Weekend randomness

Yes, a double-posting today! Lucky you! ;-P

I had a 3-day weekend with Salem and got to do some relaxing, shopping, got a few things done and now I feel rested. :-)

We ended up going to Mom's last night with the hopes of doing laundry but the power was out. Salem and I ended up picking up some thai food and all 3 of us ate by the candle light (with a fire roaring in the fireplace). It was actually fun and Mom exclaimed her disappointment when the power came back on as soon as we were done having supper. Although I must admit that the timing was perfect - we were otherwise coffee-less. We even got to play Tock and Skip-Bo.

This weekend, I tried out another food experiment. I had eaten too many carbs the night before and was trying to do some damage control. Solution: a low-carb, high-protein version of a crêpe with filling and fruit coulis. Here goes!

Caro's damage-control stuffed crêpe with berry coulis

"Crêpe"
1 egg
1/4 cup egg whites
A dash of vanilla extract
A sprinkling on Splenda

Simply mix all ingredients, throw into a non-stick pan on medium heat and slip over once it starts browning.

Filling
1/2 cup 0% Greek yogurt
a wee-bit of vanilla extract
A bit of Splenda (if you so wish)

Simply mix.

Coulis
A few berries (I took some fresh blueberries and strawberries I had lying around) - I took about 1/3 cup total
1 Tbspn water

Throw this into a small microwaveable dish and nuke for about 1 minute.

Assembly:Put the "crêpe" on a plate, place your Greek yogurt mix in the centre of your "crêpe", fold the edges over to the centre and top with your fruit coulis. Enjoy!!!!


And now for something completely random!

A beauty-mark on Salem's foot along with my added scribbling. PS I did it in permanent marker!!! Bwahahahaha!

Sutton!!!!! Way better than Mont Tremblant!

Yeah, you heard me! Mont Tremblant is over rated! Why? Because it's quite expensive, you're packed in like sardines and everybody goes there.

Salem and I wanted a quiet, relaxing and romantic couple of days out of town during the holidays. After searching all over the place, we decided to head for the Eastern Townships - affordable, quiet, quaint and welcoming.

On our way in, we drove through St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. I'd love to come back through there sometime in the summer to take more pictures along the waterfront.

On the other side of the river, looking towards St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

My habibi!

A beautiful place to take pictures.

The happy couple - along with the darn Maximum 50 sign that kept creeping into our pictures. I just had to throw this one in here!

Most of the Eastern Townships are characterized by flat patches of land (hello agriculture!) with hills off in the distance here and there. Actually, it reminds me of my childhood visits to see my Pépé. It's a bit bittersweet honestly - the good memories but also the reminder of just how much I miss him.

A typical winter view outside the car window while driving through the Eastern Townships.

Our arrival in Sutton was nice - you see more hills in the background. We arrived later on in the day so we were gunning to make it to the B&B before darkness was fully upon us. We made it!

Sutton at our arrival - you can see the hills in the distance.

The house was amazing, the hostess was super nice and the room - OH MY!!! A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a couple thousand words! We'll definitely be going back to Les Caprices de Victoria!

Our room as we come in. A magnificent, old, metal bed, amazing old wood floors and the ceiling beams just added so much charm to the room. I think I could've spent the rest of my life living out of that room alone.

From the window: Our bed, the sink and the washroom hidden away.

The couch by the window and fireplace. So romantic. 

I love the sink and the little details that went into everything in the room and the house itself. 

My favorite part of the room!!!! And yes, the bath fits two!

Here's a note to you all: to add a bit of romance to a room, never under-estimate the power of light dimmers!

And because Les Caprices de Victoria is a B&B, well there has to be an amazing breakfast, right? Well, this place certainly didn't disappoint! Every breakfast started with fresh juice, a patisserie, a starter (usually dairy and fruits) and the main course along with plenty of coffee and tea. They also offered a dessert but Salem and I were always too full by then. Here's some of what we stuffed ourselves silly with (boy was it ever gooooooooood!!!)

A mixed berry juice with berry skewer on top. So cute!

A mandarine and fruit juice with a "cerise de terre". Very sophisticated!

I fell in love with this berry and cheese pastry.

Salem thoroughly enjoyed his almond and crème anglaise pastry. 

One of the starters: a soft cheese with some berries in a light dairy sauce. 

A fruit kabob over yogurt in a light honey sauce, sprinkled with lavender. Yum!

A new twist on eggs Benedict: mini pie crusts topped with smoked salmon, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce, served next to a soft cheese and tomatoes. Where does this woman get her ideas? Spectacular!

The dinning room. 

The wonderfully decorated living room.

We relaxed, walked around the village, did some cross-country skiing - to which I forgot to bring my camera, but perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing after all considering all the falling we were doing. Honestly, the cross-country skiing was almost therapeutic for me: it was a bit cool but my body warmed up quickly, the trails weren't crowded so we could take our time, etc. I recall one spot where I actually felt the first bit of utter piece I have felt in a very long time (years maybe?). I was standing there, at the top of a small hill, waiting for Salem to get a bit further ahead so I wouldn't run right into him at the bottom (I can't stop yet). I looked up at the trees and their branches covered in snow, listened and heard nothing, took the time to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the rays of poking through the branches here and there. It was as if the world had stopped. I wish I could go back. Alhamdullilah, I think Allah gave me a glimpse of what heaven could be like.

The trees! The Snow! Breathtaking!

Just an idea of what the trees looked like with the snow stuck on their branches. I love this part of winter.

Salem and I drove back up the hill at Sutton on the day we left. Here are a few pictures of the storm we drove in (we got stock once or twice - I helped push the car out at one point). We made our way to Lac Brome and then took our time making our way back home.

Salem cleaning off the car playing in the snow while I take pictures. Bwahahahaha!

Going up Mont Sutton. There's some snow falling.

Near the top of Mont Sutton.

At the top of Mont Sutton - Holy Snow!!!

Of course, we just had to take a picture! I can't just be quiet for a minute. 

On the way back down! To the village!!!!

My hot husband. 

Sutton - the Village. Really cute! Checklist: chocolate, patisseries! Done and Done! 

I love shopping!

On our way to Lac Brome - I love the winding roads. I also love that my husband knows how to drive in this kind of weather. :-)

A few pictures of the daytime (winter) skyline of our beautiful city. It's only in the last couple of years that my love has truly grown for the beautiful city I call home. Don't get me wrong, Montréal has it's pros and cons, just like any other city, but any time I travel and go to another place, I end up missing this city and looking forward to just walking its streets again. It really is one of a kind.

Downtown Montréal from Pont Champlain - click the image for a bigger picture.

Pont Jacques-Cartier, the top of the Stade Olympique and part of Île Sainte-Hélène (Expo 67) from Pont Champlain - click the image for a bigger picture.

A strange, high-protein breakfast experiment

So last night I started brainstorming about a possible breakfast experiment I would try out this morning. If you have all the ingredients ready, it really doesn’t take long to make. If nothing is ready, add 5-10 minutes to your prep time depending on how quickly you wash, chop, measure and mix things.

My first try at the “quick weekday morning” version of the dish was pretty good. I have taken a few mental notes for next time – which will be the “weekend” version of it. I’ll list my changes at the end of this rough recipe. I’ll post pictures next time too as I made more of a scramble this time, not so much an omelet.

High protein breakfast omelet with chicken

- 2-3green scallions, chopped

- ½ tomato, chopped

- 4 oz cooked chicken breast, shredded

- 1 large egg

- 1 cup egg whites

- 1 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

- cumin (to your taste)

- chili powder (to your taste)

- onion powder (to your taste)

- paprika (to your taste)

- salt (to your taste)

- pepper (to your taste)

Step 1: Spray non-stick pan with a bit of PAM and heat it on medium heat. When ready, add scallions and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally so they don’t burn. Add tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add chicken breast and stir, warming it just a bit.

Step 2: While waiting for items in step 1 to cook, whisk together egg, egg whites, cheese and herbs/spices.

Step 3: When chicken has been heated through, add the egg and cheese mix. If you are looking for a scramble-style dish, start stirring the whole with a spatula. Cook until done.

Now, what would I change? I will be using a whole tomato next time, putting in 2 oz of cheese and adding a bit of chili sauce on top. Also, if you have the time, simply pour in the egg and cheese mixture, heat on the stove top a few minutes and then finish cooking the omelet by placing it in the stove to “bake”. My weekend version will be made like this. I’ll make sure to take a picture of that when I get around to making it.

A movie weekend!

Well, this weekend was the first weekend where I felt like Salem and me got to really enjoy being a newlywed couple since our return from our honeymoon! It was great! We went to see 2 movies!

Friday evening, we had dinner at Emm Salem's (aka Salem's mom) and then off we went to the Dollar Cinema at Decarie Square. What is the Dollar Cinema? It's an old-school cinema with just 2 projection rooms. Admission is $2 and snacks are $1 each (pop, chips, popcorn, candy, etc). I had seen a movie there about 4-5 years ago and it was a good experience. Well, it still is a good experience! If you want to see a movie that's no longer in theaters but not yet on DVD, chances are, it's playing at the Dollar Cinema! Make sure to bring a light jacket or sweater as it can get a little chilly due to the A/C and make sure to come with a smile on your face! The owner is very nice and talkative. it really is worth checking it out - Salem and I will be sure to return. what did we end up seing? Robin Hood (with Russell Crowe) which was alright but it's really hard to beat the original.

We topped off the night (or early morning as it was 2:30 am when we left) by making a quick stop at DAD's Bagel on Sherbrooke Ouest in NDG (right next to Double Pizza on the corner of Wilson). They're open 24/7 and always have great Montreal bagels, Indian food and a few pastries to take home. We were lucky to get there just as they were taking out fresh batches of poppy seed and sesame seed bagels. Yummm Yummm!! They made for great breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday (topped with cheddar, feta and cream cheese or peanut butter and home-made strawberry jam). It was so good!

I spent most of the afternoon unpacking the guest room while Salem took his mom and Lama to pick up Lama's wedding dress. I was productive!!! Yay me!!!
 
Saturday evening we went to the Angrignon mall to see Inception. Now, anyone who's known me for a long time knows I was never a Leonardo Dicaprio fan but I now have to admit that I am starting to appreciate the quality actor he can be. It's also nice to see that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is all grown up! I still remember him from 3rd Rock from the Sun. Anyway! The movie was freaking AMAZING! Totally worth the entry price! It's a mixture of suspense, action and is mentally stimulating as well. It was the best movie we've seen in quite a while. I don't want to say too much about the movie for fear of ruining it for others, but it is basically about the power to invade someone's dreams, extracting ideas, secrets and the possibility of implanting an idea in someone's mind while in that dream state. If you do end up going (and I hop e you do), just make sure to be ready to pay attention as you might get a bit confused if you miss something.

Alright, that's enough blabbing on my part! Time for me to start getting ready to go to bed. I hope y'all had a nice weekend!

2 Lebanese-style breakfasts - a new weekend tradition?

Alright! So I wanted to post these earlier but I was very busy the last week (unpacking, work, obligations, cleaning, the beach and all manner of other things).

I was originally going to make a longer post but I think I shouldn't cram too many things in here. So here we go!

It seems Salem and I have developed a bit of a tradition for weekend mornings (one day every weekend). It's basically Lebanese breakfast time! For the last 2 weekends, we've been having "labneh" which, to me, seems like a halfway point between yogurt and cream cheese. You can find this in just about any grocery store in Ville St-Laurent (just go to the cheese/yogurt/olive counter). Otherwise, you might try other Middle-Eastern grocery stores. There are 2 kinds of labneh that I know of, but we tend to stick to the Phoenicia one.

MMMM Labneh!!!

Here's how I prepped mine (serves 2)
In a dessert plate, take about 3 Tbspns of labneh and spread, making a small circular depression (as if you had pushed a bagel into the labneh). Next, sprinkle with dried herbs and spices of your choice. One weekend, I used paprika, sumak (another spice to be found in Middle-Eastern stores), a bit of cayenne and some chili spice. Last Sunday, I used the same as above, but added zaatar which is a herb mix of thyme and sesame seeds (there are a few different kinds, everyone has their preference). Some people like to add salt but I don't as I really do not feel the need to have it added in at all. Drizzle olive oil on top (adjust amount to your preference) - that's where that little depression comes in handy.

You can eat this with pita (toasted or not) or with Manoush (we had manoush bi zaatar - manoush with zaatar in it) - we toasted ours.

And for you olive freaks out there, Salem says it's a great accompaniment. I'll have to take his word for it.

Yum, yum, yum!!!

Lebanese breakfast 1: Coffee, olives, labneh and toasted pita. My little extra: almond (badam) burfi (an Indian sweet) pictured in between the coffee and the olives.

Lebanese breakfast 2: Coffee, olives, labneh and toasted manoush bi zaatar.

Manoush bi zaatar (purchased at Boulangerie Andalos, 264 boulevard Lebeau in Ville St-Laurent)

Coffee, badam (almond) burfi (see below for recipe) and olives.

Badam burfi (almonds)
Recipe thanks to Manjula's Kitchen

First, let me tell you just how much I love Manjula's Site! It's chock full of great Indian recipes. Also, she makes YouTube videos to show you just how to make these dishes. She looks like the sweetest lady ever and I wish I had a neighbour like her (although I'd be over there eating all the time and probably weigh about 300 lbs!). I highly suggest people check out her website, YouTube videos and maybe even give a few recipes a try. Mine have always turned out wonderfully!

Here's the recipe along with some of my personal notes.


Recipe makes 20 pieces.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole almonds ***I buy almonds which already have the skins removed, therefore saving me some time and frustration
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of Cardamom powder ***After making this recipe twice, my taste buds demand that I add more      Cardamom powder - I love the stuff, what can I say?
• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee (clear butter)
• 1/3 cup milk

Method

1. Soak the almonds in hot water for 30 minutes.
2. Peel the skin off the almonds. Blend the almonds into a fine paste using just enough milk as needed to blend. *** I find this part horrendous if using my blender. I should remember to always use my little chopper/processor that came with my Cuisinart kit.
3. Add the sugar and whip it for a couple of minutes.
4. Heat the ghee in the frying pan on low-medium heat.
5. As the ghee melts, add the almond paste and cook on medium heat, stirring continuously.
6. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens to the consistency of bread batter, and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
7. Add the cardamom powder. Remove the frying pan from the heat.
8. Whip the batter using a spoon in a circular motion for about two to three minutes.
9. Pour it into the prepared greased pan.
10. Smoothen the surface of the mixture to about a quarter inch thick.  ***Often easier to do when you pray spatula with non-stick spray or ghee
11. Let cool for about 20 minutes until burfi is just look warm.
12. Cut into 1-inch squares or any shape you like.
13. Cool to the room temperature and store burfi in an airtight container.
14. Almond burfi has a long shelf life and can be kept outside for up to one week. When refrigerated, almond burfi will last a couple of months.

Suggestions:
You can make burfi using almond meal or almond flour. If you are using almond meal, mix one cup almond meal with the sugar and milk and knead the mixture for two minutes. Let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then follow the directions above. The almond flour burfi will be a little chewy.