Weekly Roundup - Christmas Sweaters, Cakes, Cookies, & Plates

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party - For as long as I have known my best friend Robin, I have known her sister Jamie to be the hostess with the mostest! Jamie is one of those people who was born to entertain, host, and care for others (which is very fitting considering that she is a nurse!), throwing parties and get togethers all year round, always complete with the most delicious drinks, snacks, and desserts, almost always created all by Jamie herself! How perfect that Jamie would fall in love with her husband John, also a fantastic host and cook (not to mention a hunter as well!), making them the perfect party-throwing team! Every year since I have known the pair they have been throwing an annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, bringing together all their friends and family, in their most hideously incredible festive sweaters to eat, drink, and be merry, all under one roof! Jamie always outdoes herself each year in both her menu and sweater, and this year was no exception.

Donning a brand new homemade ugly Christmas sweater, complete with a stocking cellphone holder (a must for any party host!) Jamie and John once again threw a great holiday party, this time with some new and very unique menu items. I was surprised and incredibly excited to hear that Jamie and John had special ordered an ostrich egg to make a frittata to serve at the party, to serve alongside elk sausages (very cool!). With their incredible culinary skills, I was sad to see that the frittata was already devoured by the time Robin and I arrived at the party, but we were still able to scope out the giant ostrich egg that they had saved! It was so cool to hold the ostrich egg shell in my hand, feeling the strange texture, weight, and thickness, of the shell. So cool! Thanks Jamie and John for another successful and hilarious ugly Christmas sweater party! Check out Jamie's fantastic food blog, Martha In Training, here to learn more about Jamie and what she's cooking up next!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party: Sweet & Splendid Cake - At every party and get together that Jamie hosts, one of the things I look forward to most is seeing what type of creation her friend Danielle has created. Danielle has her very own custom cake business called Sweet & Splendid Bakeshop, creating the most imaginative, beautiful, and delicious cakes I have ever seen! There's always this whimsical quality to her cakes that makes them really stand out for me, which is easy to see with the cake that she served at this years Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. The red velvet and mascarpone cream cake looked so adorable, shaped like a chimney with Santa's legs coming out the end, as though that jolly belly of his got him stuck in the narrow passage. Although I missed snapping a photo before everyone cut into the cake, you can still see the fantastic artistry that goes into Danielle's work! What really blows me away about Danielle's cakes is that not only are they beautiful and complex, they are also always delicious! Check out Danielle's website to see more of her creations at Sweet & Splendid Bakeshop here! 

Annual Christmas Cookie Bake - One of my all-time favourite family traditions is spending time with my Oma in her kitchen, with one or two of my little (er...not so little anymore) cousins at my side, rolling, cutting, and decorating Oma's infamous Christmas cookies! It is something that, no matter how busy all of our schedules get, I will never fail to miss! I love my Oma so much, and being able to spend that time with her, doing one of our favourite things in the world, means the world to me! I appreciate the time that Oma spends preparing the dough for all of us, and setting up the cookie decorating station complete with all the cookie cutters we have been using since I was a toddler, sprinkles, egg wash, and, my favourite baking accessory, her antique German cookie press that turns that delicious cookie dough into something even more spectacular! Oma, thank you so much for always making time to make Christmas cookies with me every year, for whipping up delicious lunches prior to the cookie bake (your fried chicken, pickles, and beets hit the spot!), for sharing your wine coolers with me, and for making me smile with your dirty jokes! I love you! 

Christmas Plate 2012 - It may not be the most beautiful plate, but it is certainly the most delicious! Any good Christmas plate should be colourful, piled high, overflowing, and look like a delicious mess. It's clear to see that this years Christmas plate certainly fits that description! On my plate this year is:  ginger-ale glazed ham with caramelized onions, turkey with cranberry sauce, mashed sweet potatoes with red peppers, cheesy scalloped potatoes, pomegranate and brie salad with balsamic glazed pecans, green beans with caramelized onions, shredded beet salad, and stuffing! The best!

Honorable Mention: Yours Truly - It was too dark for me to take a successful photo, and, quite frankly, there were just too many dishes for me to even narrow down which photo I would post, but I couldn't post a Weekly Roundup without mentioning what may be one of the best dining experiences I have had in Toronto to date! Last week I had the absolute pleasure of dining at the Ossington hotspot Yours Truly, which blew me away with their unique, striking, and absolutely delicious tasting menu! Not only was the inventive meal (complete with unbelievable cocktails) an adventure for the taste buds, it was also a great conversation starter and learning experience. It was such a joy to be able to engage with the bartender and servers about each dish that we were enjoying, learning about the techniques, ingredients, and time that went into each dish and cocktail. Every single aspect of the dinner was spot on! It was a memorable meal and evening that I won't soon forget! Tip: Sit at the bar for the ultimate  dining experience!

Follow me on Twitter!

Like me on Facebook!

Follow me on Instagram!

Listening To:
Major Lazer - Get Free (Feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors)

Powered by mp3skull.com

12 Days Of Wine Country Ontario Contest Winner!

Thank you everyone who participated in the 12 Days Of Wine Country Ontario giveaway! Congratulations to Genevieve Anderson our lucky winner who will receive a gift certificate to the Shaw Spa for a relaxing Grape & Wine Exfoliating Treatment! I hope you enjoy your Wine Country Ontario experience! Please email me at GingerRoseFood@gmail.com with your home address so we can send you your gift certificate as soon as possible! 

Listening To:

Nick Drake - Pink Moon

Powered by mp3skull.com

Give The Gift Of Wine Country Ontario - CONTEST!

With only one week left until Christmas Eve, the pressure is building to grab hold of those creative last minute gifts for your friends and loved ones. I always say that as much as I adore unwrapping a gift, and making use of it as early as Christmas morning (nothing like cozying up in that new sweater while enjoying Christmas Day!) I appreciate the gift of 'experience' more than anything! I'm lucky to be one of those girls that is often thought of as "the girl who has everything", which makes gift giving for me pretty tricky. Giving me something to experience means giving me the gift of a memory, rather than junking up my dresser more than it already is. 

The key to giving the gift of experience, is personalizing it for that particular person. Take myself for instance, just by glancing at my blog it's easy to see that I am a fan of wine and, with my many blog posts on visits to Wine Country Ontario, there's no doubt that visiting Ontario's wine region is something I immensely enjoy. Why not give the gift of Wine Country Ontario to a wine loving friend or loved one by registering them for a winery tour, or perhaps give a gift certificate to a winery with a fabulous restaurant! With the stress of the holidays and inevitable dry skin this time of year, one of my favourite Wine Country Ontario gifts are gift certificates to the spa in wine country! Sure you can get a massage or an exfoliant treatment pretty much anywhere, but when in wine country, go for something interesting! I LOVE the sound of a Grape and Wine Scrub such as the one they have at the prestigious Shaw Spa in Niagara. The Shaw Spa's Grape and Wine Scrub Treatment scrubs away that dry Winter skin by using the extracts from the grape seed, leaf, stems and wine, leaving your skin smooth and perfectly hydrated! What better way to end a day of winery touring, than relaxing at the spa!

Wine Country Ontario has been kind enough invite me to be apart of their #12DaysWCO, a 12 day celebration of the season! Each day a different wine loving blogger will suggest one of their favourite Wine Country Ontario gifts to give under $100 and, even better, Wine Country Ontario will send one lucky reader that very gift! So, how can you win a Shaw Spa Grape and Wine Scrub Exfoliating Experience? All you have to do is comment on this post, describing your favourite Wine Country Ontario Experience, or, if you've never had the chance to experience Wine Country Ontario yourself (what's wrong with you?), comment and tell me why you would like to! So what are you waiting for? Share your Wine Country Ontario experience with me! Good luck! 

* One comment = one entry. One entry per person.
* A winner will be selected at random on Friday December 21st!

Listening To:
John Lennon - So this is Christmas

Powered by mp3skull.com

Weekly Roundup - Your Fam Is My Fam, & My Fam Is Yours

Dinner at the Orlando's - One of my best friends is my friend Alex Orlando. Alex has been given the title of 'the best' ever since we first met in grade four, and has remained the best thanks to the strange sisterly bond we have with one another that only seems to get stronger as years pass. With her family living right around the corner from my old house, we couldn't help but have spontaneous get togethers whenever we could. Whether it was just going for a walk, having a dip in her hot tub or my pool, having a late night gossip session on our couches, raiding each others fridges for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or New Years leftovers, or munching on nut brittle while making a gingerbread house at my breakfast table, we would always make ourselves at home in each others homes. Her home became my home away from home, a place I knew I could run to if I ever was in trouble, needed a hug, or even needed an egg for a recipe (my sister once ran over to Alex's for that very thing!), and the same went for my home for her. Her parent's, Marisa and Paul, quickly became aunt and uncle figures for me, taking me along on family vacations, inviting me to their backyard parties, and welcoming me in for their Sunday night family dinners. After moving into our apartment a month ago, one of the many things that made me sad was knowing that I would no longer be neighbors with the Orlando's, my second family. Farewell to the days of running around the corner, through the snow, in my pajamas just to hang at the Orlando house.

The most recent time Alex and I got together, I told her all about how my mom and I were adjusting to living in this new space, and some of the troubles we've been having. Alex perked up and said "I know just what you two need! You need to come over for an Orlando Sunday night dinner!" Right when she said that, I knew she was right! I know how welcoming, delicious, and hilarious Sunday nights at the Orlando house can be, having been invited numerous times now, and knew that my mom could definitely use a night of laid back fun. This past Sunday we put our plan into action and headed over to their home. With Alex, Marisa, Paul, Alex's sister Victoria, her husband Kyle, their grandmother Flora, and my mom and I all sitting around their big dining room table, we had the most wonderful time sipping vino and enjoying Marisa's incredible culinary skills. The night began with everyone gathered around their kitchen island, devouring the plate of shrimp and flatbread that Marisa had put out, catching up on all of the recent events, and looking through photos from Victoria and Kyle's wedding this summer.

Dinner at the Orlando's - After appetizers in the kitchen we headed into the dining room for even more deliciousness! We started the meal with the highlight for me, prosciutto and melon salad with arugula and buffalo mozzarella. So incredibly delicious! My mom and I often make prosciutto wrapped melon, but we loved how striking looking and delicious Marisa's salad was! I will definitely be replicating this tasty salad the next time I entertain! The salad was followed by comforting chicken parmesan, roasted fingerling potatoes and butternut squash, and broccoli. Stuffed to the brim, I couldn't believe I still had room to dip into the dessert tray that was served, quickly grabbing a cannoli for myself. Thank you so much to the Orlando family for taking us in and making your home ours for the night. You are possibly the warmest people I have ever known, and one night at your place can make that warmth and positive energy linger all week long! I can't wait to have you over to our place so we can share that same love with you! 

Follow Alex on Twitter to learn all about this incredibly talented, multi-taking gal that I am so lucky to call my best friend!

Follow me on Twitter!

Like me on Facebook!

Follow me on Instagram!

Listening To:
Camera Obscura - Country Mile

Powered by mp3skull.com

Weekly Roundup - Welcome Home To Birthday Love

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Surprise Cake Pops - My friend Mike is probably one of the most social people I know, with a super close core group of friends that he's had since childhood, as well as a slew of friends all over the province that he's met through his successful drumming career. When his girlfriend Vittoria sent out an invite for a surprise 25th birthday party for Mike, I couldn't help but worry that someone would spill the beans considering his large social network. To our surprise, and especially Mike's, Mike had no clue that Vittoria had planned this special party for him, gathering all of his friends together in a privately booked venue, complete with all the finger food you could ever want, and a beautiful slideshow of Mike's memories and friends. There was no denying how happy Mike was, with a giant smile plastered on his face all night, and a stunning, smiling Vittoria by his side.  My favourite bite of the night was the  festive and sparkly cake pops and cupcakes that Vittoria brought! I had a delicious carrot cupcake with cream cheese frosting and a yummy, super sweet red velvet cake pop speckled with silver sprinkles. I have to find out where Vittoria got them. They would be great to serve at a holiday party! I'll keep you updated! Check out who Mike is drumming for next and follow along as he reaches rockstar status on his Tumblr here!

Happy Birthday Daddy! - One of my favourite places to have a guaranteed good time in Toronto is Guu Sakabar. The combination of the lively atmosphere, incredibly friendly staff, and killer menu makes Guu one of my go-to places ever since I was first introduced to it by my sister Justine and her boyfriend. Thanks to all the hype we've given Guu over the past year or so, my dad listed Guu as one of the top places he wanted to check out for his birthday this past week. Despite his initial grumblings about the loud volume and uncomfortable seats (I believe he said "I want a little cushion for my bum. Can they bring me one?") we all ended up having a great experience at Guu. My dad loved getting to try so many different tastes, with his favourites being the Kimchi Nabe Hot Pot and the Kakuni Pie, pork belly pastry with sweet soy sauce. Happy Birthday Daddy!

Kobi's First Visit to the New Place - Moving into this new apartment from our home with my mom has taught me a lot about what it means to call a place a 'home'. It's more than just bringing your furniture in and hanging your photos on the walls. No, this isn't a snap-your-fingers kind of change. Turning a 'house' into a 'home' is about creating memories and bringing in love. More than anything, the experiences that have made this place feel like my new home have been things like having my sister and her boyfriend over for sunday night dinner, making fresh pasta with my cousin, smelling my moms familiar spaghetti sauce cooking in the kitchen, and, most recently, welcoming my dog in for his first visit to the new place! My dog Kobi lives with my dad, so it wasn't until this week that we finally had a chance to have Kobi over for a visit. Seeing that big bundle of adorable fluff running around to each room with the biggest smile on his face, his tail spinning like a helicopter, sniffing all of the familiar furniture that he remembers from our old home, and cuddling up on the floor with him while he snored in contentment really felt like that final push to make this place feel like my home. Kobi this is just as much your home as it is mine! You are always welcome! 

This Is Love - This past summer my cousin Matty married the girl of his dreams, Becca. Although we don't get to see Matty and Becca as often as we like with the two of them living in BC together, we had a chance to see just how special their relationship is when they lived in Toronto for a short period of time a few years ago. They have that unique kind of love where, after spending no more than five minutes with them, you can't deny that they were meant to be together. So incredibly kind, talented, smart, and creative, they balance each other out perfectly, sharing hobbies and interests, while still allowing each other the independence to have their own niche. Despite how badly I wanted to attend their wedding in BC, the timing just didn't work out with so much chaos in our lives due to the sale of the house. I, of course, scoured Facebook for every photo I could find of Matty and Becca's wedding, but no photo was as beautiful as the one they sent for their thank you cards this week (which says a lot considering the abundance of stunning photos I had found). Probably one of the most beautiful photos I've seen, this photo brought the happiest of tears to my eyes, seeing this beautiful moment between them captured so perfectly. We feel so lucky to welcome you into our family Becca! I wish you two the most joyous life together! 

Follow me on Twitter!

Like me on Facebook!

Follow me on Instagram!

Listening To:
Carla Bruni - Le Ciel Dans Une Chambre

Powered by mp3skull.com