a peek inside the fishbowl

Weekend reading will be back next week because I’m hanging out at Westfest! Will you be there? Please say hello if you see me!

This post is sponsored by Loblaws but my opinions about cheese remain my own. Thanks Loblaws!

For the past couple of years, I’ve been a bit crazy about setting out cheese boards when company is coming over. Our kitchen island becomes Ground Zero for snacks, along with little plates, napkins, glasses, and wine for the adults and something bubbly for the kids.

Cheese boards provide a fun and interactive kind of nibbling. It keeps people moving and mingling as they nosh. I also like that cheese boards look nice. In fact, dare I say they look FANCY, even though they are almost effortless to pull together. It’s almost as easy as pouring a bowl of pretzels… and a lot better tasting methinks. :)

As it pertains to entertaining, my cheese board plan has always been:

(1) Buy my favourite cheese
(2) Serve.

Ok, not really. I do have a bit of an approach, and yes, it always includes a few of my favourite cheeses.

First, I like to choose one hard cheese, one soft cheese, and one other softer spreadable cheese. I have served “stinkier” cheeses but I’m inevitably the only one who eats it. Sigh. Note to self: It’s good to keep guests in mind when shopping for cheese. This means that I usually end up with an aged cheddar, brie, and a goat cheese.

Second, I slice or cube up the cheeses and set them out in little groups. Between these, I place little piles of nuts, fruit, and sometimes meat, like a really nice sliced ham or mild salami. Sometimes I’ll add a small dish of red pepper jelly or preserves to the mix too. Warning! If you use coloured toothpicks they’ll dye your food. (I learned this the hard way.)

I think some people get hung up on pairings – what cheese goes with what – although there are combinations that will make your mouth explode. For example, Loblaws suggests serving aged cheddar with baguette slices, apples, grapes or pears, with English mustard and gherkins. YUM. That being said, it is totally ok to serve what you have on hand. As long as you have some great cheese it isn’t worth stressing about whether you should serve it with apples or pears or dried figs.

Pro tip: Use a larger board so you can spread things around more comfortably. When the pile starts to shrink it’s easy to refill. I use my cutting board! It’s a gorgeous slab of salvaged wood made by Nacoille Studio here in Ottawa.

Here’s the thing about the cheese board, although it is the perfect food to pull out when company drops by unexpectedly (most people have a brick of cheese in the fridge, some fruit and some crackers, right?), it doesn’t have to be reserved for special occasions. A cheese plate can make a very lovely dinner or lunch, whether I’m eating alone on the back porch on a weekday or with Mark on a warm summer evening.

In fact, this post inspired today’s lunch:

We call it a “ploughman’s lunch” around here, which doesn’t actually sound very romantic, but it certainly can be. And as an added bonus there’s no need to turn on the stove. Yay! I ate it in the shade, overlooking the backyard.

I ate it in the shade, overlooking the backyard. It was honestly a slice (or six) of heaven.

This is the cheese I tried today:

… and these are the crisps:

The candied nuts are a party favourite and you can find the recipe here. (I omitted the cumin in this small batch.) The rest of the items on my cheese board are self-explanatory. :)

Loblaws is a great place to pick up some great Canadian cheese, including more than 15 of the Canadian Cheese Awards finalists. It’s not as intimidating as a cheese counter and they carry over 300 varieties of cheese (!), including the best of Canadian and international cheddar, brie, feta and more.

Sidebar: Did you know that the Canadian Cheese Awards is the only cheese competition in Canada open to all milks used in cheese making? YES. That includes cow, goat, sheep and water buffalo. The cheesy champion was Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar, which Loblaws carries as well.

SO. How would you like to win a delivery of cheese and some other goodies? Here’s what we’re talkin’ about… (it’s a $50 value):

• Selection of Canadian Champion + International Cheeses
• PC Black Label Artisan Crisps
• PC Black Label Fruit Spreads, Jellies, and Preserves
• Selection of nuts and dried fruit

Interested? Please read the nitty gritty:

• This giveaway is for a package of the goods listed above and it will be awarded to one winner.
• In order for your entry to qualify, tell me, what is your favourite cheese? Your answer can be as simple as “cheddar” but since I’m sneakily looking for cheese recommendations I’d prefer if you mentioned a brand. Thank you !
• One entry per email address please!
• If you can’t post your comment for whatever reason you can email it to me for posting at andrea at quietfish dot com. Please note, I cannot be responsible if your entry is misdirected or gets stuck in my Spam folder.
• This giveaway is ONTARIO-wide and void where prohibited by law.
• I will draw one name using Random.org at noon EST on June 8, 2016. I’ll contact the winner via email and post the name here as well. So please check back!
• Loblaws is responsible for cheese delivery etc etc. :)

That’s it! Over to you. Good luck!

We were in Toronto this past weekend to support our youngest daughter at a cheer competition at Canada’s Wonderland. I haven’t written much about her foray into the world of competitive cheerleading because that’s her own story to share. I will say this: I was quite surprised when she first tried out for cheer. I admit I had a bias to overcome. All I really knew about cheer was from TV and movies where it’s often portrayed as the domain of vain mean girls. BUT after a year of hearing all about their practices and finally seeing it in person, my attitude has undergone an 180-degree change. Newsflash! Competitive cheer incorporates elements of gymnastics and dance. It’s high-pressure performance that is physically demanding. I was so impressed with what I saw (although I still find the hair bows a little odd, but that’s just me).

Afterwards, she went off with teammates and the three of us did the rounds. It was sweltering, so we took it easy, and spent the latter half of the day in Wonderland’s water park. It was opening weekend of the water park and I don’t think they were quite ready for the sweaty masses to attend.

The eldest and I rode The Beast, one of Wonderland’s original roller coasters. I am too old to ride those things anymore. I thought my head was going to disconnect from my neck, it was so jarring. The water rides were very good, although our enjoyment was diminished by a few kinks including some unexplained – not to mention sudden – closures of the water rides, including one that two members of our party waited over 30 minutes to ride.

My favourite ride was this one:

I boarded with trepidation in the company of my eldest. It started slow and it gained speed as it rose higher in the sky. The view was spectacular. Clearly, this is how it felt to be a bird.

This ride is called the WindSeeker. According to the Wonderland website, it ascends 301 feet (91.7M) and swings riders at a 45-degree angle at speeds up to 50 kilometers per hour. (!)

The highlight of our trip (other than our youngest’s amazing performance of course) was an impromptu visit to the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. We’ve been meaning to check it out since they opened, but it’s been a challenge since we don’t get down to Toronto very often. We had to grab this opportunity, even though it meant driving into the downtown core on the day of a much-anticipated Blue Jays game.

Driving and parking was surprisingly easy, only a few minutes away from the aquarium. We were there in no time flat:

Upon entry, it looked VERY busy. Visitors can buy tickets at the counter, at kiosks, or ahead of time online (which is a few bucks cheaper if you opt for timed entry). We opted for the self-serve kiosks and the line went quickly.

My first view was this, looking down into one of the touch tanks:

Read the rest of this entry »