear-fest. I am really glad I went with this song! All in all the day was great. We set a small fire in the church and burnt the altar covering and my dad got lost for an hour on the way to the hall but beyond that things went well. No disasters, no freak-outs. Our guests enjoyed themselves and D and I got married! Nothing could top that :)

I am in a funk

We are finally out of the basement and using the brand new kitchen!

Our fridge (or should I say the MIL’s fridge) was back ordered forever, and then the replacement fridge we ordered took another 2 weeks for delivery. Screw you, The Brick!

Anyway, its here and its a nice KitchenAid with the freezer on the bottom. I spent all of Sunday bringing up the stuff from the basement – food, pots and utensils. Then I put everything away in the fridge, freezer, drawers and cabinets. It was a big job and I was exhausted. I had to basically organize the new kitchen with someone else’s belongings!

It was really annoying and intimidating. Annoying because I wasn’t really up for doing that – like am I a built-in servant at this house now? (Wow that’s really grouchy of me!) And intimidating because the MIL will be back next month and I am sure there will be endless discussion of my choices, and I am not up for that either.

Basically I am in a funk about living in a house that isn’t mine. I feel like an outsider and I can’t get comfortable here. I hate cleaning stuff that seems like it was designed to need the most amount of cleaning possible. For example the vanity in the main bathroom is three tiers of glass, topped with a glass bowl. It shows everything. From the moment I clean the darn thing, it looks dirty again in a few hours. I can blame D. for picking that thing out when he re-did the bathroom a few years ago. It seriously haunts my nightmares. Plus it is the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen.

Ugh I am seriously on a rant here.

I have been wanting to be a “good” wife but its hard to balance my ideals with my reality. In reality I get hyper annoyed by every little thing. In my ideals I can cheerfully maintain a comfortable home, cleaning and all. I think I need to grow up.

More pictures and thoughts on being married

I’m still getting used to being married. I don’t like being responsible for every meal we eat. I don’t like having to clean the bathrooms or mop the floors. 

Its weird, but even my ring finger is rebelling a little – the skin is red and peeling. Its only now beginning to heal. 

The second morning I spent here at D’s place was really strange for me. I had cleaned up the house, unpacked as well as I could and had done the laundry. My clothes were put away in various empty drawers in my MiL’s bedroom. My clothes were in her closet, which smells like old-fashioned perfume. 

My makeup case, in a three-drawer Rubbermaid container, had no place to go. It was on the floor in a duffel bag. I don’t know why, but this completely shattered my peace. I felt like crying as I went from room to room, wondering what I would do when I went back to work. Where would I get dressed? Where would I put my make up on? 

This seems silly to me now but I am such a creature of habit – I have lived in the same house all of my life. My bedroom has been mine since I was five years old. I loved my parent’s home. Change is really hard for me and it takes away from the happiness of being married, at last, to someone I’ve loved so long. 

Most of my negative feelings are about this house. I hate the neighbours, the sun doesn’t shine through the windows in the same way here, and there aren’t enough trees around. I set off the burglar alarm and now I am always afraid to open the door to go outside. This house isn’t ours – it’s my MiL’s. We are getting out of here once she gets back from her stay in Europe. I think I need my “own” space to feel comfortable. There’s no point in unpacking here because we are going soon. I wish I knew where that was…

Here are some more pictures from our honeymoon.

One thing I loved about Portugal was the lush landscape of the north. In the south, the environment is much drier. Its amazing how different one tiny country can be in terms of landscape and climate!

Another thing I loved were the traditional painted tiles that can be found everywhere in the country. We visited a private collection that included secular and religious painted tiles. They are all so beautiful and they really make the buildings beautiful. 

We visited a number of castles - which are completely foreign to my Canadian self! I was amazed to be in such medieval ruins - my university studies were not in vain! It was wonderful to see things I had studied for so long, in person!

The churches in Portugal are out of control. There are churches on the way to churches built on tops of various mountains. It was wonderful to see so many places of worship. Fatima was an experience I will never forget. The faith of the people really moved me. 

We enjoyed ourselves in the south a lot. There is nothing like eating at a patio right on the beach with palm trees in every direction. It was so relaxing. 

Wedding pictures coming soon!

The Honeymoon's over...

I really enjoyed my first trip to Europe. The plane ride was good but horribly long and exhausting. I was glad to be on land and to be in Portugal!

Albuferia, Portual

We spent five days in the Algarve, in Portugal and in the South of Spain. The weather was great -just hot and sunny enough to go to the beach, but not broiling. From our hotel we made day trips to nearby towns and historic sites. 

Sagres, Portugal

We chose the best time to go, since school is still in session and the tourist season is not yet in full swing. We were able to enjoy the two countries without all the crowds you normally hear about.

Faro, Portugal

Its good to be home! More pictures to come.

Sera got married

Beautiful!

My cake topper arrived on Thursday!

It arrived so beautifully packaged.

This is the front-runner for favorite thing I've bought for this wedding. I love it!

Check out Perch52 here!

Last minute freak-outs

If you are planning a Catholic wedding, here is a piece of advice: Make sure the paperwork they give you at your marriage prep courses is acceptable to the people who run your actual church. I just found out that the papers my course provided and I filled in are not acceptable! (10 days to go!)

Favourite Things

Spidey from Spider Woman Knits asked her readers about their favourite vintage items. Here are a few things I haven’t packed away yet! I really enjoyed photographing my special pieces.

This is a tray my Mother found at a local Goodwill. I believe it is carnival glass. I love the flowers, they remind me of sunflowers. Although they remind me now of dahlias too! I would love to find out more about this dish.

This is a hooked rug I bought a few years ago in Cape Breton Island visiting my Grandmother. The man who sold it to me is a collector of rugs himself.  He said this rug dates to 1920's. It was torn and dirty when I bought it but  the roses were so pretty I couldn't resist. When my Grandmother saw this she told me all about the hooked rugs she had grown up with.  This pattern was familiar to her. 

This is a beaded necklace my other Grandmother sent to me many years ago before she died. They look like cloisonné and the clasp is my favourite part. 

This is a cute kitty shaped key-holder. I've treasured it since I was a child. It is my Mother's. 

This is a teacup and saucer I bought in Cambridge, the city my Mother was born in, I love the cheerful yellow with the orange bouquets.

This is something very special to me. It belonged to my Grandmother. My Mom found it in her home after she died. I had been telling Mom how much I wanted a tray/cup combo like this I saw at Ikea. Then she came home with this beautiful piece, much better than anything Ikea could produce. I happen to love bids so this couldn't be more perfect.

All creatures of our God and King...

...I really love that hymn.

I read Cjane. I really love her blog. I love her selfishness, her devotion to husband and family, her enjoyment of life. I love that she is so open about who she is. She gave me this recipe for macaroni and cheese that is absolutely divine. But there was one post, over three years ago, that I recently read as I was browsing the archives. It was about a dog she lost, got caught and left at the pound to be euthanasized alone. Her decision really hurt me, although it has nothing to do with me. I don’t want to blast her decision, but I can’t get that post out of my mind. 

This winter D. and I found a dog. He was running around in the snow on a bitter cold night in January. 

“There is a dog running around outside your house” D. phoned me to say after he left that night to go home.  

Without any hesitation I replied, “Come back and help me catch him”.

He did and we did. The dog was so friendly and beautiful. I thought he was a greyhound at first. He wasn’t – he was skin and bones. He had a cut on his nose. He was shivering and scared. My heart broke to see him. I don’t even like dogs that much. I am so, so, a cat person. 

Since I had a sick (fat) cat in the house, the dog couldn’t come inside. We built him a nest in our garage out of the cold. Wool blankets and cardboard layers did the trick. He curled up gratefully. We procured a can of dog food and fed him. 

That night I named the dog Mr. Love and formed visions of D. and me with a dog in our life together. I fed Mr. Love the next morning before work. D. came over later in the morning with a leash and collar to walk him. 

Sadly, oh so sadly, Mr. Love got away from D. He just wouldn’t come back to him, no matter how much he followed and called to him. Mr. Love ran out of our lives that day forever. 

I firmly believe that animals exist perfectly just as God made them, and that he made them to live. For me, there is a duty owed to a pet to care for it, as best as you can, until the end of its life. And of course I know many people do not feel this way. (I am also a firm believer in the idea “free to be you and me”).

I still find myself thinking about that dog and what could have been. There will be a Mr. Love II in my life someday…

Worst-case senario: no ferns!

I had a wedding day nightmare last night. The reason is this: D. has finished the huge remodelling project he has been doing for his mother’s kitchen.

He informed me that he is focusing on our wedding plans now. (ha!)

So we went over the details.

And going over details gave me a stomachache.

And the stomachache gave me the nightmare.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong. I saw my beautiful bouquet so, so not what I ordered. No ferns! It nearly broke my heart. 

So today I splurged (read: over spent) on a beautiful cake topper that has been haunting me since I first saw it many months ago. Lisa from Perch52 on Etsy stole my heart with her birds. The colour isn’t matchy-matchy to my scheme but I cannot deny those creamy birds. With plumes. 

In or Out

Sometimes I feel like the joy has gone out of my life.

I have resisted growing up ever since jr. high. I suffered for years with an inability to just eat – I controlled my body unmercifully. And I stayed small and child-like, in body and, I fear, in mind. I see myself in the antics of D.’s 6-year-old niece. I am jealous. I am demanding. I am whiny.

And worst of all, I never knew what I wanted to “be” – I never set an academic goal for myself beyond gaining admission to university to satisfy my parents (of course, in my desire for control, I worked until I got into UofT).

At times I believed I wanted to be a housewife – and as I’ve become an adult this is an acknowledged dream of mine – but I can’t discern if this is a real dream or a cover for something else. I never allowed myself to dream about what I could be – I always found reasons why such-and-such a thing was not for me.

I also know I have a deep-rooted attachment to home. I hate having to leave my home in the morning. My favourite days are when I can be at home all day.

Today is one of those beloved days, and when I feel like maybe staying home is a real dream for me.

I put an apron on today and made pizza dough.

I improvised a recipe for bean veggie burgers.

I struggled with and won a battle with a jar of homemade tomato purée.

I sat for an hour with a cup of tea feeling the wind through an open window.

I let the cats out, then in, then out and in again, and fed them a midday snack.

I watched Ricardo make orzo and pork on TV, in French, because I adore him and his recipes. I am envious of his beautiful kitchen and Viking ovens.

My pizza is ready for the oven as soon as my father gets home.

And you know, I don’t feel as blue as I did when I began this post.