Stuffed, Antlered Artwork <3

Kalimera! Nothing like a Monday morning to make you feel like getting some work done ^~ I've been meaning to write about this for awhile so I'll take the time now to spotlight one of the most unique, adorable purchases I've made in a long time. As many of you know (or will quickly come to learn), I have an absolute antler fetish. It started with moose and then expanded to include deer, gazelle, etc. It's no surprise that I found the piece I'm about to show you absolutely endeering ;3

I have taken to browsing Etsy for fabulous vintage finds and on a recent search I almost died with excitement when I took in the quirky charm of this stuffed piece by everyeskimo, 'A Leg to Stand On'.

I think I was equally won over by her description:

"nature, nurture. nurture, nature.

this is one little natureling who needs a little nurturing. three legged by man or nature? it's hard to say. and every harder to say which is sadder. but he has a sweet disposition. and will nibble sugar lumps and baby carrots out of your hand. turns his whole nose up at whole "non-baby" carrots, though. and he has major jones for pickles, but unfortunately not many people carry those around in their pockets.

he's 8.5" tall and 7.5" long and completely hand-stitched. he'll kick up his hand-embroidered feet and swish his hand-embroidered spots around if you scratch his tail. he's made of wool and vintage felts, except for his feelings.. those seem a little more fragile. try not to laugh if he stumbles a little, okay?"

Stuffed Animal, Picture & Description by everyeskimo

I'm now in the habit of checking her profile for new products on Etsy, and who can blame me? I never outgrew the stuffed animal phase and her quirky twists make her creations irresistible. The second I saw him, I was hooked, and when I carefully unwrapped him from his packaging it was love at first cuddle. He'll be coming with me to the loft where he'll occupy a place of honor on my desk ^~

I love the statement the piece makes, the message it carries and everyeskimo's gorgeous craftsmanship. I encourage you to take a look at her work, and if you want my advice, have your credit cards ready! I'm sure you'll find that piece that stares with imploring stitched eyes from your computer screen and softly whispers: "oh please, won't you take me home?"

Happy shopping!

❤ Miss

Miss does a Romantic Date - at Home! ^~

Kalispera readers, and I hope your Fridays are going well! I'm writing this on my lunch break as I'm going to be in such a flurry of activity tonight. Constantine is coming for around seven which is going to give me next to no time to prepare what needs to be The Most Romantic Dinner Ever. Haha. Being a student and trying desperately to keep my savings account in the five-figure range (it's taken me years to get here so don't be intimidated, I'm not as put-together as that makes me sound), I've decided to bring the dinner date home instead of frequenting our usual (expensive) restaurant.I'll share tonight's recipes with you here because they really are fabulous. I encourage you to copy my idea and plan a romantic dinner for your darling ^~ he/she won't see it coming and it's the best way to enjoy each other's company after a long week of work.

{ Miss' Menu }

Insalata Caprese with Mozzarella di Bufala

&

Authentic Italian Osso Buco

&

Chocolate Souffle with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Sound appetizing? I hope so! These are all much easier to put together than their names suggest. The only difficulties would be in the availability of the Buffalo Mozzarella (I get mine at a local Italian Grocery Store), the time you have to cook the Osso Bucco and your confidence when cooking the souffle (I promise they aren't as hard as they seem)! Ready? Here we go:

Insalata Caprese

{literally, the Salad from Capri. It's a fabulous blend of fresh ingredients, best available in summer. It presents beautifully and is perfectly complimented by the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the Mozzarella di Bufala. If you don't have the last ingredient available, the fresh mozzarella available in bags at most grocery stores works just fine, as well}

• 4 beautiful vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1 fresh ball of mozzarella di bufala
• 1 good handful of basil leaves, washed & spun-dry (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (about 1/8 - 1/4 cup)
• 1 sprinkling of sea salt, to taste

Slice your tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala into even slices. Arrange on a plate in circular pattern, alternating tomato, mozzarella & basil leaf. Sprinkle with sea salt and olive oil and serve immediately. It is fabulously easy and one of my favorite things to eat!
Picture Credit: initaly.com

Authentic Italian Osso Buco

{Constantine's parents taught me how to make their authentic Osso Buco and it is a spectacular dish. It gets better with age and despite the massive amounts of chopping that goes into the preparation, it is quite an easy main course to prepare!}

• 2-3 stalks of both carrots & celery, chopped into small chunks
• 2 packages of button mushrooms, washed and chopped into small slices
• 1 can of whole tomatoes in sauce(look for the ones that list only tomatoes as the ingredient! Stay away from pre-spiced sauces, ew!)
• 1 cooking onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Italian Seasoning
• 4 fresh veal shanks
• Fresh Parsley
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup white cooking wine
• Flour
• Olive Oil

To begin, make your tomato sauce. First sautee half of your onion and 2 of your garlic cloves with a splash (1 tbsp) of olive oil and a sprinkling of italian seasoning. In a metal bowl pour out the can of tomato juice/whole tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into chunks. Once your onions are transluscent, add the tomato chunks/sauce to the saucepan. Add fresh parsley & salt to taste. Lower heat. Do not forget to stir the sauce repeatedly!

Lightly coat veal shanks in flour and saute them in olive oil (1-2 tbsp) until nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and place in casserole dish.

Using same pan that was used to fry your veal, sautee the carrots and celery. Once they are almost done, add the fast-frying ingredients: your garlic, onion and mushrooms.

Add the cup of chicken broth and cup of white wine to your sauteed vegetables. Stir over reduced heat until the the liquid has reduced noticeably.

At this point, your sauce should smell so overwhelmingly delicious that you could almost eat it for dinner with a slice of fresh bread. I do this sometimes when I'm rushed and it's fabulous! Pour your tomato sauce over the vegetables. Stir to combine & be careful not to splash yourself! Aprons are your clothes' best friend in the kitchen. For an interesting twist on the romantic dinner, cook wearing an apron - just an apron ^~ it's silly, but undeniably sexy.

Pour the vegetable/tomato sauce over the veal in the casserole dish. Try to coat evenly and wipe off any splashes that could burn later on in your oven.

Cook, covered, at 350 degrees for an hour and a half. Remove covering and cook for another half hour.

Constantine likes to eat this served over fresh pasta. My father enjoys it with a slice of fresh bread. Serves this with whatever you'd like but be sure to eat it with something to dip into the delicious sauce that is left behind! This recipe technically serves four, but I find Constantine is always good for 1&1/2. I like to make extra because it is -so- good the next day. When it sits overnight the flavors deepen beautifully.

Picture credit: taste.com

Sinful Chocolate Souffle

As an athlete who spends hours every week at the gym I am always very careful with what I eat, but on occasion I'll make an exception for something really special. This dessert will melt in your mouth, impress your guests, and certainly justify the extra half hour of cardio ^~

I'm going to cheat on this one. As the recipe isn't my own I'll show you exactly where I found the one that I use every time I prepare this delicious dessert. Make your own souffle by following the

clear directions found on t h i s site.

Thanks Eating Well for this delicious recipe!

This concludes my menu for tonight. I hope that it inspired you to make something delicious yourself! I don't really cook with a recipe when I make these dishes (save with souffle), so I may have left an instruction out that I do automatically. Please don't be shy to ask questions!

Enjoy!

❤ Miss

Aw, Cook of the Week!

Thank you AllRecipes for making me your cook of the week ^^ I'm thrilled and certainly very honored. I've been using your site for quite some time to supplement my week with new recipes and ideas.

To the wonderful chefs who follow my blog, but who haven't yet had the opportunity to use AllRecipes I strongly, strongly recommend you sign up. They have thousands of delicious ideas as well as the opportunity to personalize your own online recipe box. It's a fantastic resource that certainly shouldn't be missed! Sign on today by clicking here.

Happy cooking!

❤ Miss

Thursdays & Love

Kalimera! I hope you had an enjoyable Canada day yesterday ❤ As I've been doing a lot of catch up at work after my 9 day stint with that horrible flu I don't have much in the way of new stories to share with you. I suppose it's as good of an opportunity as any to explain the backstory behind me and Constantine. I promise this won't turn into one of those blogs about love, boyfriends & wedding plans!

So here we go, the fairy tale begins:

Once upon a time, there was a 17 year old Montrealler who transferred to a private preparatory college in Ontario for her senior year. Being one of the only new girls to make such a daring move, she was the subject of much curiosity from the boys who had been picking from a rapidly slimming dating pool that consisted of girls they'd been classmates with over the past four-five years. Miss, having left a private, catholic all girl's school was overwhelmed by the fact that there were 'boys' in her classes, and further still by the fact that some were interested in her! She had broken up with her first boyfriend, a sweetheart named Jason, during the summer before her transfer. Their relationship was loving, but very shy (and very awkward!). As she and Jason weren't really compatible, she'd decided to give herself some time before diving into another mess of clashing personalities.

Yeah, right. Cue the Head Prefect of the college: rugby starter, competitive speaker, saxophone player, six + feet of Dutch good looks. A Boyscout all growed up and boy was he going places. He won Miss over by throwing pebbles at her window (to the obvious delight of all of the junior girls who shared her residence hall). His pursuit was swift and during it he made a few enemies - groups of guy friends are often attracted to the same type of girl, and so it was with the Boyscout and his buddies.

While the Boyscout threw pebbles, gave roses and took Miss out to dinners he also made the fatal mistake of inviting her along with his group of guys. One of them in particular really stood out: olive eyes, a delicious laugh, all rugby shoulders and wavy brown hair, the best story teller of the group with a lightning wit that matched that of the self-proclaimed intellectual herself. Constantine. Miss found herself staying up late after hours, huddled under bedcovers to hide the light of her computer screen while she talked to both boys: the Boyscout, very soon to be her boyfriend, and Constantine, whose company she enjoyed and whom she was rapidly considering to be her best friend at the strange new school.

In writing, Miss looks absolutely naive, but in reality? .. She was absolutely naive. She wasn't aware that Constantine was interested in her and simply took pleasure in his company. It wasn't until the day that she accepted the Boyscout formally that she realized her mistake. When the Boyscout told Constantine that Miss had agreed to be his girlfriend, Constantine abruptly disappeared.

Miss was startled, and as the days went by, realized just how much she had loved his company. More time went by and as her budding relationship with the Boyscout progressed, she began to realize her mistake. Their first kiss was the catalyst that ended up putting everything right. It was an obvious setup and she was excited for it to happen - the Boyscout leaned in, Miss looked up, their lips met and: nothing. Nothing? Nothing. Miss looked quickly away from the Boyscout's eyes (hazy with growing affection - clearly their first kiss had done something for him) and made her escape. I lied, you know, when I said nothing. Seconds after the uneventful kiss Miss realized she had had a fleeting, heart-racing thought: what would that kiss have been like if it had been with Constantine?

The breakup happened two weeks into their awkward relationship. Miss felt horrible but realized it would be unfair to lead the Boyscout on while she was clearly interested in somebody else. She had never thought she would ever be in such a position, but knew that in ending things as soon as possible, she'd be doing the right thing. Her decision was helped by her boyfriend's awkward jealousy. The Boyscout was a casual few steps away from her at almost all times. Her window grew perilously fragile from the constant pebble-throwing and she found him outside her residence more often than she invited him. It was too much, too quickly and just the push she needed to end things.

It took three hours to explain. (Even now Miss shudders to think of what would have happened if she'd waited longer than the two short weeks they'd been together.)

Weeks went by and Miss found comfort in Constantine's best friend, a now mutual acquaintance who had liked the idea of the two of them as a couple from the start and who decided to help Miss catch the boy who'd been chasing her all along. After many late-night meetings and shy smiles (& with the help from their matchmaking ally who was subtly encouraging both parties), Constantine and Miss rekindled their friendship. As a few more weeks went by, Constantine began making his first tentative advances. Miss was delighted.

When they finally began dating, Miss felt for the first time the comfort of compatibility and the rush of excitement without doubt. When they shared their first kiss, it was magic.

This story took place almost three years ago ^^ Since then Constantine and I have endured frustrating months of long-distance followed by wonderful semesters together at the same university. Now that I have transferred to a new program in a new city, we're going to be battling distance again - but we'll be fine, and we'll continue to endure. I have never felt a love as strong as the one that I do for this man. At twenty we're both far too young (and very aware of that fact) to be more serious than we are already, but someday I can see us being together. It's been a fairy tale from our rocky beginning and I can't imagine anything less than a happy ending for the two of us.

It's been a month since we were last able to see each other (our summer jobs are, sadly, also in different provinces), so maybe this explains my excitement at finally seeing him tomorrow.

There you have the story behind my little romance. I love to hear about how relationships start (especially when they aren't as awkward as my own!) so don't hesitate to share yours with me. Do you have an entry that tells your love story? Link me to it, I'd love to read it ^^

Have wonderful Thursdays!

❤ Miss

3rd Recipe & Weight Update

Kalimera readers ^^ I hope your mondays are going painlessly so far. After my bout with the flu I was actually cheerful at the idea of being able to come into the office today! Funny the things you miss. There's a slight damper on my back-to-work joy, however: it's pouring outside. Clearly Montreal is having issues realizing that it is in fact almost July; this weather definitely belongs in April. I'm sure I was a sight to see this morning as I ninja'd my way out of the car to protect my hair/makeup/white blouse from the downpour. I'm proud to say that I made it up without a hair out of place ^~ triumph!

Definitely due to the flu, (I won't take credit as I really was too weak to work out, and have been surviving on what jello stayed down :|) my weight did excellently! Between now and the last weigh-in I've lost four pounds! Let's see if I can keep it up now that my appetite is back. Maybe the runs will substitute for some of the jello dieting? Hahah.

Last night I was able to eat my first real dinner in quite some time. I love seafood and being on the East coast we get amazing lobster for ridiculously low prices. I decided to capitalize on this with a fabulous lobster salad. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! The only irritating part is cleaning the lobster, those shells are deadly. It's also pretty graphic so you have to throw your desire to become a vegetarian out the window before you prepare this dish. I'm a suck though and bought a pre-cooked lobster so that I wouldn't have to select my live dinner from one of those horrible grocery store aquariums.

Fresh Lobster Salad with Potatoes and Rosemary

Meat from 1 medium sized lobster

5 red-skinned baby potatoes {Any variety will work, these are my favorite}

Juice from 1 lemon

Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2-3 Stalks Green Onion, chopped.

1 Clove of Garlic, Pressed

Sea Salt & Rosemary to season

• Remove the flesh from your lobster but be careful as the shells are going to be quite sharp. If you've never made lobster dishes before, here's a handy, picture-filled guide on lobster prep :3
• Cover the potatoes with cold water in a medium pot and bring to boil. Cook until barely tender (you want them to keep their shape when pricked but lose their crunch), then drain and cool; cut into halves or quarters.
• Combine potatoes with lobster meat and green onion
• In medium bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, & salt.
• Toss potatoes/lobster with dressing, then add rosemary & toss again.
• Taste for salt and serve.

This recipe makes enough for 2-3 Miss-sized meals. It only gets better the next day!

I think at this point you're probably beginning to notice a trend. I cook with the freshest ingredients I can get my hands on and try to keep things as healthy as possible :3. For those of you who are trying to lose a bit of weight, or who are simply health-conscious, I hope that you enjoy my recipes and that they help you stay healthy and fabulous!

Enjoy!

❤ Miss

Headaches + Boredom = Headboards

Aren't I witty ^~ I've been sick for going on nine days today and I'm going absolutely crazy with boredom. No runs, very little work and the worst: I haven't seen Constantine in over three weeks. It was devastating to have to tell him that I couldn't make the trip up to visit him in Ottawa this weekend. Instead we're going to have to wait until next weekend when he comes to Montreal. To distract myself from my brutal flu and pining heart (oh, such drama), I've decided to do a little research on bedroom design.

The bedroom of the gorgeous new loft is by far the most difficult challenge. It is fairly tight, and as it is tucked behind the living space (despite being on an elevated 'half floor'), it has relatively little natural light. The good news is that I have a full sized bed, and not a king or queen, giving me much more room to work with. Lets start with a bit of a refresher so that you can remember what the bedroom looks like:

Brilliant, so there you have it. Fairly high ceilings, mirrored closet, strange storage nook (soon to be shoe/purse cupboard) and ceiling fan. The shoe cupboard is going to make headboards a bit of an issue as it does fill up a good portion of my wall. Turning the bed on the diagonal and placing it against the right wall, or placing it opposite the closet aren't really options due to space (I know it doesn't visualize well). I am still thinking of a cluster art piece to go over the bed. Feast your eyes on my inspiration:

This sweet mantel headboard was an anonymous flickr find ^^

I love the vintage look of this refurbished mantel from Marley&Locklyer

I found this on sweetascandy's lovely blog - what a gorgeous room & perfect cluster art!

Really cute pillow/mantle idea from bhg.com

Another gem of a refurbished mantel headboard, this one from afancifultwist on typepad.

Introducing: My Address!

Kalispera my lovely readers ^^ I just spent a wonderful few hours walking along the little lake in the center of town with Molly (the cutest thing on four feet). I'm still feeling pretty sick but it was so beautiful outside that I figured the sun could only do me good. Here in Montreal it's St-Jean Baptiste Day which is a special French Canadian holiday that is more important than Canada Day to the Quebecers. My town goes all out for it with displays from local artists, preserves, flowers, and little activities for the kids. It's really cute, I try to go every year. More on one of the new artists I discovered in just a bit, first I have some news!

Yesterday at 10:05pm my offer went through. I officially have my first address! The loft is absolutely stunning. I've included a little collection of shots but it does the place no justice. The windows are enormous and overlooking the trees in the neighboring park. The kitchen has appliances that made my chef's eyes tear and it has loft-conversion touches everywhere in the exposed wooden beams and piping. The bedroom is in a tucked away nook that looks over the kitchen/living/dining area that is all open concept down below. There's a strange little storage place in the bedroom wall that is just begging to become my shoe closet ^~ The entire building is completely dog friendly as well which is an enormous relief; I would have turned the place down if they'd refused to let my precious pup move in with me.

Ignore the masculine decorating, of course. I can't wait to start making the place mine. The thrill of ownership is like nothing I've ever experienced before. It's such a crazy rush of emotions! My entire life is going to be based out of that gorgeous space and I'm actually almost shy. I feel like we need to introduce ourselves and get to know each other, and that I need to 'win' the loft over with my decorating ideas. I truly believe that I am starting a new relationship, and I need to romance my new home ^~ Silly, I know.

The neighborhood is beautiful as well. It is a very trendy district filled with health-conscious, dog-walking, artistic young professionals. There are all kinds of organic and vegan cuisine, coffee shops on every corner and beautiful art galleries abound. I'm nestled between two lovely parks so Molly and I are certainly going to go on adventures every morning. As it is right on a streetcar as well (which is charming in itself) the commute to downtown will take mere minutes. I couldn't be more excited - there couldn't be a more perfect fit.

I can't wait to show you some of my ideas, and hope you enjoyed looking at the new loft!

❤ Miss