One Week Until Travel Day!

I've had a lot going on the past couple of weeks. Uncountable missed calls, unread text messages, piles of papers, and so, so many coffees out (I recently asked my high school best friends to change where we were meeting for coffee so I wouldn't have to eat at the same café for three times that week). Things are coming together, my flight is in one week, exactly.

Am I feeling the jitters? Not yet, at least that's one thing that's going well. My biggest worries are that I'll forget something important, and that I'll spend far too much money (that I don't have) while exploring Paris and Lyon before school starts. There's just so much to worry about - did I pack my Every Child Matters shirt? Do I have space to bring a couple of my favourite cookbooks? A couple of weeks ago I got a four-pack of Apple AirTags to help me not have to worry about forgetting something super-duper important. So far they've been working great! My phone notified me twice that I've left the house without my keys... when I'm not driving.

Recently, I've been baking up a storm, procrastinating packing and getting everything in order. My family asked me to make 8 cheesecakes, a double batch of earl grey cookies and chocolate chip cookies (recipe coming soon!). I also decided to make four, yes four, double batches of scones, to last my family a year. I have yet to make the last jam of the season, using blueberries from last season.

This morning, I made a beautiful peach upside down cake using the last of the fresh Ontario peaches I'll be eating for a while. Last summer I made countless frangipane tarts, and this summer it feels like I made countless upside down cakes. I often think of upside down cake to be a winter dessert, but it is really perfect for all seasons! A small slice with a tea in the afternoon on a mild summer day, or with a scoop of ice cream after Christmas dinner, are both equally enjoyable. I love using upside down cakes to showcase the best fruits of the season, starting with rhubarb and now onto peaches.

Recently, I've been enjoying my two weeks off (meant to prepare for my travels). It's been relaxing and nice to take a step back from all the work I'm used to doing all the time. This has allowed me to really enjoy the activities I've had the chance to do, that I wouldn't before. I loved dining at BiBi's Middle Eastern Kitchen, which was opened by a classmate of mine who graduated from the same undergrad as me a year prior. I've also enjoyed catching up with friends that I couldn't see because of COVID. I recently spent a great 4 hours with my high school best friend at a local café I used to work at.

Anyways, this will be the last you hear from me until I'm in France. By then, the plan is to have a glass of wine in my hand with one of the many French culinary stereotypes in the other!

Until next time, happy adventuring!

Ahmed