Weekend Adventures

After a fun-filled weekend, I was very tempted to use my first day off to catch up on some bad TV and laundry. But, as we know, our "Summer" weekends are limited here in Canada, and it seemed a waste of a sunny afternoon washing my whites! So, Tess and I quickly got ready and caught the late afternoon train into the city. With no real plans, we enjoyed an afternoon of limitless wandering. We walked along the Toronto Harbour Front, people watching and stopping to enjoy the scenery. One of our favourite spots was the Toronto Music Garden--truly a gorgeous slice of nature in the heart of the city. We ended the day with a Blood Orange Radler on the patio of Amsterdam Brewery, and made it back to Union Station just ahead of the rain storm. I love an unexpected adventure, and we are so lucky to be a quick 45-minute train ride away from all our beautiful city of Toronto has to offer. 

Crushing On

This month's Crush is a list of my favourite Instagram follows, with a European flair! 

Paris in Four Months - Every photo Carin takes is truly cinematic in its beauty. The perfect daydream of Paris. 

Maurice and King - Kate, a mother of two adorable boys, living in London, England, specializes in photos of the many colourful homes and neighbourhoods in London (she calls Chelsea home!).   

Jools Oliver - Sure, she may be best known as Jamie Oliver's wife, but her stylized Instagram photos make her special in her own right. You will SWOON over her picture-perfect, quintessentially British pics, and her four too-cute children. 

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Not Your Standard - This fashion-based Instagram is courtesy of Kayla--a Toronto born girl, who now calls Berlin home. You will love her style, and the many gorgeous European backdrops behind the clothes. 

Chloe in the Kitchen?

Both of my parents are excellent cooks. Unfortunately, that gene seemed to skipped right on past me. It makes me anxious even thinking about attempting a recipe. I can't "improvise" when Nigela tells me to, and I can't "experiment with spices" like Jamie can. It just doesn't come naturally for me. BUT. A girl's gotta learn some basics. So here is my new series, Chloe in the Kitchen?. With the help of the parental units, I will attempt some simple recipes and share the results. Wish me luck!

The first recipe I am tackling is Creamy Red Pepper Soup (you can find the original recipe here). With this week's fall-like weather, I was craving something warm and comforting. Red Bell Peppers are currently in season here in Ontario, so it was perfect timing. This particular recipe was EASY. Seriously. It only has a handful of ingredients and took about 45/50 minutes total. I strayed from the recipe twice, using half and half cream instead of heavy cream (because that's what was in the fridge), and opting not to strain the soup (as I prefer a thicker consistency). A sour cream dollop and some black pepper completed the dish. 

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 24 fluid ounces chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Place the red bell pepper, onion and garlic in the saucepan and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring well, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
  3. Run the soup through a strainer and return the liquid to the saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in the heavy cream and the ground black pepper and allow to heat through, about 5 to 10 minutes.