September 20

I’m feeling rusty. I haven’t been around this space for almost two months. I decided that instead of ignoring my absence and going straight back to posting recipes, I would update you about why it’s been so quiet here. I’ve been blogging for over four years and I have never “left” for such an extended period of time. Even though I knew that I would be away, I sort of forgot how long a couple of months actually is. At the same time, more recently, the weeks are effortlessly slipping through my fingers. As each day passes, the post that I intend to work on gets pushed further down my ever-growing to-do list.


July
As I mentioned in a few of my most recent blog posts, over the month of July we were living with our friend. Even though she has a wonderful kitchen, being in a different space threw me off of my blog game. I knew I would be busy so I had prepared a few recipes that I managed to make before we left our apartment but overall, the inspiration to blog was not there.

Our friend isn’t the biggest cook but she taught me some valuable lessons in the kitchen, namely:
-Don’t leave buns in your car for forty eight hours or your car will smell like yeast
-Balsamic vinegar will congeal if it’s left unattended for months
-Mint will take over every inch of your garden if you let it. On the positive side, you will have ample to use in recipes, as props, or as garnish.

On top of living in a different space, I was also planning our month-long vacation. I tried my best to get a few recipes up over the course of July (and prepare some for August) but I didn’t leave as prepared as I had hoped.


August
We spent the month of August travelling around South Africa (hence all of the pictures of amazing animals). Going on safari was only a small part of our trip but the photos that we took during our 10 days in different National Parks are some of the most exciting ones to share here. It was amazing to have a full month to explore a country that we had never been to before and to switch off from our daily routines. We drove from Cape Town all the way up to Kruger National Park: over 3,800 kilometres.

Needless to say, seeing the animals on Safari was a highlight of the trip. It boggled my mind, that we were allowed to drive around alone and come across lions, warthogs, or a huge herd of buffalo. Being able to hear the animals chew, squeak and growl was my favourite part. Before this trip, I definitely did not know what a zebra or yawning hippo sounded like.

September
Although we got back from South Africa at the beginning of September, we were in for one more big change: our move. We moved from Calgary to New York. Moving is always interesting. In many ways it’s sad because you’re leaving behind a life that has taken so much time to build. You’re also leaving almost everything that is familiar and comfortable. At the same time, you have a wonderful opportunity to explore a new corner of the world, to consider what you want your life to look like, and where you want to put your energy. The last time I moved, I decided that I wanted food to be a big part of my life. I took on food blogging and bagel-making as hobbies. I have loved creating an archive of my favourite recipes for myself and for others and that I finally understand what it takes to make and package 200+ bagels in my tiny kitchen.

To be honest, I am not sure what this blog will look like moving forward because I’m not sure what my everyday life will look like either. For now, I am excited to take photos in our new space and to let such a vibrant city inspire my recipes.

In fact, you should expect a new recipe on here in just a few days. I’m back and excited to see where this goes next. Thanks for sticking around as the adventure continues.