You all are probably fed up with my domain name changes, but I can assure you, this is the last! I wanted to make it something memorable and something that would stick. I think "Sadie the Foodie" is my new alias. I mean, I LOVE food, and my name is Sadie. It's perfect!
So update your bookmarks, people, http://sadiethefoodie.blogspot.com is HERE TO STAY!!!
xoxox
StheF (that's Sadie the Foodie, for you slow peeps!)
Domain Changes
Just Kidding!!
After looking into it, I have decided against the move to WordPress. It is way too complicated for my simple mind to grasp.
Blogger: I am here to stay! That is, until I can afford my own domain :)
Ciao for now,
Wordpress?
I am getting tired of Blogspot. It doesn't offer much in the way of personalizing, though I have tried my hardest. I have heard good things about Wordpress and I believe it is the closest I can get to customizing my blog without paying for my own domain. (Which, for the record, I would love to do, but unfortunately do not have the funding necessary for completing such a daunting task.)
I am going to check it out and get back to you all.
Until we meet again,
Movie Reviews
In the past two weeks, I have seen two movies: UP and The Hangover. I highly recommend BOTH of these movies.
UP was a heart-warming tale of an old man who hoped to fulfill a promise he made to his wife a long time ago. Through constant adventure, the audience is kept in constant stitches from laughing. The characters are all well-developed and are absolutely hilarious. The plot made me melt. All in all, I think this is one of the best animated movies I have EVER seen! Be sure to see it in 3D with a group of friends, your significant other, or maybe even your mom!
The Hangover is definitely one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. The story line is hysterical, with one-liners and bizarre situations around every corner, the audience is basically crying from laughter. You may find yourself relating some of the characters to your group of friends, as well as keeping your fingers crossed that you never find yourself in these silly situations - maybe! Overall, a great, funny flick to see with your friends!
I Can ALMOST Chew! (not)
When I woke up after my surgery, my dentist handed me a little "loot bag" as I called it in my drugged out state full of fun little post-op items: ice packs, gauze, post-op instructions, and another peculiar little package. What was inside that peculiar little package you might ask? My teeth, of course!! I asked my dentist (politely) why he was handing me my teeth in a baggy and he informed me that I was quite keen on keeping them and taking them home with me. It's miraculous what some deep sedation can do to your mind!
I figured you wanted to see them. Slightly graphic, I'll admit. As you can see, there are five pieces of teeth there. Fortunately, my wisdom teeth had not grown roots yet, so these are just the little pieces of crown that the dentist removed from my mouth. You can obviously tell why I wanted to keep these puppies... Nawt.
I pretty much spent the entire day relaxing in bed, listening to books on tape from when I was little (Jacob Two-Two and the Hooded Fang) and reading picture books. This little dude kept me company, as he always does:
He's my little Buddha that my good friend Naomi got for me in Thailand many years back. As you can see, he is sporting some pretty cool bling bling. I refer to him as my little Jewish Buddha. I rub his belly for good luck :)
Hamir came to be my dinner pal. Lucky for him, he got to eat some delicious handmade, home-cooked burgers and chicken wings, while I slurped on some soup, cottage cheese, taboule, ice cream and a Rocket popsicle. As you can see, a golf ball has chosen to reside in my left cheek. And yeah, I am still wearing my kittycat pajamas.
Time to go watch a movie on TV! Sounds like a fun-filled Friday night to me :)
Ciao for now,
Day 2 of Chipmunk Hell
I had the absolute worst sleep last night. My mouth was in an incredible amount of pain, I woke up thirsty every hour, I was hot and then I was cold, the sun was shining through my window too bright... I could go on and on and on!!
My cheeks are super swollen now. My mom took a picture of me at 7:30am this morning:
This picture does not do any justice, but I can assure you my cheeks are pretty damn big!! More so on my left side. This is my attempt to make a big smile for you all, but unfortunately I am finding it difficult to open my fat mouth.
Oh and as you can see, I am wearing my magical/super cool/rad/gnarly flannel kittycat pajamas :) As my mom says, I have a "beautiful collection of pajamas."
This is the ice pack contraption my mom made for my lovely fat face :) It consists of a frozen ice pack, a scarf from Thailand and a cloth from India. How very stylish, wouldn't you agree? What looks like a weird bun on the top of my head is actually the scarf tied in a knot - one can only be so cool!
Well, I am finding it kind of hard to type as I am a little drugged from my powerful Tylenol #3s, so I will leave you on a final note.
As I complained last night to my mom as I was going to bed about the severe pain in my mouth, she replied with: "Well, imagine how it feels to have a baby!"
Uh, no thanks!!!
Over and out,
I Hope They Left A Bit Of Wisdom....
Today was the day I had been dreading for just about two weeks: the removal of my wisdom teeth! I have to say, it was one of the strangest experiences I have had to date.
It started off by the dentist seating me in a room with crazy machinery and tools all around my chair. Then came the worst part of my waking ordeal: the needle that determined my fate for the two hours that proceeded. As you may or may not know, my biggest fear in life is needles. I absolutely cannot stand them, no matter how big or small they are.
But this was one crazy needle!
The anesthesiologist injected some sort of drug into me that made my face incredibly heavy and forced my eyes to shut and my mouth to close. It was so strange because I could hear everything that was going on around me, all the conversations and tools and footsteps, I just couldn't seem to open my mouth. Then the anesthesiologist injected something else through the IV and I tasted the distinct taste of medicine in the back of my throat. My dentist told me to count down from 99.
99..98..97..out like a light.
I woke up what seemed like five minutes, but was in fact two hours later and I was totally disoriented. I felt really dizzy, kinda nauseous and to top it all off, I could not feel my entire mouth - cheeks, chin and tongue included. When I was handed a cup of water, I totally missed my mouth and dribbled water all over myself!! Not to mention the fact that I could not even speak properly (which is still sort of the case). Talk about frustration!!
After Hamir picked me up and a long, uncomfortable ride home from the dentist, I am now sitting in my living room, catching up on TV shows and in an extreme amount of pain and discomfort.
Here is what I look like on day 1 (my cheeks have not fully swelled at all yet, be prepared for the next post!):
The above photo one was taken approximately three hours ago. (Yes, I took these on my Blackberry - can't seem to set time aside to buy a camera charger!) And two hours later....
Hahaha I look so terrible but this is just to show how swollen I am getting! And my mouth is sort of deformed because it is still very much frozen on my left side.
This is Hamir lounging in my living room with me and making fun of my cheeks that are getting progressively fatter!
I'm going to pop some painkillers now and go to sleep, I am in terrible pain.
Love from chipmunk hell,
Stratto Wine & Grill
Not long after my trip to China Town, I went to an amazing new restaurant for dinner, just south of Wilson, on Avenue Road: Stratto Wine & Grill @ 1977 Avenue Road. I went with my Mom, Grandmother and Hamir - a.k.a. a few patrons who are damn well hard to please!
At the time, the restaurant had only been open eight weeks, but I struggled for a 7:30pm reservation, nonetheless. I found it to be a strange area for a new restaurant to open up, but the place was buzzing! We were seated at a great table with a perfect view of the entire restaurant, as well as the front door. This was great for us because we are total people watchers.
Upon being seated, our absolutely charming waiter placed a wooden platter of delicious bread on our table with what they call their "house dip." I am NOT bluffing when I say this was the BEST dip I have ever had! It beats the usual balsamic and olive oil by a mile. It was comprised of balsamic and olive oil - of course - but mixed in was an absolutely remarkable chunk of succulent feta cheese. I am a huge fan of feta cheese, but I have never tasted anything quite like this. My mouth is watering, just writing about it!!
Our waiter assisted us with the extensive wine list, and served us a fabulous Portuguese red wine. I am unsure of the name, but I WILL find out for you! To be honest, I am not a fan of red wine at all, so for me to enjoy this bottle is almost miraculous. It was a full-bodied, savory and sweet wine that left a juicy taste in your mouth.
Next came our appetizers. I had the Buffalo Caprese salad, which was to die for. The mozzarella was the perfect tenderness and the tomatoes were not too far from perfect themselves. Greens were delicately placed around the plate, with a light drizzle of balsamic and olive oil to top it off. My mom had a Caesar salad, which was more or less matchless. A splendid mix of garlic and parmesean complimented each other, while the lettuce was fresh and the croutons were crunchy.
Then came the main courses. I had the appetizer-sized Mussles, which were marinated in a delectable white wine and garlic sauce, and mingled with fresh greens and crispy fried shoestring onions.
My Mom had the Spaghetti Carbonara, which was truly divine. Hamir had the gnocchi, which was handmade in house and smothered in a creamy rose sauce - mouthwatering. Lastly, my Grandmother had the tender veal chop with buttery mashed potatoes and crisp green beans.
For dessert, I had none other than a Rasberry Tartuffo, which is always a treat, as I never have room for dessert by the end of such a filling meal. Of course, it was wonderful, but what else could be expected after such a meal.
As you can quite clearly tell from my review, I adored this restaurant. It is definitely one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to, with the exclusion of the restaurants I went to in Italy itself. The service was stupendous, the food is to die for, the prices are definitely reasonable, the wine selection is extensive, and to top it all off, the atmosphere is intimate.
Make reservations, because I can assure you Stratto Wine & Grill will indubitably be brimming!
Party Size: 4
Price Range: $20-$40/person
Visit Again?: Yes!!
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5 (tables are a little close together)
OVERALL: 5/5
See you there!
My First and Long Overdue Critique
Guess what, y'all!
I managed to find a cord that is compatible with my camera in the jumble of wires in my house. You know what that means? I was able to salvage the (four) pictures that were on my camera with the remaining seconds of battery life left!
A few weeks ago, I went to Rol San Restaurant for Dim Sum at 323 Spadina Avenue in Toronto's China Town, just south of College on the East side. You can see this restaurant from the street, as it has a HUGE red banner that says "DIM SUM ALL DAY" above the front door. What was interesting about this restaurant was that it was at the BACK of another restaurant! Once you go through the double doors, you have to walk through the initial restaurant to the back, where you come across some chairs and a few lobster tanks. Lo and behold, there is a small Dim Sum restaurant tucked away.
I went to this restaurant with Hamir and his family. I used to never eat Chinese food until I started going for lunch and dinner outings with the Sabnani's. They sure do love their Chinese food!!
At first, I was a little put off by the decor of the restaurant.
The walls were painted fluorescent green and orange and decorated with an assortment of "vintage" Disney posters and mirrors. Not to mention the Christmas holly that was hanging on one wall. It doesn't really give off the same feel as any other Dim Sum restaurant along the Spadina Ave. China Town strip.
As you can see behind Puja, there is a lovely Cinderella poster and of course, a mirror, on the wall.
Now, when it comes to Dim Sum, I like it fresh. I hate going to those busy Chinese restaurants that serve Dim Sum by way of carts, as the food arrives at your table more or less cold and mushy. When we ordered our food at Rol San, the food came out quickly, but it was hot! The food had wonderful taste and flavour to it.
We ordered Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, Har Gow (shrimp dumpings), Seafood Dumplings, Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf, Pan Fried Turnip Cakes, Deep Fried Shrimp with Chives Cake, Mushroom & Chicken in Rice Rolls, Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce, Beef Short-Ribs in Black Pepper Sauce, and Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings.
You can't exactly see the menu clearly, but I took it home to give you an idea of how many items they have on their menu, as well as to give you an idea of how authentic the food is.
Puja should be the spokesmodel for Har Gow!
The food was delicious and quite obviously fresh, but that being said, I cannot speak to highly of the service. We had ordered a few spring rolls which the waitress forgot about, which is normal of any restaurant. But when we reminded her, it was almost as if we were accusing her of spitting in our food. She seemed quite offended, so we were quick to cancel the order. Also, some of the servers cannot exactly speak English, which can be sort of a nuisance, but something you have to get past on any trip to China Town, along with the unmistakable attitude.
Out of all the restaurants I have been to on Spadina, which is A LOT, I most definitely rank this one of the highest.
Party Size: 5
Price Range: $10-$20/person
Visit Again?: Yes
Food: 4/5
Service: 2/5
Atmosphere: 1/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Until next meal,
Screw it!
After deliberating long and hard about this whole "blogging world", I have finally come to terms with the fact that this blog was for ME and not for YOU! No offense. But I find myself apologizing in all my posts about not writing things with "substance", or constantly writing about what bar I've been to latest... Well, too bad for you! If that's what I'm doing, then that is what you will read about. I realized that you are the ones that can choose whether the content of my blog is interesting or not, and I don't need to cater to what I think people want to read. If I just so happen to write about things that may be of some interest to people, suh-weet.
Anyway, my job hunt has kicked off again!! I finally obtained that Smart Serve Ontario certification. Let me tell you that it is a long and grueling process, but the test is pretty simple. After about three hours of reading modules and watching cheesy videos, I got a 96% on the test. That is a whopping 24/25. I only got one question wrong due to CONFUSION! *achem* They were asking what is the maximum BAC (take your smart serve if you want to know what that is... dun dun dun) one can have before being charged by the National Police whatevers.. I forget already! I put 0.5, but that is only the Highway Traffic Act. It is ACTUALLY 0.8. Nowwww you all know for your future tests, kids!
As I was saying, the job hunt has resumed. I spent my entire day yesterday applying to different places - restaurants, bars, catering companies, night clubs, bunk bed stores (hehe), ice cream stores, lounges, THE WORKS! You may just so happen to stumble across me on a drunken night out in the big city. I may be serving you that not-so-needed double gin and tonic at the end of your wild night! Keep your eyes peeled! - That is.. if you even know what I look like.. Then again, I am also assuming that strangers are reading my blog. That would be cool, but somehow I highly doubt it. Not to scare you away if you are, in fact, a stranger. I welcome you all to the wacky & jumbled mind I walk around with on a day-to-day basis.
And no, I still have not fixed my lack-of-pictures problem. I PROMISE I will get right on that.
My mom just spent a week and a half in Palm Springs, California. I am so so so so jealous, seeing as it is JUNE and we are only having highs of what? 16 degrees celcius?! You have got to be kidding me. In Palm Springs, they're having highs of 38 degrees celcius with pure, hot, beautiful, much-needed SUN! She gets home tonight, so I am praying that she either brought the sun home with her, or some killer presents!! Hehe, one can only dream.
On to more important matters - I am having my four wisdom teeth removed tomorrow afternoon. You could not even begin to guess how terrified I am! What if I don't wake up? What if the chipmunk cheeks never go down? What if I have a dry-socket (apparently one of the most painful things you can have in your mouth. Even the name sounds daunting)? Eek! Everyone I know has tried to comfort me about the operation to no avail. I will let you all know how I'm doing once I get home from the operation. I think it would be funny to attempt a blog post while under general anesthesia! Not to mention the Tylonel #3's.... hahaha
I will use my mom's camera to take a picture of my face for you all to laugh at!!
Have a swell (I've always wanted to use that word for something) day, folks (yes I said folks)!
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