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and the fog rolls in. a little road trip to arkansas.

the sunrise that is at the top of my blog, is a special one.

it is of the ozark mountain air.  arkansas.

my grandpa and grandma built the cabin which gets to view that breath-taking sunrise each and everyday.

my brother was on the porch to take that beautiful sunrise shot – so early in the morning.

i tell you this and share these photos of our wonderful road trip because i’m not sure how much longer that photo will be gracing my front page.

changes are a coming.  in a good way.  at least – that’s the idea.  i hope that you will continue on this journey with me, into… whatever this blog is becoming.

driving
all photos in this post by – chad siddall

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you’d think you were above the clouds – but it’s fog.

all photos by chad siddall.  see more of his photos here and here.

© Becky Siddall and littlesiddallstudios 2012-2013.

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a little about my week – and a pic of my cat.

tut_near_window

i’m learning how to take pictures.  better.

there is life after the auto focus button.

tut posing ever so still for me as i try to figure out all the manual settings on my camera.  ahem – my brothers camera.

mom_holiday_tea

went home to visit family we weren’t able to see during the holidays.  we’re only in the first week of january!  it still felt like christmas.  and look at that ring!  christmas bling!

Josh and i were able to find a home for our old sofa bed.  it had taken up a good portion of space in our second bedroom and well – i need a craft room vs. having a guest bedroom.  we have blow up mattresses for that.  or the living room couch.  whatever you prefer.  all i know is – i now have a room to do stuff!  organize my tax info!  take photos!  somewhere to hide when Josh is annoying me.  ahem – what? i mean, scrapbook! read! you name it!

tut_cute

…and… one more of tut.  because – why not.

happy sunday, at least, still to me.  happy monday, for most of you – wherever you are.

© Becky Siddall and littlesiddallstudios 2012-2013.

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a little reflecting on past thistle theatre parties.

i enjoy people watching.  i especially enjoy when my people watching consists of similar things that i have experienced in my life.

i attended a F.A.P.P.P. – Friday After Play Practice Party.  a long-standing tradition of the thistle theatre group i grew up acting with.

now in my mid-twenties, no longer living at home and many years have passed from the last play i was in – i was invited to a F.A.P.P.P.  it helped that my mother was the one producing the play.

i am now of the age where if i wanted to bring alcohol and drink it, i could.  the reflective younger me would think i’m so cool right now.

the children at this party were around the same age i would have been when i attended these parties.

listening to the younger “me’s” in the room, i found myself giggling at how cute, small, and naïve they all seemed.  i must have really thought i was some big shit back then.  not thinking of the future and what’s next.  will i have enough money for rent – all those things that just pop out of thin air when you become an adult and mommy and daddy are no longer there to hold your hand.

hearing the kids giggle about a teacher who still teaches at the same public school i went to.  hearing them complain about the same things i once used to complain about.

so tiny our lives.  yet so full.

© Becky Siddall and littlesiddallstudios 2012.

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chewy coconut lime cookies. a recipe. in a little kitchen.

with the holiday season in our faces, and food in our mouths, enjoy my latest creation from in my little kitchen.

chewy coconut lime cookies.

it was a night where the kitchen was completely spotless for once – that see every bit of the counter clean.

so what did i do?  messed it up of course.  i had a sweet tooth and no matter how long i’d spend in the kitchen, i was going to have myself some cookies when it was all said and done.

since Josh and i do a lot of travelling to see our families over Christmas, we have a routine we follow and the most important one in my mind – don’t forget about the food in your fridge.

1-2 weeks before travelling – no buying/bringing new food into the house, we must use up what we have.  this way nothing goes bad while we’re away.  so after 10 minutes of rummaging around, i found some flaked coconut,  honey, a vanilla bean and two limes.  daydream moment – coconut – hawaii – honeymoon.  sigh of love.  and the following is the recipe i came up with based on those main ingredients i found.

lime_cutting_board_knife

zest of 2 limes – seeds of one vanilla bean (or not) – 1 cup of butter – 1/2 cup of white sugar.

mix until sugar is well blended with butter.  fluffy butter stage.

1/2 cup of honey.  local honey that is.

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pour and mix in with your fluffy butter.  making it sticky fluffy butter stage.

i don’t care what method you use to combine your ingredients.  use what you have.  bowl, spoon and strong-arm will work just fine.  or a hand mixer, or a stand mixer.  the point is to mix.

juice of half a lime – 2 tsp of vanilla extract or coconut if you have it – or both!

baking_cookies_lime

blend in with sticky fluffy butter. juiced up butter stage.

in a separate bowl – 3 cups of flour – 1 cup of flaked coconut.

pour in the juiced up butter and mix.  with your mixer, your hands, your spoon, whatever.  separate your big mess of dough into two even chunks and form each chunk into whatever shape you desire.  refrigerate for at least a half hour, but ideally overnight.  i like to roll my dough into a log for ease of cutting, throw it in the fridge and be ready for baking when i want.

oven – between 325 degrees to 350 degrees – 8 minutes – rotate pan – 8 minutes – remove from oven – transfer to wire rack.  i find that all ovens tend to be a little different so watch your cookies the first time, and adjust accordingly.

eat warm or cold.  depends on your willpower.

happy holidays – wherever you are.

© Becky Siddall and littlesiddallstudios 2012.

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at home in hawaii.

maybe it’s because i’m on vacation…

maybe it’s because i went snorkelling with honu, the green sea turtle…

maybe it’s because i’m not working…

maybe it’s because i can’t stop eating the most delicious avocados i’ve ever had…

no matter what the maybe is…

i feel at home here in hawaii.

aloha.

© Becky Siddall and littlesiddallstudios 2012.

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fall fun – here i come.

the summer seems so… non-existent when you work in an office that has air conditioning blasting throughout the day.

now that it’s fall… wearing turtlenecks to work doesn’t look so weird.

photo by Chad Siddall

i truly love this photo of me that Chad took back in 2008.  the pumpkin looks enormous in my little arms.

i haven’t made it to the pumpkin patch yet this year.

soon.

© Becky Siddall and littlesiddallstudios 2012.

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a scary movie. a birthday. and a pic of my cat.

– the paper place on queen st west in toronto was hosting a letter-writing night.  being a lover of all things crafty, especially paper, i had to go.  it was a huge turn out!  they had lemonade and macaroons (the way to my heart) as refreshments.  i wrote a letter to each of my grandmas while i was there and popped them in the mail on my way home.

– josh is a lover of scary movies.  me?  not so much.  we started what we call “Obscure Movie Night” – this can be held on any particular night of the week, but tend to be mondays.  we flip-flop who gets to pick the movie.  this time it was his turn.

paranormal activity 3.  great.  i thought i was in the clear after the first two.  nope.  and the fourth one is out this october – which i’m sure i’ll also be coaxed into watching.  little does he know i’ve planned a fantastic feeler chick flick for us next week.

okay, i’m lying.  i don’t have one planned.  suggestions?

– OH!  and i guess i should tell you!  the actual physical mohawk got put into hibernation again.  i have to say, it’s a little freaky waking up to what you think is a stranger next to you – you know that jolt out of your skin feeling.

then realize, no, wait – josh has just shaved his mohawk off.
that and, oh right becky – this is the reason you need corrective lenses.

– more macaroons!!!  the perfect ending to my perfect birthday weekend of camping.  i LOVE camping.  we enjoyed delicious food cooked over the fire all weekend.  i had a wonderful surprise show up straight to my campsite.  two friends that i didn’t think were coming!  what a lovely birthday present!  i even got to blow out candles on some fantastic double chocolate white chocolate chunk brownies with ganache that my dear friend andy made.

– and for tut – he had his first veterinary visit this week.  he’s not the happiest with me right now.

© Becky Siddall and littlesiddallstudios 2012.

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a little bbq – and a pic of my cat.

– i’m becoming a little obsessed with the fact that i have access to a barbecue.  it’s wonderful.  Josh and i made a feast… for just the two of us.  it was delicious.  not 20 min before we went to the rooftop it was pouring rain.  we were lucky enough to have the rain stop for just the right amount of time to bbq, no umbrella required.

– aside from barbecuing, i’ve been itching to bake something in my new-to-me kitchen.  specifically, this delectable looking strawberry rhubarb pie from smitten kitchen.  but after carefully reading through the recipe, i think i’ll take Deb’s advice and try the improved version – one of the many reasons to love smitten kitchen.  go check it out.  you’ll fall in love too.

– had women (special awesome ones) over for refreshing cocktails and grilled veggies on the bbq.  YUM!  again, with the barbecue – i know.

– tut had friends over this weekend!  two little munchkins, or rather, two tea-cup pomeranians – weezer and carmen are their names.  can you guess who is who?  Josh’s mother came down to visit and brought them with her.  it was a relaxing weekend for me.  for tut – not so much.  the little ones kept him on his toes until they left.  at which point he crashed and had a long needed nap.

happy sunday – wherever you are.

© Becky Siddall and littlesiddallstudios July 15th, 2012.

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pay me, then cook everything yourself.

korean grill house.
i was specifically at 369 yonge st.

all you can eat.

that is… all you can eat – pork, chicken, beef, beef ribs, ox liver, ox tongue, salmon, sausage, squid, fish fillet AND for 2 dollars more – lamb and shrimp.

after the hour of 10 pm, you must first pay for your meal, then get seated as they sadly have a history of many walk-outs. (walk-outs = jerks who leave without paying for their meal)

no veggies come with the all you can eat.  it is an extra charge per person and MUST be charged for every person at the table, regardless if one person doesn’t want veggies.  this time, we did not get veggies.

kimchi???  what the heck is that?  Josh loves it.  i admit, i’m still nervous.  the look and texture of certain food is something i am trying to work through and overcome as a weird fear.  pathetic, i know.  kimchi is one of the many sides that come with the all you can eat menu at no extra charge.

you definitely want to make sure you have a clean, hot grill.  once the grill has been turned on by your server, wait at least 5 mins before throwing anything on to cook, just like if you were to barbeque or put something in the oven, you want it to heat up first.

then grill away!  taking turns of course!

be cautious of where you set your tongs down – you’ll have just picked up raw meat with them.

as long as you ask, the servers are more than happy to point out what is what.  some folks at your table may like to know if they’re eating ox tongue, or if it’s pork.  each comes individually plated as to not mix with each other.  remember, it’s all you can eat, so if you devour all the beef (like i often do) you can order more! lots more!  if you didn’t like the squid after trying it (like i did not) don’t order it again.

be sure to ask to get your grill changed every so often.  it can get built up with cooked/burnt food gunk (ya, that’s what i call it) and won’t cook your food as nice and evenly as you’d want.  plus, it gives your tummy a needed rest as you let the new grill warm up.

i enjoyed bean spouts, spiced potatoes and rice as my sides and grilled up plenty of pork, beef, and salmon.  don’t knock the ox tongue until you try it.  it wasn’t my first time out to korean bbq – so i didn’t feel the need to be as adventurous as i was the first time around, which is when i tasted squid and ox liver.  not the biggest fan.

it is a place to go with friends who you don’t mind sharing food with, if you have time and patience to cook your own food, and if you are hungry, because, really, it’s all you can eat – you should go ready to fill up!

i’m sure i will be back again.  it’s never been over the top, the greatest thing, making me clap my hands with excitement – but i always leave full and have great conversation over those hot grills, so you should go!  tell me if you were brave enough to try the ox tongue!

© Becky Siddall and littlesiddallstudios July 9th, 2012.