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Our adorable niece Julia turned 1 this past weekend, so of course I wanted to make something special for her.  With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I knew it would be easy to find affordable decorations in her favorite colors (pink and purple).  The birthday girl (and her 2-year old brother) enjoyed the spread as did all of the kids-at-heart uncles and aunties.  I think this dessert table color scheme would be perfect for a baby girl shower, Valentine's Day party, or even a spring/summer bridal shower.

My husband and I love to share new dining experiences together, but there are plenty of times when we differ on where to go and what to do. (Remember our afternoon in Chicago?)  When we were in Toronto, we agreed to disagree and each dragged the other to a place (or two) of his or her choice.  So if you're like him, you'll enjoy this account of the fine craft beers he enjoyed. But if you've got a sweet tooth like me, you'll definitely indulge in the desserts I found.

Updated: Offer is now closed.
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 It's a good thing the restaurant industry doesn't reflect our relationship! When we started this website, we wanted it to be a food diary of sorts.  We wanted to remember the tasty dishes we had shared and the memorable places we had visited.  In NYC, we're lucky to have so many options, but unfortunately many restaurants come and go.  The place we went to on our first date became the new home to Kefi.  And Kefi's old home became gastropub Gus & Gabriel, which has now become seafood-focused Fish Tag.  We checked out this new restaurant last month when it had first opened. Service was friendly, food was pretty good, but with its small plate style, the bill could quickly add up. (And now it looks like prices have already gone up at least $1 since we first went).

I love finding quick dinner recipes that I can make for an easy weekday dinner. My pet peeve is when recipes are said to take only 30 minutes, but takes me so much longer (usually because of prep time).  So I was a little skeptical when I found this easy shrimp recipe in Andrew Carmellini's Urban Italian cookbook.  It said it would take at most 15 minutes to make.

Despite a few shortcuts, I took a little longer than 15 minutes overall (though I know I finished prepping and making everything within an old episode of "Friends"). The recipe calls for fresh herbs (which would probably taste better), but I used dried herbs because that's what I had on hand.  I'm definitely making this recipe again because it was so buttery and fast to make. Plus adding pasta and vegetables to leftovers makes another quick and easy dinner for the next day!

After watching last night's Top Chef All-Stars 'Dim Sum Lose Some' episode (including the contestants' issues in the kitchen), we had a new-found respect for the people who work in these restaurants and churn out dish after dish to the hungry masses.

We love dim sum - it's like Chinese tapas and is our favorite brunch cuisine.  Whenever we go up to visit my family and friends in Toronto, we inevitably spend a lot of time in dim sum restaurants.  The ones we visited while we were there for the holidays were Ding Tai Fung in Richmond Hill/Markham (a suburb just north of Toronto) and Pearl Harbourfront (in downtown Toronto, right on Lake Ontario).  Both are large, clean spaces (that don't have the normal jostling and fighting with grandmas for dishes from the cart) that we would be comfortable bringing first-timers (like my husband's parents).

Wild rice is deceiving - like quinoa, it's not a grain but a seed.  Rich in protein and fiber, this seed comes from a grass native to the Great Lakes region but is commonly cultivated in areas like California.  With the New Year, we're reminded to seek out new and healthier foods, so we bought a package of California Wild Rice from Trader Joe's ($4.99/lb).  Like the Kerala Red Rice we tried, this wild rice was a good base for a colorful side dish.