Holiday Time!

I know, the first week of November is a bit early to mention the upcoming season, but tonight, I have my first of two Holiday Trunk Shows and I am sooooo excited to share with everyone the great new look of Stella and Dot!  Not only can you assume some fabulous pieces of bling are in the mix, but with that, comes a collaboration with Alice Temperley - very popular British fashion designer, the launch into a scarf collection, beautiful candles and in addition to the purse line - wallets and tech wallets - a wallet just large enough for your iPhone, money and cards.  In one word: brilliant!

Here is a peek of some of the great items in store for all those Stella shoppers, new and old!

Great new retail gathering!

It's been awhile since I've been on Edmonton's infamous Whyte Avenue.  I can't remember the last time I visited a pub, restaurant or ambled down the blocks of local shopping boutiques and artsy cafes.  I miss that.  However, with the increase in popularity comes the expected: no parking, crowds and police.  I miss that less. 

A dear friend of mine recommended an acupuncturist/herbalist specialist to me a few months back, the only downside - located on Whyte Avenue.  However, my want to see this much talked about sanctuary and of course, receive great wellness care quickly overcome the glitch of nightmare traffic about two months ago.  I was impressed.  Located in a new building named Roots on Whyte, this community-based building, newly constructed on Whyte Avenue (with cheap underground parking) and even more to offer than a fantastic wellness retreat!  Located within three stories is a variety of local wellness businesses from chiropractor, dentist, yoga studio, therapist, hair salon to pilates studio.  On the main level, you'll find Blush Organic Market, deCapo Italian coffee bar and a quaint and quirky noshery Under the High Wheel - with beautiful plates of seasonal food lovingly prepared for you.

This is heaven.  Grab a coffee, get your shopping done, have a bite to eat and then off to the main event: Wellness on Whyte, for some loving care.  Add a pilates session in and that, my friend, is the definition of a morning well spent!

If you are seeking some loving care, I'd highly suggest Wellness on Whyte. (www.wellnessonwhyte.com ) The owner, Geha Gonthier, is a fabulous and knowledgeable professional who offers only the best in her sanctuary to help ease the mind, body and soul.  Geha is now, my acupuncturist, and I am all the more wiser for adding her Eastern medicine practises into my overall wellness routine.  Geha also has some other fantastic professionals on staff, including my daughter's new best friend - massage therapist, Leslie.  Leslie has both Jenna and me under her care and is a wonderfully caring individual with great technique and personality.  I hear Geha has also added a traditionally trained European facialist to the roster.  Hmmmmm...I sense another visit very shortly!

All in all, it's worth the traffic and drive to experience better well being through Wellness on Whyte as well as all the other fabulous storefronts at Roots on Whyte.  With ample parking and central location, this should be your next favorite place to spend an hour or three!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Julia!  If she was alive today, Jooooolia would be celebrating her 100th birthday, no doubt with a great meal which included butter and cream, wine, good friends and smart conversation!

I love this lady, and I must admit, I miss her presence in the ever expanding world of food.  One of the many female models of my youth, I loved Julia Child for her strong personality and character.  Her ability to say what was on her mind, her success in following her passion and her advice on moderation.  I'm still working on the moderation bit, Jools.

Too much fruit?

That's a complaint you will NEVER hear at our house, or at least, never admit too.  We love gardening, we love the summer and we love our harvest.  And, for the first time, our cherry tree is giving off a bumper crop, however, a bit on the *pucker* tart side.  So... no freakin way my husband, daughter and I will be chowing down on these things raw.  And time is not on my side - ripe today, on the ground tomorrow, so with bowl of cherries in hand, I marched off to the kitchen to do what anyone would: insert cherries in pot and add heat.  Jam.  Or Jelly.  Heck, why not compote.  I figured the consistency would determine the title, because it has to have a name - especially when Hubby walks in and asks why I'm cooking when it's 30 degrees outside! 



A little bit of sugar, some lemon peel and a squirt of lemon and then.....off to the trusty Ipad to make sure I wasn't missing any key ingredients - it was my first go at cherry something.  And when I came across David Lebovitz's No Recipe Cherry Jam recipe, a sigh of relief.  It's all good, it tastes fantastic and I have a piece of toast just screaming for a partner.  Hubby's thumbs up, a good sized bowl of cherry  ____, and I'm the Jamish Queen for the next week.  Life is good.  Life is slightly better with an abundance of fresh fruit.  Life is awesome with a happy family and a bowl full of preserve.  Enjoy!

David Lebovitz's No Recipe Cherry Jam

 1. Buy as many cherries as you feel like pitting.
Usually I have the patience for about 3 pounds, but it’s up to you. Figure one pound of cherries will make one good-sized jar of jam. Plump, dark Bing cherries work really well, although Burlats are good, and if you can find sour cherries, your jam will rock.
2. Wear something red. Rinse the cherries and remove the stems. Using the handy cherry pitter that I told you to buy a few weeks ago, pit the cherries. Make sure to remove all the pits. Chop about 3/4ths of them into smaller pieces, but not too small. Leave some cherries whole so people can see later on how hard you worked pitting real cherries. If you leave too many whole ones, they’ll tumble off your toast.
3. Cook the cherries in a large non-reactive stockpot. It should be pretty big since the juices bubble up. Add the zest and juice of one or two fresh lemons. Lemon juice adds pectin as well as acidity, and will help the jam gel later on.
4. Cook the cherries, stirring once in a while with a heatproof spatula, until they’re wilted and completely soft, which may take about 20 minutes, depending on how much heat you give them. Aren’t they beautiful, all juicy and red?

5. Once they’re cooked, measure out how many cherries you have (including the juice.) Use 3/4 of the amount of sugar. For example if you have 4 cups of cooked cherry matter, add 3 cups of sugar. It may seem like a lot, but that amount of sugar is necessary to keep the jam from spoilage.
6. Stir the sugar and the cherries in the pot and cook over moderate-to-high heat. The best jam is cooked quickly. While it’s cooking, put a small white plate in the freezer. Remain vigilant and stir the fruit often with a heatproof utensil. (Wouldn’t it be a shame to burn it at this point?) Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir as well.
7. Once the bubbles subside and the jam appears a bit thick and looks like it is beginning to gel, (it will coat the spatula in a clear, thick-ish, jelly-like layer, but not too thick) turn off the heat and put a small amount of jam on the frozen plate and return to the freezer. After a few minutes, when you nudge it if it wrinkles, it’s done.

If not, cook it some more, turn off the heat, and test it again. If you overcook your jam, the sugar will caramelize and it won’t taste good and there’s nothing you can do. Better to undercook it, test it, then cook it some more.
Once it’s done and gelled, add a bit of kirsch if you have it, clear cherry eau-de-vie which will highlight the flavor. Or add a few drops of almond extract, but not too much, or it will taste like a cheap Italian cake. Ladle the warm jam into clean jars and cover. Cool at room temperature, then put in the refrigerator where it will keep for several months.

Fall already?

I know, we just started the first heatwave of the summer and already, Fall is in the air - or at least in the magazines, on the Internet and of course, sprouting up everywhere for Stella and Dot.  Yup, the much anticipated Fall 2012 collection was released on the weekend.  And although that means we retire some classic design pieces, it means a cheerful hello to some spectacular new ones!

Themes for this collection include a new and updated charm collection, Mod Safari (think bright colors, oh so hot animal print trend and a nod to the 60s) and the New Romantics collection, inspired from Alexander McQueen's collection of masterpieces, Victorian estate jewellery and mixed metals.  One thing is for sure, Stella and Dot is always on trend, seems to get better and more intricate in it's design as the collections progress and is wearable for any age! 

Check out a few pieces:

Like to browse the entire collection?  Simply click on the STELLA! link in the navigation bar :-)

What to do with all those radishes

Several years ago when my husband and I started our first vegetable garden, radishes where on the first list of potential vegetables, every list of food to grow and of course, the shopping list for the above said garden.  Why?  It's the ultimate test: if you can't grow radishes, well.... get used to spending time at the Farmers Market for those fresh veg!  With a maturity date of around 1 month, you can simply plant radishes from seed straight to your soil, water and watch them grow.  And there are many varieties of radishes: different colours, shapes and variations on flavour that make such a beautiful picture when you pull those puppies out of the ground.  I have to admit, though, I've never been a fan of this lovely-looking vegetable.  The taste.  Blah.  But every year we plant, every year we harvest and every year my husband adds a few to his salad and stores the rest in the fridge.  Seems a shame, don't you think?

So this year, I decided to give the hearty radish another look and taste.  We have three variations this year: the traditional red bulb (red globe), a white and red long bulb (french breakfast) and a white version (icicle) that looks more like a carrot than anything else!  The questions then remains: what do I do with this harvest?  Coincidence or not, we found ourselves in NYC in May and on my list of places to nosh, was the Spanish gastropub, Tertulia.  With great reviews and a nice tapas menu, we were bound to have a great meal.  On the list was a radish salad - paired with baby market carrots and an anchovy vinaigrette.  OK, two strikes on this one: the radish and the anchovy.  But hey, when in NYC, you try something new.  I loved it!  What a great re-introduction to this little vegetable.  Now, to recreate the salad when on home turf... On return to Edmonton and when firmly seated in front of my computer, there seemed to be no shortage of mention of this salad, from Martha"s (Stewart) Blog as well as GP's Goop!

I found a recipe from the New York Times for the anchovy vinaigrette and basically harvested a variety of our radishes as well as some baby and organic carrots, added a little sweet onion and herbs. 

Anchovy Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons or more good red or white wine vinegar
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
• 3 anchovy fillets, or more to taste, with some of their oil
• 1 large shallot (about 1 ounce), peeled and cut into chunks

Preparation

1.

Combine all ingredients except shallot in a blender, and turn the machine on. A creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste, and add more vinegar if necessary, about a teaspoon at a time, until the balance tastes right.

2.

Add shallot, and turn machine on and off a few times, until shallot is minced within the dressing. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve. (This vinaigrette is best made fresh but will keep refrigerated for a few days. Before using, bring it back to room temperature, and whisk briefly.)

Health fact of the lovely radish:  radishes provide several vitamins including Vitamin C, K, B6 and folic acid!

Other food combinations I found for radishes:

• Strawberry and radish salad with balsamic vinegar
• Panzanella salad with radishes
• Roasted radishes, with or without other root vegetables
• Escabeche of shrimp, mango and radish

Whatever your preference, if you are a new gardener or one in need of almost instant gratification, the radish is a simple and hearty vegetable to grow for your summer table.  And for those that thought the radish belongs only in Asian cooking or tossed in as an after thought with your salad, think again!  Boiled, steamed, roasted or eaten raw, this vegetable is worth another go on your plate!

Best Olive Oil in Town?

For the past week, my husband, daughter and dog have been hosting some dear friends from England.  First time in Canada and of course, first time in Edmonton.  Where to start the tour on a Saturday in June?  Why the downtown Farmer's Market, of course! 

It's been a while since my last toodle through the 104 Street area of town, and you know, it never fails.  What's not to like about a few wine bars, coffeehouses, a great french bistro, diner, etc alongside a festival, parade and the local market.  In fact, it was a bit of an assault of the senses.  But through the crowds, I did notice a new storefront.  New to me, as I have to admit, I'm not sure how long it's been opened.  Nonetheless, it's a find that I can strike off my list as this store sells...Olive oil!  Yes, I'm as shocked as you!  A store completely dedicated to vats of olive oil from around the world (OK, vinegars and some other specialty items as well) and in Edmonton.  In a city where I have always struggled finding a nice olive oil to suit our meals, it's a breath of fresh air.  And to my delight, a tasting store - YES!  Edmonton, meet Evoolution.  Evoolution - thank you for coming!

Take a look at their beautiful interior...

Label for each olive oil

This is what I love about Edmonton: as northern a city and as more of a town feel than an urban metropolis, you can find gems that bring the world to you.  Would you believe I found an olive oil David and I tasted on one of our trips to the Sonoma/Napa region?  And such a beautiful store as well - I love the industrial stainless steel vats mixed with the warm wood.  Very Californian, very foodie and very welcoming.  Staff are readily available to walk you through the complexities of choosing an olive oil and happy to educate customers while they taste the wares.  This is my kind of store!  It's hard not to like a place where you can shop, eat and learn all at once.  Well, for me, it's ideal and it's on the list for next week!

For the Health of it

After a recommendation from a trustworthy source, I finally made an appointment with an eastern medicine Physician (Acupuncture, Herbalist, etc).  When our western medical professionals come up short, I fully believe it's a good thing to have both sides of the coin working on your behalf.  So about ten days ago I met with this doctor for a consult, and guess what?  Yeah, supposedly I am lacking minerals in my diet and she thinks my liver could use a good "cleaning".  Great. I know most naturalists believe in cleansing the liver in the spring, so I wasn't that surprised when she recommended it for me.  What I was surprised at was the process.  Pills?  No.  Expensive pills?  No.  A recommended food list?  Restricted diet?  Nope, a juice cleanse.  And no, not along side a strict diet, just the juice.  More specifically, vegetable juice.  Three days, no food, just vegetable juice.  What do I do with this? I have no place in my head for even three hours without solid food let alone three days.  My consult quickly turned from thoughts of a massage and organic food plates into being drafted for the next round of Survivor. 

So, I've put it off until this weekend, when I went to my trusty computer and searched.  If you start a search for recipes for a liver cleanse, you will get some very informative websites and interesting YouTube videos of a health quack who believes he knows when the juice is right simply by the smell.  Lovely. Can you sense my excitement?  I guess I should also point out some of the vegetables you use for the above mentioned cleanse:

• Kale
• Beets
• Carrots
• Parsley
• Cucumbers
• Lemons

Why can I not get the visual of Steve Jobs on his carrot binge out of my head? And did I mention it was for three days?  Anyway, I did manage to remember that Booster Juice has a nice concoction of a beet, carrot and apple juice that I quite like, and with some further searching, turns out apples and pears are also OK to add to your concoction.  In fact, you can even have a full meal with apples.  Didn't know that would be possible, but....okey dokey.... 

I also remember reading an article in Goop about 18 months ago highlighting a mild cleanse.  Yup, here it is, a great, and much more suitable to those who enjoy food, cleanse to get you going: 

http://goop.com/newsletter/15/

I actually quite enjoy the Kale juice from this cleanse as well as the teriyaki chicken recipe.  The Smoothies highlighted are also very similar to the ones I make at home:

Smoothie

1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 Tbsp. VEGA protein powder
1 cup berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or cantaloupe)
ice

Combine all ingredients into a blender, add a splenda if you'd like it a bit sweeter or if your berries are not at the peak of their season.

For those looking for some "cleansing" tips, here are a few things to consider:

•  Start your day off with a glass of lemon water - lemons are great for detox
•  Eat lots of vegetables as snacks, get away from your carbs and yummy sweet snacks
•  Juice!  Try a concoction of 1 - 2 beets, 4 - 6 carrots, 1 apple and a 1/2 lemon.  Adjust to taste!

Well, today was the day I had a pow wow with a heap of vegetables and my juicer in the kitchen and began the process.  After an hour of prepping, juicing, storing, cleaning and repeating, I have enough juice for a day!  No better day to start than tomorrow, so Tuesday it is.  I figure if it goes OK, I will juice more for Wednesday and then repeat for Thursday.  In actuality, my doctor recommended two to three days - might as well shoot for the stars, right?

So, if you are feeling a bit sluggish this spring or just lack energy, you might want to consider adding these to your routine, or better still, join me in my three day hiatus from glorious food for a juice cleanse!  I'm hoping it will a be good thing :-)

Refresh and Redo on a Budget

My husband and I wanted to complete a few renovations on the house this year, just as a refresh for us to enjoy, but also to keep the place in order for when we do decide to downsize.  With our pennies a bit scarce, we spent the past month or so researching a deciding on several options.  Some wallpaper here, upgrade the powder room, new paint there.  Typical refreshes, but the most frightening being - refinishing the cabinets in the kitchen island!  I mean, if it works, it's brilliant!  If not....a very expensive replacement might be in store for us! I also wanted to re-finish the fireplace in our bedroom and my husband's desk in our study.

So, I found a product from Rustoleum, called Kitchen Transformations. 

http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/

The box project comes with everything you need, except a paint brush!  At $99  I wasn't quite sure what to expect or how far it would go.  You have two choices: go dark or light.  The secondary choices of specific color/stain are about 24, but remember to stop by the paint section of the store prior to checkout to get them to color your stain! (Rookie mistake!)

There are four fairly simple steps: a deglossing phase where you make sure the surface is ready to accept a new stain, the actual stain, and optional gloss (I would highly recommend it) and a clear protective coat.  The project, pending the complexity and size, takes approximately two days to complete, so great for the weekend.  So, here are the results of the smaller project, our fireplace:

The original fireplace, with a medium cherry colored stain and granite. 

After the first two stages: stain applied in Espresso

After #3 glazing

The completed project!

Now, all that's left for the master renovation is paint, curtains, etc... It's going to be a long year :-)