a peek inside the fishbowl

Posts Tagged ‘recipe

08 Feb, 2019

Copycat recipe for Ikea’s mustard & dill sauce

Posted by: andrea tomkins In: Recipes and Food

Confession: sometimes when I need to pick something up at Ikea I time my visit to coincide with lunch. Last time I was there I tried their new vegetarian hot dog, but usually I order their Swedish Gravadlax. I know it’s always ALL ABOUT THE MEATBALLS at Ikea, but at $5.99 this cold salmon plate […]

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The other day I was strolling by Starbucks and I treated myself to a frothy iced coffee beverage. I was happy with my purchase for about 10 seconds. It tasted fine, but the price tag left a bitter taste in my mouth. The plastic cup and straw I brought home to recycle didn’t make me […]

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20 Feb, 2018

My new favourite broccoli cheddar soup recipe

Posted by: andrea tomkins In: Recipes and Food

My family is not exactly a soup-loving family, a fact which makes me a little sad because SOUP IS THE BEST THING. It’s healthy, hearty, and can be a great way of using up leftovers. I made this broccoli cheddar soup recipe from Chatelaine twice in the last week, that’s how good it is. I’ve […]

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17 Feb, 2017

Make this clam chowder!

Posted by: andrea tomkins In: Recipes and Food

I’ve had a hankering for clam chowder but kept putting it off. For some reason, I thought that clam chowder was a complicated dish that possibly involved shucking clams (does one shuck clams?) and loads of time spent simmering and stirring. I wanted chowder, badly, but didn’t feel like investing time in chowder, no matter […]

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18 Dec, 2016

Salted caramel pecan sticky buns? Yes please.

Posted by: andrea tomkins In: Recipes and Food

I am not much of a baker but I was overwhelmed with a sudden craving for cinnamon buns so I hunted around for a recipe before I found this one for caramel sticky buns. It’s a keeper. Like many homemade things, it was a bit of work but totally worth it. Here’s something worth noting: it […]


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  • Gretchen Humphrey: I had a beautiful bee& birdbath filled with a solar fountain and dozens of antique marbles that were suddenly disappearing. At first I thought my
  • Jinjer: I am sobbing reading this post. And you're right, companion is not enough. Little furry treasured gifts that they are. Thanks for sharing cutie-pi
  • Karen: Dear Andrea, Mark and your daughters I am so very sad for your family xxx Piper was/is my favourite Instagram post. You shared with us so intimately
  • Christina Banuelos: Thank you for sharing Pipers life with us. Your posts of Piper brought me joy. Every time I see your post and see what kind of mischief Piper was gett
  • Carla Slocum: I am sitting here yet again crying at your loss. We have known that loss with Asta the WFT our first pup but now have the enormous gift of Stryker the
  • Janelle Brown: Dear Andrea Thank you for sharing Piper’s story with her followers. I empathise with your grief and emptiness as I lost my 14 year old Westie last
  • Natasha McReynolds-Nicholl: My god reading this is heartbreaking. December 1st was the as you describe longest day of my life, we lost out beautiful WFT hazel. Pipers final momen

The Obligatory Blurb

My name is Andrea and I live in the Westboro area of Ottawa with my husband Mark and our dog Piper who is kind of a big deal on Instagram. We also have two human offspring: Emma (24) and Sarah (22). During the day I work as a writer at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999. The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

If you'd like to contact me, please use this form. If you're so inclined, you can read more about me here. Thank you for visiting!

 


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