Shrimp with mango salsa

SHRIMP SKEWERS

Thread the shrimp onto skewers and wrap any protruding ends in foil to avoid burning. If you have jumbo shrimp, that's even better. Brush with olive oil then broil or grill using the hottest setting for 3-4 minutes. (The shrimp have no tails because B and I always remove them for each other when we're cooking - just one of those quirky things we do). Serve shrimp with mango salsa.

MANGO SALSA

You only need about 1/2 large English cucumber for this recipe. Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, and remove seeds by scraping a spoon along the length. Dice into 1/2" cubes. Cube one whole mango (if you're not sure how to do this, follow these instructions.) Cut 1 cup of cherry tomatoes in half. Combine cucumber, mango and tomatoes in a mixing bowl with 2 tsp chopped jalapeno and 2-3 T lime juice. 

Variations:

- Add diced red onion.

- Add diced avocado.

- Add chopped cilantro.

- Substitute chicken for shrimp.

A celebration of royal proportions

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Will and Kate's visit to the capital was my personal excuse to dress up and wear a fascinator for the day. I was on Parliament Hill by 6:50am and got a spot fairly close to the gate leading up to the steps of Parliament. The crowd's festiveness and sense of patriotism were palpable, and an undercurrent of anticipation built as the grand old hands on the Peace Tower clock nudged towards 12:00. Jumbo screens followed the royal procession and the roars of the crowd. Will looked handsome in a sharp navy suit and Kate was resplendent in the same white Reiss dress she wore for her engagement portraits and a red Sylvia Fletcher fascinator adorned with maple leaves. I only caught a glimpse of Kate's hat as they walked the red carpet, but with a direct line of sight and a major zoom, I snapped a cute shot of them smiling at each other while they watched a series of performances by some very talented Canadian artists. The following day I was in Montreal for a bachelorette party and we completely randomly caught the procession driving down St. Denis as we walked out of the restaurant where we'd had dinner. But this time it was too dark for me to see them.

Back to Ottawa. In the evening, B and I hosted a party at our place. We rocked out to a DJ Tiesto show playing RIGHT BELOW US (shriek!!!) and again I was able to put my zoom to good use. The official celebrations ended with a fireworks show which we all watched through our living room windows. It was a Canada Day for the ages.

To my American readers - wishing you a very Happy Fourth of July!

Time-honoured Changing of the Guard ceremony

This was the crowd behind me

Seeing the Snowbirds/F18s fly over the Peace Tower 

brought a lump to my throat.

Royal Canadian (un)Mounted Police

Duke and Duchesse of Cambridge,

with our Prime Minister Stephen Harper off the right

DJ Tiesto show

My paparazzi skills put to good use

Watching the fireworks

HERE'S WHAT I WORE:

Photo at the north end of the Canal, by the locks

Dress - H&M

Belt - ? (Australia)

Shoes - Thailand markets

Fascinator - La Vie en Rose

Bag - Roots

Sunglasses - Joe

Bracelet - Witchery

Spicy salmon sushi and Asian-style coleslaw

SPICY SALMON SUSHI ROLLS

B and I have (*ahem*) healthy appetites, and sushi dinners can get expensive fast. So I taught myself to make my own for those rare days when I have a couple of hours to spare.

Make the sushi rice according to package directions, then let cool to room temperature. Place your seaweed wraps shiny side up on a bamboo sushi mat and top with a thin layer of rice. I keep a bowl of cold water close by to rinse my fingers. Leave a thin strip uncovered at the far end of your seaweed so you can seal the roll. Add thin strips of avocado, peeled and deseeded cucumber, sushi-grade salmon, spicy mayo (see recipe below), Panko breadcrumbs and sesame seeds, or whatever suits your fancy. Roll up using the bamboo mat, pressing firmly as you go, and seal the edge with some water. Slice the sushi rolls into sets of 6 or 8 using a very sharp knife. Run the knife under hot water between each roll for easier slicing. Serve with pickled ginger and a dollop of wasabi.

IMPROVISED SPICY MAYO

To make the spicy mayo, combine 1/3 cup of regular mayonnaise with 1T sesame oil, 1 T rice vinegar and 1 tsp hot pepper flakes (I'm guessing the amounts I used - adjust according to your taste and preference). Mix well and spoon mayonnaise into a small Ziploc bag. Seal the bag, snip a small hole in the corner and squeeze the mayo onto the rolls. Leftover mayo will keep in the fridge and can be used for other dishes, such as a condiment for a crab salad wrap.

  

ASIAN-STYLE COLESLAW

For the Asian-style coleslaw, grate equal amounts of peeled Granny Smith apple, cabbage, and carrots. (I used store-bought matchstick carrots). The original recipe calls for Daikon radish instead of cabbage but I haven't tried this variation yet. Add 1 to 2 T of finely chopped green onion. For about 2 cups of salad, add 2 T rice vinegar, 1 T sugar and a couple of shakes of salt. Mix well and let the salad absorb the dressing for about 15 minutes.

These boots are made for walking

This outfit is a little bit o' country in the city. I don't think real cowgirls carry purses. Or wear white boots or makeup. But it's still fun to play out the fantasy and these boots actually made an appearance in a country music video - so there we go. Whenever I wear these out I get random compliments from people in the street. Usually gay men. When the gays are on board, you know you've got some fun footwear going on. B, on the other hand....well let's just say I brought home a question from a bachelorette party game that goes 'If you could get rid of one thing I own, what would it be?' These boots came a close second to this hat. My answer? His Toronto Maple Leafs wastebasket, towel, blanket, hat, unmentionables...but we put up with it ;) That's called love, people.

xx

There's no particular reason we're taking these pictures in front of this store.

It was dusk and we were just trying to beat the bugs.

Shorts - Talula

Black tank - Club Monaco

Sequined tank - Club Monaco

Vest - Carolina K. Morgan (Australia)

Boots - Oak Tree Farms (Winners)

Necklace - ? (Australia)

Purse - Hongmei Wang (Vietnam)

Sunglasses - Boathouse

Earrings - Walmart

Bracelets - Thrifted

Salad on a Stick party appetizer

I attended a party where we were asked to bring an appetizer, but told to 'think outside the box'. Inspired by something similar I'd seen in a magazine, I decided to bring bite-sized salad on a stick. For my take on it, I threaded romaine lettuce, store-bought rotisserie chicken, bacon and mini cubes of Parmigiano Reggiano onto toothpicks. The dip was store-bought Caesar salad dressing, refreshed with squirt of lemon juice and some roasted garlic.

A variation on this is cherry tomatoes, mini bocconcini and basil leaves, served with an olive oil and balsamic dressing for dipping.

Statement bib necklace

In keeping with my recent theme of clean lines and modern silhouettes, I planned this outfit around a statement black crystal bib necklace. I added a touch of colour to monochromatic greys, silvers and blacks with an orangey-red lipstick.

I'd been passively looking for a statement necklace for months beforehand. Being a grad student at the time, I wasn't willing to spend a lot, but didn't want anything that looked really cheap either. I finally found this one in the markets in Thailand for $15. It's a quick and easy way to dress up an otherwise plain outfit, and I also like to wear it peeking out from a brightly-coloured collared shirt. The crystals are sewn onto a piece of fabric so the necklace lays flat.

And now for my next trick...

Sheath dress – Calvin Klein (Winners) (also seen here)

Necklace – Thailand markets

Shoes – Guess (Winners)

Bracelet – Le Chateau

Earrings – Steelex

Pork tenderloin stuffed with candied pecans, dried figs and blue cheese

To make pork:

I followed this recipe for the pork, but substituted their thyme/garlic/cayenne/apricot/cheese filling with my own. To make filling, chop a handful each of dried figs and sugar-and-spice pecans (see recipe for pecans below) and add about 1/4 cup crumbled mild blue cheese.

I served the pork with roasted fingerling potatoes and steamed asparagus on the side.

Sugar-and-spice pecans (recipe adapted from InStyle magazine):

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, beat 2 egg whites until frothy. Add 2 T sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin and 1/2 tsp cayenne.  Stir in 2 1/2 cups of pecan halves. Lightly coat a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the pecans in a single layer and bake 10 minutes. Sprinkle pecans with another 2 T sugar, then bake another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, then store in an airtight container. These are great to put out when you're entertaining and can also punch up an ordinary salad during busy weeks.

Another work outfit

(Inspiringly original title, eh? Took me all day to come up with it)

MyEdit's great post on thrifting silk button-down shirts coincided with an upcoming trip to Value Village. I hit the shirt rack as soon as I arrived and quickly found this ivory-coloured one with the original tags attached. Silk is a wonderfully luxurious fabric that drapes magnificently, can be layered without awkward bunching, and feels great against your skin. I layered it under a cowl-neck knit shirt and paired it with a plaid teal-and-brown wool skirt.

Silk Shirt – Thrifted (Jalouzie)

Brown top - Dynamite

Belt - ? (Sydney) (also seen here)

Skirt – Hand-me-down (Banana Republic)

Shoes – Elie Tahari (Winners) (also seen here)

Earrings – Vietnam markets

Swapped LBD

Posting an all-black outfit consisting of a dress, heels and simple jewellery feels a little  sinful, by blogger standards. Where's the overload of accessories? The colourful pants? The artful layering?  To that I quote: "I do want to express myself, ok? And I don't need 37 pieces of flair to do it." Calculated restraint can still deliver a punch, and you run less risk of your outfit wearing YOU.

I wore this little number to a friend's moving away party after scoring it during a clothing swap. I've been to two swaps now, and despite being different sizes everyone has always managed to leave with at least a couple of items. Asking people to bring unwanted accessories - shoes, bags, jewellery, belts, sunglasses, scarves - can also be a fun way of getting around sizing issues. At the end of the swap, we donated all the unclaimed pieces to a recent refugee from Haiti. Doing good for your wallet, the environment, your closet, your friends *and* a random stranger = warm and fuzzies all around.

See pictures and read more about our swap on EF Magazine online. This up-and-coming Ottawa-based magazine is dedicated to sustainable fashion - check it out!

xx

I'm still surprised my grandmother ever owned this!

Dress – Seductions (via clothing swap)

Earrings – ? (Sydney) (also seen here)

Shoes – Guess (Winners)

Ring – Le Chateau
Purse - from my grandmother's closet

Not your grandma's boucle jacket

When I put on this outfit, I spent a good long minute looking in the mirror and deciding whether I looked overgrown in it, arms and legs sprouting everywear. But then again, I was that girl in the back row of every single class picture with all the boys, so I'm used to contemplating my height - albeit with much less alarm than during my pre-teen years. Anyways, I decided that bracelet-length sleeves and cropped pants are great for showing off jewellery and shoes, and the cropped length is more suited for the casual vibe of summer.

A wool boucle jacket is a good officewear staple. You don't have to invest in a matching bottom, and it instantly injects separates with a dose of classic sophistication. Look for well-cut jackets with one or two fun details, like the dark piping in this thrifted version. To pick up the colours in the blazer, I wore it with a salmon pink cami, grey satiney pants and gold ballerina flats. A remix option is a leather skirt with a loose white tee and a chain-strap bag.

Jacket – Thrifted (urchin)

Tank –  Banana Republic

Pants – Jacob (also seen here)

Shoes – Lela Rose (Payless)

Necklace – Ottawa craft show