After a long and tiring week, we made our way to the movie theatre to watch this wonderful film by Ron Howard.

In the Shadow of the Moon was a wonderful collection of stories from the men who have travelled to the moon. I know it probably sounds like it’s no great feet now that we are in the 21st century but in the 1960s, men were not afraid to dream of it and risk their lives to get there.

It was most moving to see the world (not just one country) hold their breath for those first 3 men (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins) as they move towards that new frontier and then witness all the cheering as they successfully landed on the moon and back to earth.

I rate this movie as a must-see.

I’ve been looking really hard all this time for a really good pillow. I’m one of those sleepers who start out in the side sleeping position and proceed to sleep on my back for the rest of the night. As a result, a pillow that is good for a side sleeper will only be comfortable for me, for about 2 hours into the night. Depending on how I roll over on my back, I may or may not have a good night’s sleep. Don’t get me wrong, I do sleep. It’s how much my neck or shoulders hurt the next day truly define how I slept.

Our recent trip to Richmond and a serendipitous upgrade to better bed/bedding/pillows led me to find “the one”. After one night of sleeping on that pillow, I awoke to considerably less aches. It could be the fact that I was on vacation but I think it was the goose down pouf of happiness.

So, I bit the bullet and ordered one of these pillows. I think that a good night’s sleep is truly priceless.

I saw this on AT:LA and absolutely adore them. Smart and pretty don’t always come in one package but this one does, with a clever name to top it off.

When I met Mina from HakkaHouse, she told me that she was going to make this hor fun recipe for her friends. It turned out to be a hit and since then, I have been thinking about trying out the recipe myself. This past weekend, I finally picked up some sha hor fun (wide rice noodles).

A good Monday night dinner – flavorful, comforting and reminds me of home.

Thanks, Mina for the inspiration and Tigerfish, for the recipe.

Here is a good sauce for grilled flank steak that has its origins in Argentina. I love cilantro so I switched up the portions and used more cilantro. It is by far the most flavorful and flamboyant herb. It works in the background to enhance the flavor of whatever you are cooking with it, instead of overpowering selfishly.

Use some to marinade some flank steak or chicken breast, then save some for use as a fresh condiment. Perfect for the summer time or times when you wish it was still summer.

Ingredients
1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
1 seeded jalapeno pepper (or anaheim if you prefer milder sauce)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Puree all ingredients in processor. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

adapted from recipe in Epicurious.com

References: Grilled Gaucho Steak by Michael Chiarello; Chimichurri Sauce from Michelle Bernstein

I love this version of a vintage style chair – Lily Pad Chair from Viva Terra

We decided to take a quick trip before Mike starts his full year of clinical rotations. Up to B.C. we headed and found ourselves enjoying delicious Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao 小籠包), strolling the lovely campus of UBC and standing in awe of these huge totem poles created by the First Nations.

The visit to the Museum of Anthropology helped me learn more about the first peoples who inhabited the Pacific Northwest and their culture.

I’m here. I’ve been working hard during the week and on weekends, I’ve been trying to play hard. It’s only fair, I think.

We had Supper Club Quatro this past Saturday and the food was so delicious. I promise to talk more about the South American recipes we tried out.

On Sunday, we went for a matinee showing of ‘Death at a Funeral’. I love all things British and thoroughly enjoyed this.

My current breakfast is Life cereal. Those who know me are aware that I’m not a cereal kind of girl but I go on kicks. This is my breakfast du mois.

Did you remember to eat your breakfast this morning?

I like going to the new branch at Pacific Place and the chowders are all very delicious, full of fresh ingredients. But today, I ordered the Dungeness Crab sandwich roll and was quite disappointed. There was a lot of crab but for $11.95, it didn’t taste like much. I think diced tomatoes and avocado would dress up the sandwich better. All they put on the sandwich was iceberg lettuce and celery.

If you do go there, try the Market or Harvest chowders. Don’t even bother with the crab sandwich.

I thought I would share a few pictures that I took this evening, of the sunny perennial border redesign that my mum, Mike and I did earlier in the growing season. About 4 months after, it’s really starting to fill in. Come next spring, it will be an even better show.

On more plant news, I stopped by an urban garden shop that I’ve been eyeing for a while now. I drive by it every morning on the way to work but never got to visit. I got myself an indoor plant that I think will do well in our bathroom – Peacock Clubmoss.