The solution to extinction

The outlook for species at risk in Canada is pretty grim. The Harper government having passed its first budget bill, Bill C-38, made it clear once again that economic activities are its main priorities. The National Energy Board is now exempt from the Species at Risk Act and is required little considerations for habitat of species at risk when reviewing pipeline applications. The entire Environmental Assessment Act was repealed. Funding is removed for the Experimental Lakes Area, a famous freshwater research site that helped understand the effects of birth control hormones on aquatic wildlife and so much more. The Fisheries Act was considerably narrowed so that basically only fish related to commercial activities are protected, and as long as fish habitat is not irreparably damaged, polluting industries are in the clear. 

(For more info, read this and this)

Good thing the internet provides us with one of the best ideas ever to deal with the protection of species at risk:

12 Days of Eating

12 tartines of garlic & herb boursin,
11 slices of aged havarti,
10 pieces of applewood smoked cheddar,
9 sweet potato crackers with honey & vanilla goat cheese,
8 toasts with dill goat cheese,
7 black forest cookies,
8 candy cane cookies,
7 cinnamon roll (brown sugar and cinnamon blobs) cookies,
6 birthday cake cookies,
5 vanilla chocolate chip cookies,
4 double chocolate cookies,
3 chocolate mini reese cups cookies,
2 chunks of almond butter crunch,
1 mug of spiked apple cider!

'Tis the season for holiday eats with my favourite friends! So excited for the potluck at Jamie's tonight!
Bringing Ina Garten's Caramelized Butternut Squash mmmmmm....

*Edit: I just realized I can't count, no need to point it out.

IKEA Monkey

Of course, as soon as I go home for the holidays something exciting actually happens in North York.
This is one of the funniest things I have ever heard of and I'm posting it to make sure I never forget. The poor thing is going to be way overdressed for the animal shelter...

Séjour à Montréal

What would be a better end-of-term celebration than a trip to Montreal with the York gals? We booked a 6 person girls-only dorm at La Maison du Patriote in le vieux port. The location: beautiful, with lots of Christmas lights, cobblestone roads, restos and boutiques with hanging signs. The interior: quirky and fun, seriously a page pulled out from an IKEA catalogue and put into a super old narrow building with the addition of giant origami objects hanging from the ceiling. And chalk-painted walls. I added our own signature to a wooden beam.

Some inspiring kitchen franglish

Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) in a heart, not a butt, for providing us with fancy wine and mead. Even though the mead - hydromel en français, making it sound extra fancy - did taste like butt.

The first thing we do upon arrival? Go to a poutinerie, of course! Fried avocado slices are delicious, trust me. We then stumbled upon the Marché Casse-Noisette and sampled some liqueurs here and there. The night just got better as we came across a québecois wine tasting event! 

It was great how we managed to find so many things to do without any planning whatsoever. A maple syrup store. Design show. Live music at a bar. Fireworks show. Oh the irony, a bunch of planning students on an impromptu trip. Whatever, spontaneity is my new mantra.