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    Travelogue | Paris from Notre-Dame Tower

    Paris Cityscape

    Notre-Dame Spire

    Views from Notre Dame Tower

    Paris from Notre Dame

    While editing these photos for the blog last month, I (along with the rest of the world) watched in horror as fire blazed through Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral. It seemed surreal, that the same majestic spire I’d angled my lens at a few months ago, was at that very moment toppling down engulfed in flames.

    The Notre-Dame Cathedral is quintessentially Paris. It is kilometre zero, the point from which distance is measured in France, and the official centre of Paris. In the few times I’ve visited Paris, it has always loomed like a beacon, constantly present and majestic.

    Considered a Gothic architectural masterpiece, the cathedral is most visited monument in France. It’s no surprise that the fire stirred such an emotional reaction from all over the world. It’s not only Parisians, millions of people from around the world share a personal connection to Notre-Dame.

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    Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

    Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

    Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

    Knowing this was going to be the first Easter in a decade that I wouldn’t be traveling, I spent a few weeks trying to come up with simple ways to make it a special and memorable long weekend at home. All in all, I had a wonderful Easter, it involved sleeping in, slow leisurely mornings and baking projects that included warm gooey baked cinnamon treats.

    We started making these overnight cinnamon rolls back in January, and we’ve been pretty much enamoured with them for the ease at which they come together and the soft, delicious and gooey buns we get to enjoy with our lattes. We even tried something different with the dough last weekend and made a braided cinnamon raisin loaf instead of regular rolls; it added a special touch to Easter Sunday brunch.

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    Tortellini and Vegetable Soup

    Tortellini and Vegetable Soup

    Tortellini and Vegetable Soup

    Tortellini and Vegetable Soup

    Thanks to this allergy-induced haze that is now my life, we’ve had to extend soup season through spring. Is there anything better than a cozy broth-y veggie packed soup filled with delicious, pillowy morsels of tortellini when you’re feeling poorly? I think not.

    When I first moved to Vancouver and couldn’t cook a lick, we used to order minestrone soup from a cute little Italian place on Robson Street whenever I was sick, it sort of become a tradition that sort of evolved into variations this tortellini and vegetable soup, when we started cooking at home.
    My sister has made this soup so many times, she could probably put it together in her sleep; it’s simple, flavour packed and comes together quickly with any combination of vegetables and tortellini or whatever handy pasta you have in your pantry.

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    Sumo Orange Citrus Cake

    Sumo Orange Citrus Cake Sumo Orange Citrus Cake

    Sumo Orange Citrus Cake

    Spring may have brought its sparkle and burst of sunshine, but it also came carrying my old nemesis, pollen.
    Lately, I’ve been a congested wheezy, sneezing mess; my eyes, throat and eyes itch, and I’m tired all the time.
    I was going to post the recipe for this sumo orange citrus cake last week but I’ve sadly been busy being miserable.

    Since sumo citrus is only in season for a short time, I really wanted to share this recipe before the season ended – I even shot a little video to go with it!
    We jokingly dubbed the long dull days between Christmas and spring sumo orange season because you could always count on the huge, nubby, strange looking orange to help brighten a wintry day.
    I’m not exactly certain when I first noticed sumo oranges, it must have been two or three years ago. When I spotted them at my local Whole Foods, they were huge, bumpy-skinned with a top knot like a sumo wrestler’s. I got them out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised that I really liked them.

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    Travelogue | 10 Things to do in Havana

    10 Things to do in Havana

    Havana Classic Cars

    Hotel Inglaterra & El Capitolio

    Hotel Nacional de Cuba

    Centro Havana

    This time last year, I was preparing to travel to Havana for the first time. I was excited and a little apprehensive about the trip because even though I’d read all the travel guides and seen the photos, there was still this aura of mystique surrounding travel to Cuba that I couldn’t decode.

    Havana turned out to be vastly fascinating and insightful; different from any place I’d been before. I fell in love, intrigued by the bold and colourful way the city and its people exist. In the short few days, I learned of the captivating culture and history of Cuba, from the revolution to Santaria; I was riveted by the scenery, the grand architecture, the colourful crumbling buildings and the antique cars that warp you back to another time.

    I put together a little guide (with lots of photos, sorry!) on how to discover bits of Havana in slow exploration. This guide would be especially useful to first-time visitors.

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