The Evolution of The Princess's Daily Rants

I have been thinking about it for a long time and have wanted to split my blog.  One of the things that I love the most about this blog is that I have connected with so many people about migraines, mental health, fashion, food and just life.

What has happened over the last year or so, is that I have found I am writing more and more about mental health and general health here, and I am happy about that.  Mental health, bipolar disorder, social anxiety, migraines and chronic illness are my life now.  Everyday these are the things that I deal with and have to manage to be able to function and so I write about them and the struggles that they bring to my life.


On the other hand, I have other interests, primarily food and fashion.  I find it difficult that there are so many "food blogs" out there.  It feels like everyone of my friends is writing a food blog.  Every meal that I go to has people who have cameras taking pictures of every single thing that goes into every one's mouth, tweets about everything that is on every ones plate, writes a review about what is on every ones fork.......quite frankly it is starting to make me a bit crazy, but still I feel like I want to write and share some of my own experiences about food.


So, I would like to introduce you to "We like to eat and drink".  The core of the blog will be a place where "writing and musings by me, about myself, my friends and family, as we celebrate life through eating cooking and being together".  Food is at the core of my family and friends, or social time together and the experiences that we share.  So far I see the blog being divided into 4 different areas:

• "1001 Foods You Must Taste Before You Die Challenge" - A few years ago, before I got sick, I started a challenge to "eat my way through this book".  I will be re-posting and re-attacking this book and its challenge on this blog.  More details to come!!
• Princess Bistro - I like to cook, a lot.  I hope to share some of my adventures in the kitchen, both successful and not, here.  I love having real people over, cooking real food, sharing their experiences.  I hope I can do the same.
• We Like to Eat and Drink - As the title of this blog, I am fortunate to share a love of food and eating with so many friends and family.  I hope to share experiences of how we celebrate events and friendships with food.
• The Cookbook Obsession - I collect cookbooks.  I love them.  I hope to be able to share some reviews of the ones that are on my night table for reading and marking up for future recipes.  
• Culinary Adventures in food - Food has always played a role in my travels and I plan on documenting some of that here.  I feel fortunate to have had so many fabulous experiences abroad, most of them involving food at some point.

I do hope that you will join me on this adventure at http://weliketoeatanddrink.blogspot.com/ My plan is to continue writing here about health and my life, so don't leave me, but I would love your thoughts on food, friends and community at "We Like to Eat and Drink".  You can also follow some of my food tweets @welike2eatdrink.  happy eating and good health!

Cheese Shopping in France: Cyrille et Christelle Loho Fromagerie, Strausbourg

Last Christmas we spent 3 weeks in Strasbourg, France and spent the days eating and drinking in Germany, France and Swizerland.  One of the most wonderful things about being in Europe is the amazing food shops.  We shopped everyday for food and I enjoyed it immensely.  Strasbourg is a city of small streets that have no car access and small shops filled with independent food and wine purveyors.  I spent hours going in and out photographing, smelling, tasting, shopping and enjoying every minute of it.  Such a wonderful time.  This was one of my favourite.  Check out the pictures from Cyrille et Christell Loho Fromagerie, owned by a lovely young married couple.  The walls were stone and damp.  It fel like it had been there for a hundred years just perfect for fromage.

Auberge du Pommier - Menu Degustation

I was treated to a lovely tasting menu last night at one of the continually best rated restaurants in Toronto, Auberge du Pommier.  I hadn't been there in ages and the meal was fantastic.  It was truly lovely and the wine pairings were spectacular.  What a treat.  The tasting menu can be found here, but I took some pics while we were there.  They are slightly dark, as I was really aware of not disturbing the other diners, so did not use a flash.  I wish I could go back right now!

Delicious Dinner at Guu Izikaya

A group of us went to dinner at a new Japanese pub in Toronto called Guu Izikaya.  It is the new it spot in the city for asian cuisine and it was yummy.  Link to the menu and address can be found here http://www.guu-izakaya.com/toronto.html You should go. It is yummy!

A trip to Grand Chinese Cuisine for Dim Sum

A group of us went to the north of the ciry for some fantastic Dim Sum on the 2nd of January for some of the best Dim Sum in the city.  Here are some of the pics from the lunch.  Grand Chinese can be found at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel, 655 Dixon Road, Toronto, ON.  Phone 416 248 9898

Making Jerk in Jamaica and Recipes

I just spent 16 days in Jamaica at the Ritz Carlton Rose Hall, Montego Bay. One of the best parts of Rose hall is the amazing Jerk Bar that they have at the hotel. Every Saturday they have a wonderful cooking class that you can go to with Chef Keisha to learn how to cook jerk when you get home. The jerk was amazing and everyday we had jerk chicken, rice and peas, festival, jerk fish, baked yam, baked sweet potato..... so good. Part of the cooking class was being given the Recipes for jerk and I thought that I would share them. I have yet to make them at home but am planning on it in the next little while. I think that it will be perfect in the summer at le cottage.

Wet Jerk Marinade:

1/4 cup whole Jamaican pimento berries or 1/8 cup ground allspice
10 scotch bonnets or hobs peppers (seeds & stems removed) chopped
1/2 cup of scallions, chopped
1/2 cup of onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 bay leaves, crushed
1/3 cup ginger, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup fresh thyme
salt to taste

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Marinate Chicken/Pork/Sausages for 24-72 hours. Shorter time span for tofu/shell fish/fish.

Dry Jerk Marinade:

• 1/2 cup Pimento Berries crushed or 1/4 cup ground allspice
• 4 tbsp crushed pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup garlic powder
• 1/2 cup ground ginger
• 1/3 cup fresh thyme
• 4 scotch bonnet peppers, chopped
• 4 bay leaves, crushed
• 1 tsp salt to taste
• 1 tbsp black pepper

Mix all the ingredients and keep in a cool dry place. Rub your home made jerk rub over tofu, fish, chicken, pork or seafood.




Mild Jerk Sauce

(this was served with every jerk dish we had and was delicious. I loved the hot one and will have a jar of this in my fridge always. It will be so good on everything!)

• 2 cups wet Jerk Marinade
• 1/4 cup Leam Perry Sauce (which tasted exactly like Worcester sauce)
• 4 oz Tabasco Sauce
• 3 cups Pineapple Juice
• 1 cup Ketchup
• 3 cups Sweet Chili Sauce
• 1 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup Honey

Blend all ingredients in blender.

Hot Jerk Sauce (this was my favorite!)

• 4 cups wet Jerk Marinade
• 1/4 cup Leam Perry Sauce (which tasted exactly like Worcester sauce)
• 8 oz Tabasco Sauce
• 3 cups Pineapple Juice
• 1 cup Ketchup
• 2 cups Sweet Chili Sauce
• 1 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup Honey

Blend all ingredients in blender.

Rice and Peas

Popular Jamaican dish made with red kidney beans, coconut milk, rice, scallion, pimento and thyme. These are so yummy!!!

• 1/2 cup red kidney beans/gungo peas (if not canned then they need to be prepared)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole
• 1 stalk of scallion, chopped
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 oz of ginger

• 2 oz butter or margarine

• salt to taste

• 2 1/2 cups rice

• 3+ cups coconut milk

1. Cook beans in 4 cups of water 25-30 minutes. (If using canned beans, use the liquids in the can to give the Rice and Peas the flavour and pink colour. Top up the liquid to 4 cups with water)

2. Add coconut milk, scallion, pepper, garlic, salt and pepper, bring to a boil.

3. Add rice and adjust stove temperature to medium

4. Cover pot and allow to simmer

5. When liquid is 90% consumed into rice, turn stove temp to low and finish cooking

6. When cooked, fluff rice and enjoy with jerk chicken

Cooking time 40-45 minute

Winnipeg Pics

Great burger place near my hotel!

A Fall Harvest Trip to the Canal Road Farmers Market

I visited my favourite Farmer's Market today in Ontario today, the Canal Streeet Market.  They do not sell anything but veggies and fruit (occasionally flowers) but it is all from the local feilds that surround the market, known as the Holland Marsh.  The land is some of the most fertile in the country and the veggies are amazing.  I didn't need anything, but managed to leave with a bushel of roma tomatoes that are currently in the oven roasting with 3 heads of garlic, 2 pints of concord graps (because I love them), 5 1st of the season cortland apples and some radishes.  All delightfully yummy!

Really my biggest question after a visit to a market like this, is how on earth can we not comitt to eating more locally and supporting our local farmers?

A trip to the farmers market

As some of you know, I have been trying to commit to eating locally grown produce and the local food movement. More and more I am having issues with eating strawberries that are the size of my head in December and buying produce that is flown across the country to end up sitting on the grocery shelf for weeks. One thing that I am doing is spending time shopping at local farmers markets and luckily there is one on the way too and from our summer house.

I took some pics on my way down today, because I hope that it will inspire others to explore their local markets. How can you not want to shop locally when the products look like this!

Baconnaise - WTF???

Do you ever wonder - What the hell were they thinking? - when you see something? I did when I saw Baconnaise. Coming to you from the makers of Bacon Salt. The blurb on the website where you can order it states:

Our newest invention, Baconnaise, is the Ultimate Bacon Flavored Spread. Our 3 pack of Regular Baconnaise is the best way to save on shipping costs and keep your sandwiches, salads, burgers, fries and more in baconey goodness for months.

For two minutes, I just wanted to reflect how disgusting this sounds. Bacon flavoured processed something. The best part is that it lists it as vegetarian, kosher and extremely delicious. So it obviously does not include the said main ingredient needed to give something a bacon flavour BACON! what exactily is in this stuff???

Too funny. I have to say that there is a recipie section and it does make it slightly intriguing to try a recipie or two.

Hugry Girl Website and Breakfast cookies

I know that I gave the Hungry Girl Cookbook a very bad review, and I stick by that review, however I have signed up to there daily e-mails and I have to say Kudos. They have been not bad. Some really good ideas. I like the comparative recipes and some of their ideas. I have been looking desperately for a Breakfast that is simple and easy and portable and today they had these HG's Grab and Go Breakfast Cookies.



You must admit these look fab, and they seem to be really rather nutritious. The problem that I have with the recipe is that it yet again, like the cook book, is that it is full of highly processed foods. I wonder if I can freeze these. I hate all the pre-processed food that is in them, but I might try them. I also wish they were higher in Protein. Please note I copied the recipe from the Hungry Girl website.

PER SERVING (1 cookie): 154 calories, 1.5g fat, 166mg sodium, 32.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 10.5g sugars, 5g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Ingredients:
1/2 cup regular oats (not instant)
6 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor
1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/3 cup Gerber Peaches (or another brand of pureed peaches, found in the baby food aisle)
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 tbsp. golden raisins 1 tbsp. Ocean Spray Craisins (original)
2 tbsp. brown sugar, not packed
2 tsp. Coffee-mate Sugar Free French Vanilla powdered creamer
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Chop raisins and Craisins into small pieces. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, Fiber One crumbs, Splenda, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, dissolve Coffee-mate into 2 tbsp. hot water.
Add all other wet ingredients (pureed peaches, pumpkin, and egg substitute), and mix well.
Add liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until completely blended.
Slowly sprinkle chopped raisins and Craisins into the batter, making sure they don't all stick together.
Spray a large baking pan with nonstick spray, and spoon batter into 4 evenly spaced circles.
Spread batter out a bit with the back of a spoon.
Place pan in the oven for 12 - 14 minutes (until tops of the treats are just slightly crispy).
Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Then grab 'n go!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS HG

Alternative! If you don't feel like whipping out the blender to grind that Fiber One, simply leave the F1 crumbs out of the recipe. Your cookies won't be as high in fiber, but they'll still taste great and clock in with a POINTS® value of 2* each.

The Gorgeous Produce of the East Coast of Canada

I just couldn't resist the beautiful produce that I saw on my trip last week to Halifax. I drove from the airport to the city on the side highway through Bedford and stopped in a couple of markets and also at the Lobster markets Fishermans Wharf and Clearwater Seafood. I couldn't resist taking the pics of the produce. Fall is such a fantastic time of year in Canada. It was so beautiful. Enjoy!

The Lobsters Last Swim

I spent the Sunday afternoon in Halifax and had a good exploring some of the fantastic shoreline near Halifax including having a great lobster picnic in a park. Anyway, I love lobsters and loved these poor little guys. I thought this was hysterical. I will be writing and posting my review of the culinary adventure from the afternoon, but had to get this us here. It is quite funny with the little guys trying to escape the camera....

The Vegeterian 100 - 97/101 not bad for a meat eater!

It appears that these 100 lists are popping up everywhere. Came across the Vegiterian 100 created by Tigers and Strawberries and thought that I would give it a whirl and see how I did. After scoring 93/101 on the Omnivores 100, I was surprised to see how this panned out 97/101. I guess I like to eat!! THere is nothing that I won't try and nothing that I won't eat again.

Here it is with instructions:

Instructions come from Little Ray of Sunshine:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Italicize any item you'll never eat again.
5) Asterisk any items you'd be willing to try but have not yet.
6) Mention the original source
7) Post only behind an LJ cut!

The Vegetarian Hundred

1. Real macaroni and cheese, made from scratch and baked
2. Tabouleh
3. Freshly baked bread, straight from the oven (preferably with homemade strawberry jam)
4. Fresh figs
5. Fresh pomegranate
6. Indian dal of any sort
7. Imam bayildi
8. Pressed spiced Chinese tofu
9. Freshly made hummus
10. Tahini
11. Kimchi
12. Miso
13. Falafel
14. Potato and pea filled samosas
15. Homemade yogurt
16. Muhammara
17. Brie en croute
18. Spanikopita
19. Fresh, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes
20. Insalata caprese
21. Stir-fried greens (gai lan, bok choi, pea shoots, kale, chard or collards)
22. Freshly made salsa
23. Freshly made guacamole
24. Creme brulee
25. Fava beans
26. Chinese cold sesame peanut noodles
27. Fattoush
28. New potatoes
29. Coleslaw
30. Ratatouille
31. Baba ganoush
32. Winter squash
33. Roasted beets
34. Baked sweet potatoes
35. Plantains
36. Chocolate truffles
37. Garlic mashed potatoes
38. Fresh water chestnuts
39. Steel cut oats
40. Quinoa
41. Grilled portabello mushrooms
42. Chipotle en adobo
43. Stone ground whole grain cornmeal
44. Freshly made corn or wheat tortillas
45. Frittata
46. Basil pesto
47. Roasted garlic
48. Raita of any type
49. Mango lassi
50. Jasmine rice (white or brown)
51. Thai vegetarian coconut milk curry
52. Pumpkin in any form other than pie
53. Fresh apple pear or plum gallette
54. Quince in any form
55. Escarole, endive or arugula
56. Sprouts other than mung bean
57. Naturally brewed soy sauce
58. Dried shiitake mushrooms
59. Unusually colored vegetables (purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, chocolate bell peppers…)
60. Fresh peach ice cream
61. Chevre
62. Medjool dates
63. Kheer
64. Flourless chocolate cake
65. Grilled corn on the cob
66. Black bean (or any other bean) vegetarian chili
67. Tempeh
68. Seitan or wheat gluten
69. Gorgonzola or any other blue veined cheese
70. Sweet potato fries
71. Homemade au gratin potatoes
72. Cream of asparagus soup
73. Artichoke-Parmesan dip
74. Mushroom risotto
75. Fermented black beans
76. Garlic scapes
77. Fresh new baby peas
78. Kalamata olives
79. Preserved lemons
80. Fried green tomatoes
81. Chinese scallion pancakes
82. Cheese souffle
83. Fried apples
84. Homemade frijoles refritos
85. Pasta fagiole
86. Macadamia nuts in any form
87. Paw paw in any form
88. Grilled cheese sandwich of any kind
89. Paneer cheese
90. Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian style–no pork!)
91. Fresh pasta in any form
92. Grilled leeks, scallions or ramps
93. Green papaya salad
94. Baked grain and vegetable stuffed tomatoes
95. Pickled ginger
96. Methi greens
97. Aloo paratha
98. Kedgeree (the original Indian version without the smoked fish, not the British version with fish)
99. Okra
100. Roasted brussels sprouts

The Omnivore's Hundred - 93/101 - not a bad score if I do say so myself!

This comes from Very Good Taste (a blog that I will have to do a little Recommended Read on at a later date). It is a very neat idea. I've cut and pasted the text with the instructions, so that you can see the gist of it. I love the concept. i"ve eaten 93. I guess I'm doing well. I'd like to see it be a bit more adventuresome in some areas but all in all a great list. Maybe I will look to but together a list of 50 foods I would like to try before I die and see what I can come up with. That would be a ton of fun. Pass it on.....

Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred: (FYI, it should by 101, but I'm not telling!)

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Breakfast on the go - Luna Bars

I think that I may have found a really good alternative to breakfast - the Luna Bar. I just ate my first one flavoured "Nutz Over Chocolate" and it was delicious. Some things that the Luna bar has going for it:

• its 70% organic
• they do not use artificial sweeteners
• its got 10 g of protein, 3 g of fibre and has a low glycemic index
• It has only 180 calories (apparently all of the them only have 180 calories)
• 4.5 grams of fat (13%)
• 25 g of carbs

It is the first "meal replacement bar" that is actually really tasty. I picked it up at Target this weekend and it is lovely and yummie. All that for $1. I also picked up the Caramel Nut Brownie one, that I will eat tomorrow.

I think that these could be not only a good breakfast substitute, but also a really good snack food to have in my handbag. As I have a major problem with blood sugar, and I usually get to busy to eat regularly, this could be perfect. I find that if I don't eat then I get headaches, the shakes, nauseous, all in all not good at all. This might be the perfect thing to carry in case I miss lunch etc. I can't wait to try the other one. They have some other more breakfasty flavours, but really who can resist 180 calories and chocolate to boot?????