Three TV shows I’ve watched or have been watching:
Here is what I have been reading, watching, and thinking about recently.
Here is some of what has been on my mind over the last little while.
I have a long list of things on my mind for you today. There are plenty of interesting links for you to peruse over the weekend.
1.Netflix. I have watched a lot of Netflix these last few weeks. Here’s what I’ve watched (and recommend):
The Social Dilemma. This documentary gave an interesting look into social media, its roots, uses, and impact. Like other viewers, it made me want to delete everything and monitor more closely what I do online. That said, I haven’t yet deleted Twitter or Instagram. So…
The Duchess. I laughed throughout every episode of this show. And the fashion is fun to watch, too.
Cobra Kai (season 1), The Karate Kid (with Jaden Smith), The Karate Kid (original). My arm was sort of twisted to start watching Cobra Kai. I liked it, so then it was all-karate-all-the-time. Cobra Kai season 1 was good. Season 2 was was a bit too teen drama for my liking. Surprisingly, I really liked the new Karate Kid movie with Jaden Smith. And, I can’t believe I had never watched the original Karate Kid. Wax on. Wax off. Quite good!
Venom. I thought I was going to hate this one as I’m not so into alien movies, but I liked the acting, music, plot, and special effects, so it was a win.
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2. Shopping. I really don’t like adding more reusable bags to my already big collection, but I couldn’t resist the vibrant print of this Baggu bag on a recent trip to Indigo.
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3. Learn. I’m not starting another degree (but never say never), but I did want to take a biology (focus on plants) course this year. Considering I started a new job, I’ve put this on hold for now. Instead, however, I’ve settled on attending online lectures on architecture hosted by Athabasca University. The first lecture I attended was focused on architecture in South Africa, and the second was focused on architecture in Africa. Both lectures were fantastic. I think I’ll share some of what I learned in an upcoming post.
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4. News. Obviously, the pandemic is still top of mind. This article about the University of Illinois’s massive COVID-19 testing initiative was interesting, and it demonstrates that testing isn’t enough. Stay at a distance. Wear a mask. Closer to home, cases at universities have been reported, and increasing case numbers makes me nervous.
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5. Hobbies. It’s usually about this time of year when I start signing up for a whack of new activities. Last year, I opted into flamenco dancing and cross country skiing lessons, for example. This year, I’m hesitant to join anything (on account of the pandemic), so I’ve been thinking what non-group activities I can do as the fall and winter come. Here’s what I’ve come up with: puzzles, jogging, cross-country skiing, and sewing. I’ve made slight progress on three of these things already. Any other suggestions?
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6.Charity. On Sunday, October 4th, I will be jogging in the CIBC Run for the Cure. You may remember that I’ve been doing this for several years now in Kitchener-Waterloo. This year, the event has gone virtual, which means I’ll be running alone (or with anyone I see wearing pink running in my neighbourhood). It’ll be a different experience, but the cause remains the same. I hope that even more money is raised this year to support needed research and support for the Canadian Cancer Society. If you’d like to donate to the cause, please do so here. I appreciate your support!
It has been months since I’ve posted a list of things I’ve come across in my travels on the Internet and beyond. Here are a few things to note this week.
1.News. What else is there to say about the devastation that we have seen? I encourage you to donate even $1 to support our friends in Australia and to learn about the people who lost their lives in the Iranian plane crash. So many people’s lives have been affected and so many will need support to move past the trauma in the future.
2. Fun. With so much bad news in the world, it’s nice to see moments like this. Apparently two grandsons wanted to prank their grandmother, but she had other plans!
3. Advice. 30 rules for living well.
4. Video. Blow torch and hair dryer popcorn. I won’t admit how many times I watched this, but it was more than once!
5. TV. I finished watching season 3 of the The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I just loved it!
1.The climate crisis. The world climate strike has been a hot topic in the news recently. The climate strikes that happened around the world these last couple of weeks have been impressive. The photos floating around the internet of people gathering in cities and small towns have been incredible. The world may not unite on many things, but people from all corners of the earth are coming together for climate strike action. If you want to learn more about what you can do to learn more and take action, read this post by Joanna Goddard on Cup of Jo.
After reading the article, I calculated my carbon footprint using this carbon calculator. I’m below the Canadian average, but I know I can do better. I am still above the average for the European Union and the world. I (and you, too!) can reduce my carbon emissions by following this advice and reducing use of plastic. We don’t have green bin (food waste) collection where I live, but I might try this simple composting method to discard food scraps. I already do this with egg shells, which has been easy (and good for my tomatoes!).
Individuals can make a difference! Get educated. Stay informed.
2. Books. I listened to Michelle Obama’s Becoming and Melinda Gates’ The Moment of Lift. I enjoyed them both and learned a lot. Both women offered candid stories of the lives of their families and their goals.
I also listened to An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, and I liked it.
3. Netflix. I watched Unbelieveable one evening last week. I was so hooked that I stayed up until the wee hours! It held my attention all the way through. It’s a true crime series that centres on the story of a young rape victim. While noone believed her account, in time, two detectives in another state linked pieces of a puzzle together to catch a serial rapist. I then read this article to learn more about the young main charcter – Katlin Dever.
4. Beauty. Has anyone used castor oil for hair growth? A friend recently recommended I give it a try, so I’ve been reading up it. Some articles say there are benefits, but others say there’s no scientific evidence to show that it does promote hair growth. And what about these vitamins? I’m tempted to try them after reading this thread.
5. Charity. I’m run/walking the CIBC Run for the Cure this Sunday in Kitchener-Waterloo. Are you? Where? If you’d like to donate to the cause, please do so here. I appreciate your support!
While I was in Florida, I watched many (many) episodes of The Great British Bake Off. Have you heard of it? Seen it? In brief, it’s a baking competition show from the UK. My friend Shannon and I were hooked! The hosts – Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry – really made us laugh, and we were rooting for so many contestants along the way. And the baking! Oh the baking! Each week, the bakers were given challenges for both savoury and sweet baking, and some of the items I had just never even heard of! In one technical challenge, the contestants had to make a Schichttorte. This is a 20-layer German cake that looks absolutely cool!
photos from the Daily Mail UK
Aren’t those layers beautiful? I wanted to make it. So this past weekend, I did. I was invited to a dinner party, and I knew my friends would appreciate it.
I used a combination of two recipes. The main cake recipe is from the BBC, and the icing recipe is from Paté Smith. I’ve shared it below with measurements in cups.
Here’s how my cake making went down.
I prepared all of my ingredients in advance.
I mixed the egg yolks until they were creamy. I added the butter and sugar mixture as well as the flour mixture as per the recipe.
I whipped up the egg whites until they formed stiff peaks.
I carefully folded the egg whites into the egg/butter/sugar/flour mixture. I greased my spring form pan and lined the bottom with parchment paper.
As per the recipe, I spread one layer at a time. I used my crepe spreader to evenly distribute the batter for my Schichttorte.
I tried to carefully keep track of the layers and timing as I put each new layer under the broiler, but I failed at this. I completely lost track. I watched the oven like a hawk during the cooking process. My timing wasn’t too consistent. You’re supposed to alternate between light and dark(er) layers by adjusting the baking time, but my baking time was inconsistent. I left the spring form pan in the oven anywhere from 45 seconds to 2 minutes for each layer. As per the recipe, the pan was right under my broiler (about 4″ or 10cm).
It looked golden and delicious when all the layers were done, and I released it from the spring form pan. I brushed melted apricot jam on the cake once it had cooled a bit.
I made the chocolate glaze and covered the top and sides of the Schichttorte.
Once that had dried a bit, I decorated the top with vanilla glaze. I was too lazy to pull out my piping bag, so I put the vanilla glaze into a Ziploc bag and snipped the end off for a DIY piping bag. In this way, it was easy to drizzle the vanilla glaze over the chocolate.
The outside of the cake made for a pretty presentation, but the true test was when we cut into the cake. Would the layers appear? Would the be distinct? Well, the suspense is over!
Layers! Distinct layers! I call this a successful first Schichttorte attempt!
And here are a few more photos if you’d like to see.
   
I’m so pleased that the cake turned out. All cake eaters (n=6) were impressed by the layers, the decoration, and the chocolate glaze. The same number of cake eaters were surprised by the cake’s density. Post-eating Googling revealed that the Schichttorte is in fact on the dense side, so I baked it as it should have been baked. Phew! Good to know, right?
If you’re like to challenge yourself, go ahead and bake a Schichttorte. The ingredients are easy, and the overall process is easy. The trickiest part was keeping track of the oven and time.
Recipe
(adapted from the BBC and Pate Smith)
Ingredients
The Cake
Chocolate Glaze
Vanilla Glaze
Method
Whisk the egg yolks in the bowl of a freestanding mixer on a high speed for five minutes, until pale, thick and creamy.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the whisked egg yolks and beat well. Add the flour and cornstarch and mix.
In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the batter to loosen the consistency. Then gently fold the remaining egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
Preheat the broiler to high.
Grease a 20cm/8in round springform pan with oil and line the base with parchment paper.
Spoon some of the batter into the base of the cake tin and spread evenly across the bottom. Give the tin a gentle side-to-side shake to even out the top of the batter. Place on a shelf 10cm/4in below the grill and cook for two minutes, or until light golden-brown.
Remove from the oven, add another spoonful of batter, spread it out, and place under the broiler for three minutes, or until dark golden-brown. Continue layering and baking under the broiler until you have 20 layers alternating in colour from light golden-brown to dark golden-brown. (Or continue until you have used all the batter.)
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for five minutes. Carefully release from the pan and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Melt the apricot jam in a small pan over a low heat. Pass through a fine sieve, then brush the top and sides of the cake with jam. This will help the glaze stick to the cake.
To make the chocolate glaze, sift together icing/confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Stir in milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. If it is too thick, heat it up over a small pan. Pour evenly over cake.
A few extra notes:
A few things on my mind.
1. #MBALife
As of yesterday at about 5pm, I became an MBA grad. Wild. The last four years have been a lot of work, but I learned so much, and I met so many great people, so the lack of free weekends, the never ending hours of group work, and the stress of exams were worth it.
2. Ann Arbor, Michigan
I was in Ann Arbor at the beginning of this week for a conference. You can see a few photos at #WhiteCabanaGoesToAnnArbor, but I have a full post in the works, so stay tuned for that.
3. Books
Audio books. Amazing. I have been doing quite a bit of driving lately, and I’m now keen on audio books. I finished Elena Ferrante’s Book 2 over the weekend, and I’m eager to start on Book 3. Bonus: I have been getting my audio books for free from the Waterloo Public Library.
4. Father’s Day
It’s Father’s Day this weekend. Did you see Daniela’s Father’s Day gift guide? She’s a brilliant gift giver, and I’m grateful that she took the time to share some gift ideas.
5. TV
Sherlock. I know I’m late to the game, but I watched Series 1 this week. Oh, yes, it’s good.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
Here’s what’s been on my mind lately.
1. The other week, I made my way through this Warren Buffett documentary. I enjoyed it. I especially like what Buffett had to say about ethics, public speaking, and reputation. Just look at all the subsidiary companies of Berkshire Hathaway (his company).
2. Over the long weekend, I watched The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (via Amazon Prime), and I loved it! The clothes, the characters, the decor, and the story…yes, I enjoyed all of it!
3. I have 6 more weeks of my last MBA course. I can’t believe it. It’s been an almost 4-year long degree (part-time). I’m pretty excited to get some free time back into my life. I’ve really enjoyed the courses I’ve taken these last two years (e.g., negotiation, mergers & acquisitions), and the struggles I had in the core courses in my first two years are a distant memory. If you’re considering an MBA, I’d recommend you go for it. Then again, I’m a fan of further education regardless of the degree, so my advice is always the same.
4. I popped into the mall the other week looking for a pair of basic black workout tights. Instead, I came home with these colourful tights from Aerie. I don’t wear much colour to work, but I do embrace it for workouts.
5. I made this salmon and spinach pasta last week (with my fresh pasta, of course!), and it was delicious (and quick and easy, too). I usually go for classic pasta with tomato sauce, so I really switched things up this time!
What’s been on your mind?
Have a great weekend, everyone!
I have very little time for watching TV/Netflix/movies, so I don’t have a massive list of show recommendations for you today. I just thought I’d share with you what I have been (sort of) watching over the last couple of months.
1. Chelsea. I have mixed feelings about Chelsea Handler. I sort of like her tough/funny personality, but I can only take it in small doses. I think she asks good questions, and I like her guests. For these reasons, I keep watching her show(s).
2. The Mind of a Chef. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this show, but I’m definitely enjoying it. The show follows Momofuku’s David Chang as he travels around the world, meets with his top-chef friends, and cooks up wild dishes (poached eggs in saran wrap – I want to try this!). I’m learning a lot! And it’s making me want to go to Japan!
3. My Way: The Rise and Fall of Silvio Berlusconi. I’m only about 30 minutes into this documentary. While I mostly like listening to Silvio Berlusconi’s Italian and seeing his massive villa, I’ve also been enjoying learning about his life.
4. Riverdale. I binge-watched this I-think-it’s-only-for-teens show in April when I had some free time. I was entertained.
5. Alice Through the Looking Glass. Why did I wait so long to watch this? What a fun movie! I loved it. I’d watch it again. Easily.
I have taken note of Rox-Anne’s recommendations from last month, and maybe I’ll eventually get to the must-watch-asap 13 Reasons Why.
What have you been watching? What are your recommendations?
I honestly watch the Academy Awards more for the fashion than for the films. Is that so wrong? The stars – with the help of their style team – work hard to look good, and I am always keen to see what colours and styles make the final cut. This year, there was a lot of pink (e.g., Gwyneth Paltrow, Anna Kendrick, Zoe Saldana, Karolina Karkova), red (e.g., Giuliana Rancic, Dakota Johnson, Rosamund Pike, Solange Knowles), glitter (e.g., Emma Stone in lime glitter), nude (e.g., Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Kerry Washington), and black (e.g., Cate Blanchett, Tegan and Sara, Laura Dern, Sienna Miller).
I, of course, was curious to see who would wear white on this very special evening. Here’s a brief review:
Julianne Moore in custom Chanel
Lupita Nyon’go in custom Calvin Klein (read the story behind the dress here)
My favourite top-to-toe looks were: Emma Stone, Cate Blanchett, and Gwyneth Paltrow. While I did like quite a few of the celebrity looks, I sort of wished that the outfits and styling were way more glam and out-of-the-ordinary than they actually were. The simple column silhouettes just seemed sort of – dare I say – normal.
Images via Hello Magazine.
I have watched more than the usual (for me) amount of television since the fall. I get completely caught by the Netflix-binge-watching bug, and before I realize it, I’m finishing off one television series and beginning another. Even with all that I’ve watched, there’s still more for me to see before I am totally in touch with what everyone else is talking about – my Netflix-must-watch list seems to grow on a daily basis! Who has time for all these shows? When do people watch tv? Anyway, here’s a quick recap of what I’ve watched over the last few months:
TV shows:
Gilmore Girls – I watched all 7 seasons over the course of a month or so. I can’t believe I watched all 7 seasons. That’s a whole lot of hours! I loved following the day-to-day business of Lorelai and Rory – the mother daughter duo who lead this series – in the quaint and comfortable town of Stars Hollow. Seven seasons, though, that’s sort of embarrassing!?
I loved watching the two seasons of Mr. Selfridge. The characters are complex, the costumes are fascinating, and the management style of Mr. Selfridge is interesting. Jeremy Piven – as Mr. Selfridge – is perfect. I can’t wait for more! Two seasons seems like a reasonable amount of tv watching, but it really equates to about 20 hours of tv…half a normal work-week. Wow.
I am now several seasons in to White Collar. I had never heard of it before I clicked on it via my Neflix menu. It’s been alright. I like that each of the characters is still around after so many seasons; there has been zero – or little – character turnaround. I also like the dynamics between each of the characters.
Homeland was incredible. I am certainly eager to see what the next season has in store! I was never a fan of Claire Danes, but I think she’s amazing in the role of Carrie Mathison.
Movies:
I’ve watched Pitch Perfect a few times now, and it still entertains me. The songs, the dancing, the amusing dialogue – it’s all fun! Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson are two of my faves in this film. Yes, it’s true, I do like a good teen movie. Pitch Perfect 2 is due to hit theatres in May.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a work of art. There is so much beauty in this quirky film. I feel like I need to watch it several more times just so I can can catch and analyze every detail that went into this film.
I felt like I went on a lengthy trek after I finished watching Wild. The scenery is beautiful, the story is true, and Reese Witherspoon played her part so wonderfully that I almost forgot that she starred in Legally Blonde. I was surprised to learn that Nick Hornby wrote the screenplay and was one of the executive producers of this film.
What’s on your must-watch list? I’d love to know!
So, what was the highlight of the Grammy’s for you? I watched most of it and I was not only entertained by the show, but I laughed pretty hard at the comments coming through my Twitter feed. Gosh, people are so quick to judge!
Many of the stars last night stuck to classic black and white. People like Beyoncé, Madonna, and Daft Punk changed from black to white outfits as the night progressed. In case you missed the show, here are some of the white highlights:
Beyoncé (image via Global Grind) & Beyoncé in black
Daft Punk (image via Billboard) & Daft Punk in black
Madonna (image via Grammy.com) & Madonna in black
Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons
Is it just me or is it hard to believe that Lorde is only 17 years old and Pharrell Williams is 40?!