Let your red heart show

I am obsessed with the Olympics! I could watch any sport and be totally into it even if I have no idea what the rules are (like Judo for instance). The summer olympics always pose such a problem, the constant internal struggle to get outside in the sun or plant myself in front of the TV for hours on end because I don't want to miss ANYTHING!!

We need more outdoor TV's around here! At least my office has several so I can be easily distracted through out the day :)
And might as well take a trip down memory lane while we are at it, when all the excitement was happening in my own backyard. Below my absolute favorite video essay by Stephen Brunt. I get teary eyed every time!



xo J

GO CANADA!

Shanna Murray

 I have been eyeing ShannaMurray's illustrated wall decals for quite some time now, and when I decided that I wanted to gift two of my favorite ami with her beautiful work for their new digs it seemed the perfect opportunity to gift myself as well!

But now I have a problem, I am think I am addicted and I just noticed today that she is having a sale on designs that are to be discontinued. Go check it out, the sale is only on until July 31st!

The only problem I had was trying to decide the perfect location for my decal!!

I decided to add a little inspirational note to my bathroom wall...love it so much!

xo J

images via yours truly and shannamurray

The Sardine Can

This past weekend I got to do one of my favorite things, try out a new and fabulous restaurant! Maybe because my two fellow amis are currently gallivanting around Spain as I type but I needed to get my own fix.

I have a soft spot for authentic Spanish Tapas and it has been something that Vancouver has been sorely lacking but now we have TheSardineCan. Located in a little spot on Powell Street in Gastown The Sardine Can literally did feel like I was walking in to a little tapas joint on some side street in some bustling Spanish city.

I really need to get better at taking pictures of food before greedily stuffing it into my mouth so this is the best picture I have, but I can tell you it wal all delicious. We ordered quite a selection from the little menu but they were all the perfect tapas size and washed down with a crisp, cool Spanish white wine was perfection.

 My personal favorites were the duo of hams, Pata Negra and Serrano, cut so thin they melt in your mouth, the Gambas al Ajillo (prawns in garlic), with all that leftover oil with garlic and chili just perfect for dunking bread into, and the Patatas Bravas, little fingerling potatoes doused in tomatoes and garlic aoili.

The place, as the name suggests, is small, best for a date night of a small group of 5 and under, and it fills up. However, if you are not in a rush it is perfectly situated to have a stroll around and grab a pre-dinner cocktail while you wait for your table. The space is great and the staff incredibly friendly!

xo J

Triple Berry

Last weekend I offered to make dessert for a BBQ and then the event day rolled around and I thought, ugh...what am I going to make?...and then laziness started setting in...but...then I remembered I saw this over at cupcakesandcashmere and voila! Easy berry deliciousness!

xo J

PDX

Usually for the May long weekend the Amis rough it up with a bit of camping but this year there was only a few of us available so decided to switch it up and head south to Portland.

I have really fond memories of Portland from my childhood so I was beyond excited to revisit this fun, quirky city. Here are just a few highlights:

We stayed at TheAce which I would highly recommend, full of fun corners to lounge in, the lobby was always bustling with people flowing through from the adjoining StumptownCoffee and ClydeCommon and the retro music was always playing. Perfectly situated in the Pearl District close to oodles of shops, restaurants and the always magical Powells.

Portland is known for its abundance of micro breweries and what better way to see them then on a 15 person 100% green party machine! The young couple that runs Brewcycle are great fun and definitely know how to have a good time.

The food cart experience in Portland is truly something to behold, the fact that they had blocks fully dedicated to food carts bogled my mind, but I knew right away which one I wanted to hit up. The EuroTrash food cart was featured on one of my favorite food network shows so I veered straight to it and got myself one of their Squid Fana sandwiches, messiest, most delicious thing!

Ending the trip with a visit to Pastaworks on Hawthorne St. truly brings me back to my childhood, owned by family friends I have been visiting this place since before I could walk. Thought to be one of the pioneers of the slow food movement, here you can find all sorts of Mediterranean treats and not to mention all that freshly made pasta!

xo J

Baz does Gatsby!

My love for Baz Luhrmann's films (with the exception of that one about Australia) goes back to his very first, Strictly Ballroom, which if you haven't seen it you really, really should! His Romeo + Juliet was so perfectly timed for my high school years and Moulin Rouge took my love of the musical and amped it up about 200 times!

However, he would not have been the first filmmaker I would have thought of for a remake of The Great Gatsby but after seeing this trailer I think this will be a summer hit!


xo J

Guest Post: Best Bite #11: Chicken + Waffles

Today is a very special day here at Amis, we have our very first guest post! Thank you to our dear ami Christine for sharing her experience and helping us knock another item off our best bit list!

I am extremely privileged to be the first special guest blogger to the Amisarewe Blog and I am so excited to share my experience with you.

For the past few years, one of our friends has given me the gift of time for my birthday. For my 30^th birthday I was able to choose any cooking class I was interested in. I chose a breakfast class at DirtyApron.  Not only did I laugh hysterically as I fell flat while trying to flip my potato latkes, the atmosphere, chef and good company was all the rave! 

This year for my birthday, she gave me the gift of time again! This time the card read, “Chicken and Waffles for Chicken!”  I was invited to join her at TwoChefs+ATable for this crazy combination.  Yay, Chicken and Waffles is also an item on the Best Bites Vancouver!  We shared Chicken and Waffles as well as their Hash.

Here’s the deal with Chicken and Waffles….

IT’S DAMN GOOD!

It seems so weird to have this combo staring at you in the face but once you pour the syrup on and dig in, its mouth watering, irresistibly phenomenal. The Belgium waffle is made to perfection but the star of the entire dish, the fried chicken. No wait, the batter of the fried chicken. The pairing of the season batter, waffle and syrup is truly what makes this dish. I experimented a bit and tried just a piece of chicken without skin with the waffle, but that perfect bite was missing. The combination lacked.

Please, do yourself a favour and head down to TwoChefs+ATable as soon as you can to get a taste of this! Chicken and Waffles is where it’s at! Doors open at 9:30am and that’s the perfect time to be there if you don’t want to wait!

4 things learnt in my rant...

1.       My ageJ

2.       My nicknameJ

3.       I love cookingJ

4.       I love Chicken and WafflesJ

Thanks for letting me be the first guest,  Amis!!!

©Chicken