Backyard BBQ Dinner

What can I say? I love warm weather, lazy days off and, most of all, BBQ.

What's a BBQ without roasted red peppers and asparagus? Huh?!

Rice vermicelli noodle salad with green pepper, sugar snaps, chopped mangoes, scallions (sauteed with sesame oil, sugar cane vinegar, honey and ginger) and blackened tuna. Dressing: lime cilantro vinaigrette

These incredible sandwich creations contained the BBQ'd chicken souvlaki, covered in a homemade Tzatziki sauce and a Greek Salad. The buns came from Brazil Bakery (1554 Dundas Street West, Toronto). They were so good. I had one whole one to myself!!

The Caesar Salad had homemade croutons that were tossed in bacon fat (what what!). It also had slivers of wild leeks that M. and her partner had picked earlier in the week on a secret journey of leek picking somewhere outside of Toronto. Picking wild leeks involves some insider information.



Bunny Bling Bling Tip: Always celebrate a special occasion with fireworks.

April showers brings may flowers and a summer full of satisfaction!

Even though it's raining outside, and everything looks like a hundred different shades of brown and grey, I know for sure that spring is coming for a couple of reasons: it has warmed up, I can wear my Converse again, and there is this one single flower that popped up on the lawn.

Hello, flower!

I started growing some seeds indoors. What a feeling! I got my seeds from a small but fantastic store in Parkdale called Urban Harvest. This is a wonderful little organic place where you can get all your seeds and gardening needs, as well as organic spices, oils, and beauty products made by local people who don't do sketchy stuff.

At work, we get these trays filled with live seedlings that we harvest and then use as a garnish on our food plates. Once they are done, the guys just toss the containers out! I know! I saved a few because they are perfect for seedlings. We get 2 sizes: large and half size. If anyone wants free trays for growing seedlings, just let me know. I'm dying to pull more out of the recycling! Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, folks! There is no excuse. You can grow seedlings in just about anything that has good drainage.



The workshops held at the Stop Community Food Centre's Green Barn teach kids to start their seeds in anything from yogurt containers to milk cartons. I found their little collection very inspiring.

Hey, good job kids!

I started some beefsteak and cherry tomatoes, lemon cucumber, Armenian cucumber, patty pan squash...

And for the cats, some cat grass!

So, just after 4 days, all the seeds have sprouted and I'm so excited for spring. I'm wondering if this year we can use the garden at its fullest potential? Maybe we won't even need to buy any produce and live off the land like the folks did back in the day? That will be my goal this summer. If I happen to buy an onion, or something I'll report back to you!


Up next: planting seeds outside!