Ribtoberfest

On Sunday, Allison and I headed downtown to check out "Ribtoberfest" - the second Ribfest for Ottawa this year (the first was in June), in October. Ribfest + October = Ribtoberfest. 

Obviously I was so. there.   

Unfortunately, it started raining around noon. Like REALLY raining. Did that stop us??? YOU KNOW IT DIDN'T!!  

On a completely unrelated side note: I am OBSESSED with my new French Connexion sweater!! Bright orange and camel, two colours I NEVER would have put together on my own, but it just works! Who says fall fashion has to be all dark colours and beige!? Werk it, girl. 

After a quick walk up and down Sparks Street to check out all the vendors, we decided to grab our grub at Gator BBQ. (Allison has a really intense rib-fan friend who recommended it). 

We scurried away to take refuge from the rain at a nearby mall, and got right down to bidness! Allison had a half rack of ribs, with beans and potatoes. 

I had a half rack of ribs with a pulled pork sandwich. 

Opening up our take-out containers was kind of like opening up your first gift on Christmas morning. Except more pork! And we paid for it ourselves :( haha. 

The ribs were just O.K. Not enough sauce and the meat didn't exactly "fall of the bone", but still enjoyable.

However, I fell in LOVE with the pulled pork. True, beautiful love. 

I know people go to ribfests for the ribs, but I think I might actually prefer pulled pork!!?? Is that normal?? Juicier meat. More flavour. Way easier to eat. None of the mess. I feel like a big cheater saying it, but it's the truth! Am I the only one who feels that way? 

I said goodbye to Allison, and headed home for a glorious study session rib induced nap. 

The perfect Sunday Funday! 

The Easiest Turkey Chili

Nothing warms up my belly quite like a hot bowl of chili, on a cool fall day. 

It's basically the perfect food. Super easy to make. Healthy (with ground turkey substituted for the traditional ground beef, and lots and lots of veggies). It fills you right up, and did I mention how easy it is to make?? 

After a long day at school, I am hungry like the wolf. When I finally get home, cooking a meal from scratch is not an option. Making a big pot of chili on a Sunday night is fabulous, because it lasts me all week (and tastes even BETTER re-heated), and I can always freeze some for later if I ever get tired of it (I never get tired of it). 

To make your own batch of turkey chili, you will need: 

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1 & 1/2 tsp canola oil 
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (no salt added if you can!)
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes (ditto with the no salt rule)
• 1 (14oz) can red kidney beans (no salt added... see what I'm doing here??) 
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped 
• 1 cup corn (frozen or canned)
• 1 cup carrots, chopped 
• 3 heaping spoonfuls of chili powder 
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• A few sprinkles of crushed chili peppers (I like my chili SPICAAAY. If you prefer milder chili, leave these out, or use with caution.) 

Optional toppings: 

• A dollop of sour cream
• Green onion, chopped 
• Cheddar cheese, shredded 
• Tortilla strips 

1. In a medium frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and turkey. Cook until the turkey is browned. 
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the turkey and onion. Mix in the remainder of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer (simmer for an hour at minimum, I usually let mine simmer for around 4. The longer, the better!) 

And that's all she wrote! How easy is that???

I'll usually put a pot on around lunch time, go about my day, and come home to the most delicious aroma wafting from my apartment. Making chili is great because it's no fuss - you just mix it all up, and let the spices do the work. 

Turkey chili is good for you. Think about it. You're essentially just eating turkey, veggies, and beans. You health nut, you! 

...But if you're feeling rebellious, go ahead and add some sour cream on there.  

Maybe a bit of green onion. 

A little cheddar cheese never hurt anyone. 

And top it all off with some tortilla strips. 

Enjoy! 

Pumpkin Quinoa Yogurt Parfaits

Like it or not, fall is officially here. 

You know what that means. 

PUMPKIN FLAVOURED ERRYTHANG!! 

Pumpkin lattés, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pies... YUS PLEEEZE!! 

So when I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest for Pumpkin Breakfast Quinoa, I knew I had to try it. 

I made a few changes to the original recipe, the biggest ones being: 

1. Cutting out the sugar. Ya don't need it and I don't even miss it!; and 
2. Turning it into a parfait, cause parfaits are so pretty!

At first, the idea of using quinoa in a sweet parfait rather than in a salad or casserole seemed strange, but once I tried it, it wasn't any different than putting yummy granola in my yogurt.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup raisins (or dried cranberries... or chocolate chips, whatever you like!) 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• sprinkle of ginger 
• sprinkle of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 cup yogurt (I used low fat vanilla, greek vanilla yogurt could work too!) 

Instructions: 

1. Prepare the quinoa as directed on the package. 
2. While the quinoa is still warm, mix in the pumpkin, raisins, dried cranberries, whatever! 
3. Mix in the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set mixture aside to cool. 
4. Once cool, spoon a layer of the pumpkin quinoa into the bottom of each glass (I used 6 small glasses, depends on how big your glasses are). 
5. Spoon a layer of yogurt, then another layer of quinoa, then a final layer of yogurt. 
6. Top with pecans. 
7. Enjoy! 

These parfaits are packed with protein and sooo so healthy. They make a great breakfast on the go, or could easily be eaten as dessert. Your call. 

All hail pumpkin season!

 

Union Local 613

There's a bucket list of restaurants I've been dying to try in Ottawa. 

Union Local 613 has been at the top of this list for quite a while. They are a Canadian take on Southern hospitality, featuring a cocktail menu with a focus on bourbon. 

Into it. 

Whenever I'm in need of a good laugh and a great meal, I call up my friend Allison for one of our legendary "lady dates". WHAT is a lady date you ask?? Well let me tell you! 

Lady date: two fancy ladies (April & Allison), sampling a new restaurant, and ordering everything on the menu. Cocktails required. Shenanigans strongly encouraged. 

Neither of us are foodies, we just both luv food!! 

Right off the bat, I loved the feel of Local 613. Definitely one of the cooler restaurants I have ever been to. I felt bad-ass just being in there. 

Seating is primarily communal, which I didn't think I would like, but I did! It was fun to snoop on what other people were drinking and eating. 

The decor had a true Southern Comfort feel. Long wooden tables and rustic floor boards, mason jars at every turn, the menu covered in burlap and candles ERRYWHERE. 

We started with cocktails. I had the Dark and Stormy. 

Rum, ginger syrup, falernum and lime bitters, lime, and soda top.

Allison had the Counting Sheep. 

Gin, cucumber shrub, basil, lime juice, and waupoos cider. 

Both were fantastic!

Instead of the traditional "bread for the table", they brought us boiled peanuts. Say whaaa?

Are boiled peanuts a thing down South?? I have no idea! 

To start, I went with the most interesting thing I saw, which was fried green tomatoes. 

Served with ham, pimento cheese, roasted corn, and peppers. 

It was actually really, REALLY good. Best thing I ate all night! 

Allison had some kind of chicken-falafelly ball thing. 

Next up for a main, I had the catfish. 

I really wanted to stick with the Southern theme. And it doesn't get any more Southern than catfish! 

Served with a pecan puree, wilted frisee, and lemon. 

So the catfish was... catfishy? 

It was my first time ever having it, so I didn't know what to expect! I liked the fish! Could have done without the puree. But happy I tried it. 

What really made our meal, was the sides we decided to share. 

Cornbread & grits. True comfort foods.

THE BEST!!!! EVER!!!!! 

Really heavy on the butter and cream. Perfect 10/10. 

Overall, we both really liked Union Local 613. The service was great, and the staff was really friendly and knowledgeable. They definitely knew their stuff. Next time, I think I would skip the mains altogether and just order a bunch of sides, they were the best part! 

PS: Before we headed home, I remembered reading somewhere online that there was a speakeasy in the basement. We decided to go downstairs and check it out. Here's what we found:  

Bookshelf, or secret passageway? We'll never tell!