A Winning Coconut Curry

Spicin' things up tonight in the Vidal House.

It's always a good idea to keep the husband interested..

kitchen and bedroom being the two main departments.

So far this evening, I have focused on the kitchen.

I decided to try a new recipe (always risky)

and make a very healthy

Coconut Curry

(vegan friendly)

I got the recipe from my favorite food blogger,

The Minimalist Baker.

It's called the "30 minute Coconut Curry".

I paired this with a Barrel Aged Chardonnay

from Toasted Head winery in California.

(On sale in Vintages now for $14.95

& shout out to my aunt & fellow Chard Lover

for finding this gem)
 

Healthy Ingredients

 

 

 

 

 

Certainly not the most "effortless" meal I've made,

but a winner with the husband..

which could only lead to great things later tonight ;)

 

On that note, Sleep well!

xo



Blogs.. the non-readers read.

Reading..

 

A hobby I have yet to enjoy.

 

I have about 50 books that I've purchased throughout the years,

in hopes I'd become a "reader",

 

all which still have book marks in them.

 

A sad truth is.. the only book I ever made it through is

"Why men love Bitches".

Fascinating.

 

 

 

I wish I was more into books.

 

I have tried going into Chapters to find a "good read",

and all I walk out with is a couple fashion magazines and some home décor.

 

But as of recently...

I have become highly addicted to reading blogs.

 

There are 6 blogs that I will not go a day without reading,

and will give them the credit they deserve.

 

Fashion Blogs

 

http://www.mckennableu.com/ 

 

http://www.aspoonfulofstyle.com/

 

McKenna Bleu is my all time favorite.

I share the same fashion loves

(she also believes Kate Spade can do no wrong)

 as well as similar wedding anniversary dates.

*awww* 

 

Home Décor Blogs

 

http://www.stylemepretty.com/living/

 

http://jillianharris.com/blog/post

 

Jillian Harris.. from a Bachelor love to a design icon. Love her ideas.

 

Food Blogs

 

http://minimalistbaker.com/

 

http://nutritionstripped.com/

 

 Healthy Recipes, Dinner party ideas.. I'm all over it!

 

So if you aren't so much into the ol' paperback,

and have already thrown your 20-20 vision out by starring at a computer screen all day at your job,

why not take on a couple blog reads.

 

Find your favs, and read away.

 

My favorite way to start a Saturday.

 

 

 XO

 

-Tshizzle

 

 

 



Zinfandel on Zinfandel - A Perfect Pairing

Saturday April 5th 2014

6:00pm - Sunday

Dinner on Zinfandel Court

 

What a treat to be invited to a dinner party.

 

Can you really go wrong if the hostess lives on a street named Zinfandel?

 

The efforts, money, time and overall work that went

into the evening was evident the moment we walked in..

and with wine and food contributions from each attendee, 

there wasn't any way we were leaving without a couple extra pounds.

 

The dinner party

was captured so beautifully

by Emily Flynn;

 Her pictures will speak for themselves.

 

 

 

 

EXCUISITE!

 

Courses Included:

 

Two incredible anti-pasto platters

 

Chicken Liver Moose with freshly baked bread

 

Oysters

(purchased at Tide and Vine in NOTL)

 

Roasted Beet Salad

 

Mushroom Risotto with Seared Scallops

 

Roasted Duck, with homemade Duck Dumplings

and Bok Choy

 

Coconut Cream Pie

Cheesecake filled Strawberries

Chocolate covered strawberries

Baileys and coffee

 

Dinner wrapped up at 3am,

and everyone hit the sack hard. 

 

Amazing Job Miss Flynn.

 

One for the books!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



March Break.. from blogging.

Most Canadians would not be saying this past month went by quickly...

 

I on the other hand, have no idea where March went.

 

For the Vidals, this was an extremely busy month
consisting of eating, drinking and socializing.

 

I photographed most of our activities in March
with my quality Blackberry camera :S,

in hopes that I'd wake up with the motivation to blog about it.

 No such luck.

 

It seems all I needed,

 was to refresh the look of my blog!

*or should I say, get my techy sister to do it for me*

 

Before I dive back into revealing all that

I have put into my stomach this past month,

I will admit.... it did catch up with me a bit.

 

A mini 3 day detox,
going "hard" at the gym
 (aka adding 5 minutes to my 20 minute workout)
and staying low key for a week
was what I needed to get my bod back on track.

 

I feel fantastic today!

 

I have changed up a couple of my eating habits

to justify the bag of chips I will crush later in the day.

 

Here's what I start my day with:

 

A Protein Packed Smoothie

 

One banana

Spoonful of Almond butter

1/3 cup rolled oats (organic)

1 teaspoon Cocoa powder

1/2 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

2 teaspoons Chai seeds

1/2 cup Vanilla unsweeted Soy milk

1/2 cup water

 

Then I magic bullet the crap out of it.

 

 

And there you have a morning breaky that will fill you until...

well...

snack time!

 

Happy to be BOTB...

Back on the Blog.

 

All this time I wasn't blogging..

I was online Spring Wardrobe shopping....

Stay tuned for a few of my fav latest purchases!

 

 

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

 

xo

 

 

 

 

 



Black Bean Brownies

While the husband is quarantined in Vegas,

I have the opportunity to

try new healthy recipes,

so he'll come home

to some fresh new snack & dinner ideas.

*I foresee him needing a serious detox after this trip*

My two favorite (daily) snacks,

are chips and desserts...

but as I get older, I know I need to tone it back

*a little*

before it all catches up to me.

My girlfriend and I planned an evening of cooking

and baking while he was away, and she told me

about these healthy brownies she makes that would

satisfy my sweet tooth!

WOW.

I must say...

these brownies seem

too good to be healthy.

Vegan Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can (~ 1 3/4 cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained
• 2 large flax eggs * We used regular eggs*
• 3 T coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder (the higher quality the better)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• heaping 1/2 cup raw sugar, slightly ground or pulsed in a food processor or coffee grinder for refined texture *You can also use honey*
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Optional toppings: crush walnuts, pecans or semisweet chocolate chips



Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini).
3. Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients (besides walnuts or other toppings) and puree – about 3 minutes – scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
5. If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.
6. Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.
7. Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.
8. Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. I found mine took about 25.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don’t be concerned if they seem too moist – that’s the point. Plus, they’re vegan so it doesn’t really matter.
10. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.

Our finished product paired with a

Sunnybrook Organic Rose

Indulge in these brownies guilt free!

Bon Appetite!

xo



Gettin' Nailed

 

 

And no..

I'm not referring to anything sexual

*for a change*

 

Some women have a routine of getting

manicures and/or pedicures regularly.

 

Then there are others who only do it occasionally,

 like for a special event.

 

 Getting a manicure or pedicure can be a wonderful stress relieving way to indulge a bit.

 

Whenever I have an event or upcoming trip,

I hit up 'The Nail Shop'

on Vine St. and Carlton in St. Catharines.

 

The two ladies, both named Monica,

do an amazing job with "hip" designs.

 

The quality job done at this particular place,

always lasts me 3 weeks.

I get gel nails every time,

as I don't have any nails of my own.

 

 

Trip Nails

 

 

Christmas Party Nails

 

 

 

Cuvee Nails

 

 

Nautical Birthday Nails



I LOVE trying out new nail designs

and colors.

 

I can't wait to go back and get the hot pink

for Vegas in May.

 

 

If your looking for a great nail salon,

I'd highly recommend 'the Monica's'

aka "The Nail Shop".

 

Now go get nailed!

 

xo

 



Cuvee.. the Oscars of the wine industry

CUVEE...

also referred to as,

The Oscars of the Wine Industry

 

I have been fortunate to attend

the last 7 years.

 

 Cuvee has changed a lot over time,

but a few things have remained the same..

 

Incredible food, top shelf Niagara wines

and a gorgeous array of beautiful dresses 

and stylish suits.

 

 

 

It is Jesse and I's most anticipated annual event,

because it combines all our favorite things;

Food, wine, fashion

& each other.

*loving*

 

It holds a lot of meaning to me,

as this is where I met my life partner.

 

 

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera this year.

All I had was my phone...

and it died shortly after arriving.

 

I wish I could have captured the food presentation..

simply exquisite - I couldn't pick a favorite.

 

We discovered some great new Niagara wines

that will be filling the wine cellar soon.

 

Bachelder Wismer Vineyards 2011 Chardonnay $44.95

G. Maruis Silver Line 2010 EPIC (Merlot/Cab Sauv/Cab Franc) $29.95

Pondview Estates 2011 Bella Terra Chardonnay $22.20

Westcott Vineyards Oaked Chardonnay - yet to be released 

 

The evening led into an after party

with JONESY (a local band)

leading the dance floor

and a champagne/icewine/beer open bar for all attendees.

 

 

 

 

Another great Cuvee!!

 

If I had watched the Oscars beforehand..

 

My dress choice would have been one of the following two:

 

 

Probably a good thing it wasn't!

 

xo

 

http://www.tvcogeco.com/niagara/gallery/the-source/6830-march-source-stories/85607-cuvee-grand-tasting

Stone Road Grille - A NOTL fine dining must!

 



 

On Saturday,

I had the pleasure of dining at one of our

favorite Niagara on the Lake restaurants:

 

Stone Road Grille

aka REST

 

http://www.stoneroadgrille.com/index.php

 

 

Before ordering anything,

a complimentary basket

of in house freshly baked bread

is brought to your table.

Some of the best bread I've had.

 

Being the oyster lovers we are,

this is one of the few restaurants in NOTL

with a fabulous oyster bar.

The mignonette sauce they make

for the oysters is impeccable.

 

We can't go to Stone Road without

starting with some oysters and champagne.

 

 

 

 A absolute favorite appetizer

is the Chicken Liver Mousse.

 

Often when attending a dinner party,

we call up Stone Road and order up a

Vintners Plate "to go" just so we can get the

chicken liver mousse.

 

They had a few new menus items since

we had last been, including the Jerk mussels.

 

 

 

 Mussels, Chicken Liver Mousse, Thyme Frites

to start

 

This is another restaurant in which allows

you to bring your own wine!

 

Seeing as we were celebrating some birthdays,

a special bottle of vino was brought.

 

It paired beautifully with our meals.

 

Endive Salad:

Smoked trout, with pickled beet, goats cheese,

Gala apple, fried shallots, tarragon and chive vinaigrette.

 

 

Striped Bass:

Crushed Potatoes with oven dried tomatoes and spring onion,

Chickpeas, sheep’s milk feta, fried zucchini and sauce Romesco

 

No disappointments.

 

The sweet finish,

Sticky toffee pudding

and a B52

 

 

I have yet to be let down by this exquisite restaurant.

 

With the ambiance being so unique and cozy,

It remains to be my top NOTL choice,

and overall, top three restaurants in the area.

 

If your more the pizza to go kinda person,

they make one of the BEST pizzas on the

"Rest to GO GO" end of the place,

which is take out only.

 

If your ever in the area,

try out Stone Road -

it won't disappoint!