December 2014 – Long Live Feasts

Cozying up with mountains of furry blankets, watching old Christmas movies with my gals, having daily brunch, no worrying about due dates… This is the sound of the holidays my dear ones. Though the weather is getting chillier by day (and wetter), I’ve found myself on a little granola kick… I used to be the type of person who thought it was pointless to order it at breakfast places since it’s so easy to make at home (and cheaper too!). Now however, I’ve become so smitten with trying as many versions of it as possible that it seems to be the only dish I order when I am out for breakfast. How adventurous, I know. Even though I’ve been MIA on here, I still have been keeping up on my Instagram, @longlivefeasts to highlight some meals I’ve enjoyed without going through the whole shebang of writing a blog post. Don’t worry, I’ll slowly start rolling them back again since I’m officially all done with exams! I’ve seriously had such a great first term experience, it’s surreal and I couldn’t be happier. Anyway, I’ve included snippets of some outings, which hopefully will inspire you to make plans yourself this holiday season. Better yet, maybe create a spread similar. Those are always a winner.

– Granola from Butter Baked Goods

– Granola from Le Marche St. George

– Granola from Terra Breads

– Latte by Au Comptoir

– Croissant and Granola by Au Comptoir (My favourite croissant in the city!)

– Pancakes at Yew Restaurant at Four Seasons

– Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal By Myself

– Fish Tacos from Market by Jean-Georges

– Almond Croissant from Beyond Bakery

– Tiramisu from Doughgirls

– Chicken Sandwich from The Sweet Spot

– Mac And Cheese from Doughgirls

– Whole Wheat Scone from The Secret Garden Tea Company

– Croque Madame from Au Comptoir

– Cannolis from Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill

– Sticky Toffee Pudding with Caramel Sauce from Rain or Shine Ice Cream

– Apple Pie from Bella Gelataria Yaletown

– Siciliana Pizza from Bella Gelateria Yaletown

– Pies from The Pie Shoppe

– Prosciutto and Arugula from NOVO Pizzeria and Bar

– Mushroom Pizza from NOVO Pizzeria and Bar

– Stuffed Mushrooms from Felico’s

– Sweet Potato + Cashew Soup with Charred Brussel Sprouts at The Acorn

– Vegetarian Platter at Felico’s (All my favorite components!)

– Brownie Mountain at Seasons at the Park

– Gnocchi at Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill

– Lunch at Joe Fortes

– Pumpkin Cheesecake at Bel Cafe

– Turkey Sandwich and Tomato Soup from Bel Cafe

– Lemon Tart from Seasons at the Park

– Pasta Bake by Myself

– Avocado toast from Dock Lunch

After a few months of hiatus, I’m so happy to be blogging again. While I was offline, I had been thinking of where I want to take this blog. Should I keep it as a reviewing website or make it more… personal? I decided on the latter. I’m still going to continue writing about new places that I’m visiting, but instead of going in detail on how the food tastes, I want to make it more of a diary entry – snippets of what I’m feeling/doing that day. Maybe that’s something that might not interest you, but I want to give it a try. Who knows, maybe it won’t even happen! My mood changes frequently after all.

Recently, I visited a little Paris-inspired gem tucked in Minoru Blvd that I’ve been to a couple of times to try their macarons. Today, I finally dined inside and had one of their pastries, the mont blanc to be specific. I don’t know why, but I’ve been finding myself really enjoying new flavours, things that I would never think to gravitate towards when I was younger. It’s funny how taste buds change so unexpectedly that you don’t really have a reason for why it is.

Sitting in the cafe with my mom and having a little afternoon treat was so calming, especially with the dripping rain outside. Sometimes, I forget how much fun surprises are. With such a structured routine of waking up, having breakfast, going to school, doing homework, having dinner and then going to bed, a little change-up is a reminder of how there’s always room for fun. Making room for that balance is really what makes life worth living, and not so dull and mundane.

The pastry case