A rather special Pick of the week this week. As I mentioned last week, my wife has been working on her first blog and being a very talented amateur graphic designer, photographer and artist, she has a wide choice of things to write about and share with others. Her blog, aptly named Design Ideas Depot revolves around these topics. English is not her first language, so she took her time writing her first post, and I for one, was quite impressed with it. I find that the elegance and grace of her personality show through in her writing style.
Now, I know that you may think that I am a little biased, and I do admit to being my wife's greatest fan! But in defense of that, I am an intensely critical person, and I struggle to find anything wrong with her work. It's just not that easy; most people who view her photography are astounded by its beauty and quality.
I am keeping an eye on what she'll write about next, and I believe you'll feel the same way after reading her too.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
My wife's new blog
After discussing the topic for several weeks, my wife Elena has decided to start her won blog. I can't wait to see what she will write about, as we have many similar interests, and I am usually quite amazed by the things she shares with me on a regular basis.
So keep your eyes peeled; as soon as her blog is online, I will post a link and review here. I think I may even make it my Pick of the week for next week!
So keep your eyes peeled; as soon as her blog is online, I will post a link and review here. I think I may even make it my Pick of the week for next week!
Monday, July 20, 2009
A fantastic first anniversary dinner
Yesterday was my first wedding anniversary, and I decided to treat my wife to a five star meal. We settled on Le Baccara, one of the restaurants at the Casino Lac Lemay, in Gatineau. Seeing as we had a reservation for 18h30, on a Sunday evening, we were the very first patrons to arrive, and received what we considered the best table in the house, with a fantastic view of the Ottawa skyline. It is not the first time that my wife and I visited this restaurant, and our previous experience was good enough to warrant a second visit. Le Baccara is a five-diamond establishment, and has maintained this rating since its opening several years ago.
Like many fine dining establishments, the menu is limited and seasonal, but wide-ranging enough in flavour experiences to suit almost every palate. We began our meal with some fantastic little amuse-gueules, including some Gruyere tuiles, with carraway seeds and some delicately flavoured crab and lobster bread. As I was finishing the freshly roasted almonds and walnuts , our waiter arrived with a another amuse-gueule, this time, a slice of cold marinated beef served over a slaw of root vegetables and drizzled with a herbed oil. The beef was quite good, with a great texture and flavour courtesy of its delicious peppercorn crust.
Next were the appetizers. Elena, my wife, had selected the Tartare of bison from la Petite-Nation with ewe's cheese and truffles, quail egg tempura with raspberry vinaigrette. The presentation was quite lovely, with the bison and ewe's cheese mixed together and served in a small tower, ringed with the rasberry vinaigrette. Bison has a delicate flavour when raw, and we both found that the dish might have been better with a stronger tasting cheese, perhaps even a goat cheese. I also found that the vinaigrette was perhaps a little too strong for the mildness of the bison, and I might personally have reduced it with champagne so as to reduce the acidic properties of the rasberries.
One the other hand, my Terrine of duck foie gras on a thin slice of grilled gingerbread quatre quart served with ginger and rhubarb sherbet was phenomenal. The combination of the sweet crunchiness of the quatre quart was wonderful with the rich, smooth and mild flavour of the foie gras. But what really made this dish standout was the absolutely amazing ginger and rhubarb sherbet, with a beautiful taste that clearly completed this dish. I commented to our waiter on the brilliance of the sherbet's flavour combination and he promptly returned with a small bowl of it, along with two spoons, and a smile, compliments of the chef.
Once we were done, our plates were removed and we waited for the main course. Elena loves seafood, and selected the Seared red tuna in a crisp roll, warm asparagus and artichoke salad, eggplant caviar with asparagus and walnut oil vinaigrette while I opted for the Fresh loin of lamb from la Petite-Nation with confit vegetables, fingerling potatoes and chanterelle mushroom fricassée, watercress with lemon and virgin olive oil vinaigrette. Our plates arrived quickly arrived and we began to eat. Suffice it to say that although both dishes were quite nice, I believe that my lamb was truly the better of the two. It was perfectly done, and flavourful, served over the fingerling potatoes and surrounded by the chanterelles and jus. Elena's dish was also beautifully presented, although milder in taste in comparison to mine. We slowly finished our plates and when we were finally done, our waiter returned to remove our plates and leave us the desert menus.
At this point, we were both quite contented and chose to skip desert and simply have an espresso to finish our meal. By this time, the restaurant had several customers, and as the peaceful ambiance was now disrupted by the sound of too many conversations, we settled the bill and we returned home.
A great anniversary meal in an excellent restaurant that provided outstanding service and quality once again. If you are in the region and would like to have an excellent meal, make reservations at Le Baccara, and I am certain you will not regret it at all.
Like many fine dining establishments, the menu is limited and seasonal, but wide-ranging enough in flavour experiences to suit almost every palate. We began our meal with some fantastic little amuse-gueules, including some Gruyere tuiles, with carraway seeds and some delicately flavoured crab and lobster bread. As I was finishing the freshly roasted almonds and walnuts , our waiter arrived with a another amuse-gueule, this time, a slice of cold marinated beef served over a slaw of root vegetables and drizzled with a herbed oil. The beef was quite good, with a great texture and flavour courtesy of its delicious peppercorn crust.
Next were the appetizers. Elena, my wife, had selected the Tartare of bison from la Petite-Nation with ewe's cheese and truffles, quail egg tempura with raspberry vinaigrette. The presentation was quite lovely, with the bison and ewe's cheese mixed together and served in a small tower, ringed with the rasberry vinaigrette. Bison has a delicate flavour when raw, and we both found that the dish might have been better with a stronger tasting cheese, perhaps even a goat cheese. I also found that the vinaigrette was perhaps a little too strong for the mildness of the bison, and I might personally have reduced it with champagne so as to reduce the acidic properties of the rasberries.
One the other hand, my Terrine of duck foie gras on a thin slice of grilled gingerbread quatre quart served with ginger and rhubarb sherbet was phenomenal. The combination of the sweet crunchiness of the quatre quart was wonderful with the rich, smooth and mild flavour of the foie gras. But what really made this dish standout was the absolutely amazing ginger and rhubarb sherbet, with a beautiful taste that clearly completed this dish. I commented to our waiter on the brilliance of the sherbet's flavour combination and he promptly returned with a small bowl of it, along with two spoons, and a smile, compliments of the chef.
Once we were done, our plates were removed and we waited for the main course. Elena loves seafood, and selected the Seared red tuna in a crisp roll, warm asparagus and artichoke salad, eggplant caviar with asparagus and walnut oil vinaigrette while I opted for the Fresh loin of lamb from la Petite-Nation with confit vegetables, fingerling potatoes and chanterelle mushroom fricassée, watercress with lemon and virgin olive oil vinaigrette. Our plates arrived quickly arrived and we began to eat. Suffice it to say that although both dishes were quite nice, I believe that my lamb was truly the better of the two. It was perfectly done, and flavourful, served over the fingerling potatoes and surrounded by the chanterelles and jus. Elena's dish was also beautifully presented, although milder in taste in comparison to mine. We slowly finished our plates and when we were finally done, our waiter returned to remove our plates and leave us the desert menus.
At this point, we were both quite contented and chose to skip desert and simply have an espresso to finish our meal. By this time, the restaurant had several customers, and as the peaceful ambiance was now disrupted by the sound of too many conversations, we settled the bill and we returned home.
A great anniversary meal in an excellent restaurant that provided outstanding service and quality once again. If you are in the region and would like to have an excellent meal, make reservations at Le Baccara, and I am certain you will not regret it at all.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
It's Canada Day
Today is Canada's 142nd Canada Day, which commemorates the day that Canada became a nation. The holiday is usually observed on July 1 (and a little known fact is that if the date falls on a Sunday, Canada Day is observed the following day).
On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act united the British colonies of Upper Canada, Lower Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into "one dominion under the name of Canada." These four colonies became Canada's first four provinces; Lower Canada was renamed Quebec, and Upper Canada was renamed Ontario.
This year, my wife, son and I are staying home. I think our boy is a little too young for the festivities and might be a little scared of the fireworks this evening. But I think next year will be a great time to introduce him to our national day.
So, to all Canadians, here and abroad, I wish you a happy Canada Day!
On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act united the British colonies of Upper Canada, Lower Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into "one dominion under the name of Canada." These four colonies became Canada's first four provinces; Lower Canada was renamed Quebec, and Upper Canada was renamed Ontario.
This year, my wife, son and I are staying home. I think our boy is a little too young for the festivities and might be a little scared of the fireworks this evening. But I think next year will be a great time to introduce him to our national day.
So, to all Canadians, here and abroad, I wish you a happy Canada Day!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Our new baby carriage
One of the fantastic gifts we have received from our boy's paternal Grandpa, is the Quinny Buzz stroller. Since we already had a Maxi-Cosi Mico car seat, it made sense to get a compatible stroller to make traveling that much easier. A little more on this compatibility later in the review. The stroller was delivered in a fairly large box, and since we had seen it in the store, we suspected that it was shipped folded up and in pieces.
Assembly
We unpacked all the pieces, and were pleasantly surprised to discover that the stroller itself was only in several large pieces. Everything is well padded and protected, and the stroller itself had several wraps of twine to keep it securely closed. We took out the main frame assembly, attached the rear wheels, attached the bottom basket and the front wheel and then attached the seat. That was it... My only issue was attaching the front wheel, which required quite a strong grip to squeeze and push into the frame. I don't believe that my wife would have the strength required to do this on her own. Otherwise, a pretty painless assembly, and we were ready to verify how all the accessories worked. We got ours in red, as seen below, but Quinny has several other colours available:
Contents of box
Changes from 2007-2008 model
After looking at the whole thing, we noticed a few changes from the model we had seen in stores. First of all, there is a plastic clip to lock the frame in the closed position, which is nice. It still allows one-handed opening of the stroller, but provides added security. We also noted the addition of a pocket on the back of the seat which is not something we had noticed before. One of the fantastic features that remains is seat, which is probably the most comfortable I have ever felt. If includes an adjustable backrest that reclines almost flat, adjustable footrest and is covered by a removable and washable seat cover. The seat can be inserted to face both inside and outside, and the stroller itself features quick-release (a single button) wheels, a height adjustable handle, footbrake and a removable and turnable safety bar. Now that's a lot of features before we even get to the accessories.
Accessories
As I mentioned previously, we received a full complement of accessories with the stroller, which include:
Canopy
We installed the canopy, which simply snaps onto the frame of the seat. As such, its height can be adjusted by sliding up and down on the frame. I have seen more substantial canopies, but this one seems suited to the seat. It provides a top peek-a-boo window at the top, and not much more. It is reasonably stiff, and can be adjusted easily.
Rain cover
The rain cover is designed to fit completely over the seat, with the canopy installed. A two way zipper makes the installation easier, allowing the canopy to be easily wrapped around the seat. An elastic box section at the foot wraps right around the bottom portion of the seat, providing excellent protection from splashes from below. Once installed, the zipper can be opened in the other direction, to allow venting at the top. There are also some ventilation holes on each side of the rain cover, at face level.
Bug net
The bug net, much like the rain cover, is designed to fit right around the seat, but zips into the front of the canopy, rather than fitting right over it. The bottom portion has several zippers to allow for different lengths; it is an ingenious way to make sure that the bug net always fits neatly.
Wind protector
This small side shield zips into the canopy and provides a very small level of additional protection. To be perfectly honest, this could have just been designed into the canopy to begin with. We both do not foresee much use for this accessory. It is easy enough to install, but seems too small to actually provide any additional protection.
Adapter for the car seat
For those who use the Maxi-Cosi car seat, some adapters are provided to allow this seat to be used in conjunction with the Quinny Buzz frame. To use, simply remove the original seat, line up the frame slots, insert the adapters, then simply clip the car seat in. The seat only fits in the rear facing position, but this is probably the safest. We have found that with our newborn, being able to use the car seat on the stroller frame has made going out a lot simpler, even using public transit. We just separate the car seat from the frame, fold the frame, and each of us takes a piece. With the adapter in place, the car seat just clicks into and out of the Quinny Buzz frame:
In Use
So far, we have been very satisfied with the Quinny Buzz. It is a real joy to roll around, is very maneuverable, lightweight and convenient. Although the front wheel includes a lock to prevent the wheels from swiveling, we both found that using it made pushing the stroller only harder. Another note on the front wheel, which seems to be a pet peeve for me; the front wheel material is simply terrible foam rubber, which in my opinion, is entirely worthless as a tire material. In our first walk, small stones had already cut into the tire and left it looking quite worn. Our first walk!!! I am already looking into replacing this tire with a solid rubber wheel of the same diameter. It is my impression that this would make for an even smoother ride. We have both found the basket that hangs below the frame a little small, but it will the baby's bag, and I am happy with that.
Aside from that one issue with the front wheel, and the small basket, the Buzz has really met our expectations. Many people have already asked us about it, and we get glances all the time. As my wife pointed out, it is rather futuristic, and that always draws the eye. It's probably what drew my eye in the first place. We will add more information as our experience grows!
Assembly
We unpacked all the pieces, and were pleasantly surprised to discover that the stroller itself was only in several large pieces. Everything is well padded and protected, and the stroller itself had several wraps of twine to keep it securely closed. We took out the main frame assembly, attached the rear wheels, attached the bottom basket and the front wheel and then attached the seat. That was it... My only issue was attaching the front wheel, which required quite a strong grip to squeeze and push into the frame. I don't believe that my wife would have the strength required to do this on her own. Otherwise, a pretty painless assembly, and we were ready to verify how all the accessories worked. We got ours in red, as seen below, but Quinny has several other colours available:
Contents of box
- Quinny Buzz Carriage frame
- Quinny Buzz seat
- Raincover for seat
- Bug/mosquito net for seat
- Canopy
- Wind protector for canopy
- Adapters for car seat (2, left and right)
Changes from 2007-2008 model
After looking at the whole thing, we noticed a few changes from the model we had seen in stores. First of all, there is a plastic clip to lock the frame in the closed position, which is nice. It still allows one-handed opening of the stroller, but provides added security. We also noted the addition of a pocket on the back of the seat which is not something we had noticed before. One of the fantastic features that remains is seat, which is probably the most comfortable I have ever felt. If includes an adjustable backrest that reclines almost flat, adjustable footrest and is covered by a removable and washable seat cover. The seat can be inserted to face both inside and outside, and the stroller itself features quick-release (a single button) wheels, a height adjustable handle, footbrake and a removable and turnable safety bar. Now that's a lot of features before we even get to the accessories.
Accessories
As I mentioned previously, we received a full complement of accessories with the stroller, which include:
Canopy
We installed the canopy, which simply snaps onto the frame of the seat. As such, its height can be adjusted by sliding up and down on the frame. I have seen more substantial canopies, but this one seems suited to the seat. It provides a top peek-a-boo window at the top, and not much more. It is reasonably stiff, and can be adjusted easily.Rain cover
The rain cover is designed to fit completely over the seat, with the canopy installed. A two way zipper makes the installation easier, allowing the canopy to be easily wrapped around the seat. An elastic box section at the foot wraps right around the bottom portion of the seat, providing excellent protection from splashes from below. Once installed, the zipper can be opened in the other direction, to allow venting at the top. There are also some ventilation holes on each side of the rain cover, at face level.Bug net
The bug net, much like the rain cover, is designed to fit right around the seat, but zips into the front of the canopy, rather than fitting right over it. The bottom portion has several zippers to allow for different lengths; it is an ingenious way to make sure that the bug net always fits neatly.Wind protector
This small side shield zips into the canopy and provides a very small level of additional protection. To be perfectly honest, this could have just been designed into the canopy to begin with. We both do not foresee much use for this accessory. It is easy enough to install, but seems too small to actually provide any additional protection.
Adapter for the car seat
For those who use the Maxi-Cosi car seat, some adapters are provided to allow this seat to be used in conjunction with the Quinny Buzz frame. To use, simply remove the original seat, line up the frame slots, insert the adapters, then simply clip the car seat in. The seat only fits in the rear facing position, but this is probably the safest. We have found that with our newborn, being able to use the car seat on the stroller frame has made going out a lot simpler, even using public transit. We just separate the car seat from the frame, fold the frame, and each of us takes a piece. With the adapter in place, the car seat just clicks into and out of the Quinny Buzz frame:
In Use
So far, we have been very satisfied with the Quinny Buzz. It is a real joy to roll around, is very maneuverable, lightweight and convenient. Although the front wheel includes a lock to prevent the wheels from swiveling, we both found that using it made pushing the stroller only harder. Another note on the front wheel, which seems to be a pet peeve for me; the front wheel material is simply terrible foam rubber, which in my opinion, is entirely worthless as a tire material. In our first walk, small stones had already cut into the tire and left it looking quite worn. Our first walk!!! I am already looking into replacing this tire with a solid rubber wheel of the same diameter. It is my impression that this would make for an even smoother ride. We have both found the basket that hangs below the frame a little small, but it will the baby's bag, and I am happy with that.
Aside from that one issue with the front wheel, and the small basket, the Buzz has really met our expectations. Many people have already asked us about it, and we get glances all the time. As my wife pointed out, it is rather futuristic, and that always draws the eye. It's probably what drew my eye in the first place. We will add more information as our experience grows!
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