John and CB's Most Excellent Adventure

A Weekend in Dallas, TX

Posted on August 15, 2017 | Leave a comment

The Hills have featured on the blog before (we are a fan of adventures together) and they are dear friends of ours. So, when we had the opportunity to travel to Dallas to visit them and introduce our kids to each other, we jumped at the chance! We figure, the babies have to like each other, right?

This was Conrad’s longest flight to date (about 3 hours). He did great on the flight, but once we got to Dallas, he was a little cranky.

All parent travelers have moments like this! Conrad was DONE!

When we arrived at the Hill’s beautiful home, we took a little rest. Then, Conrad got to meet his very first dog, Hattie!

Conrad loves Hattie 🙂

Then, he got to meet the star of the show, Finley! Finley is about 4 months older than Conrad and full of energy. They’re really sweet together. The older they get, the more they’ll be able to play. This bodes well for us and our future adventures!

Conrad is a Finley fan!

On our first full day there, we ventured to the George W. Bush Presidential Library. It was a stunning building, with excellent exhibits. As George W. Bush was the first president during whose administration I had significant political awareness, this was really cool. It traced all different kinds of events, including 9/11 and made me realize how human W really is.

The Hills at the Museum

Babies at the Library

The library included a replica of what the Oval Office looked like at the time of George W. Bush’s presidency.

Conrad was ready for action.

Then we had a delicious lunch at Bubba’s. Ross’s favorite was the fruit salad, which actually had more marshmallows than fruit. Gotta love the south!

Calm babies.

It was delicious.

Next, we went to a coffee shop!

They really like each other 😉

Dallas!

And, we wrapped up the day with a visit to the Brewery!

Conrad sized brew. No, he did not drink it. 😉

The next morning we went for an early lunch at a delicious Mexican restaurant! Because, you can’t go to Texas and not have Mexican!

So yummy–but not yet, baby boy!

Hands full!

And next, more coffee!!!

I LOVE this one!

Next we went to the Dallas Farmers’ Market. Where we bought a cow hyde rug. And drank a Topo Chico. When in Texas, right? 😉

A very Texas day.

The next morning, our return flight came all too soon!

Our trip was characterized by some sightseeing, lots of delicious food and drink and great time together. The best part was hanging out with good friends and catching up on life which has changed significantly for ALL OF US over the last 12 months. My favorite memories are “Mom’s Night Out” and our late nights on the Hill’s back porch.

We had such a lovely time visiting Ross, Katie, Finely, and Hattie and can’t wait to see them again!! We love you guys!

Airplane Selfie

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Posted in USA

Our Biggest Adventure Yet: Baby Conrad

Posted on May 15, 2017 | Leave a comment

I was blessed with a relatively straight forward pregnancy. Other than a banana that sent me to labor and delivery at 35 weeks (false alarm) and some last minute baby acrobatics (that resulted in a breech baby who flipped back at 39 weeks) things went smoothly. This was such a blessing as we had so much change in the months leading up to Conrad’s arrival.

We moved to Philadelphia from London when I was about 7 months along meaning new doctors, a new hospital, and an entirely new health system to adjust to (we’d been in the UK and under the NHS for almost six years). And John started a new job that requires some regular travel. On the plus side, we are closer to family and our US-based friends. And we get to explore a new city and enjoy a new travel base. I think the word of 2017 is “change”!

April progressed and we felt more and more settled in Philadelphia. And ready for baby to come.

About 38 weeks here. And ready for baby to come!

Easter came and went. No baby.

Easter Sunrise Service in Rittenhouse Square. 39 weeks pregnant.

Conrad’s due date (and my Daddy’s birthday), April 24 came and went. Still no baby!

Baking in more ways than one! 😉

April 27 rolled around, the 10-year anniversary of John’s engagement proposal. No baby. We celebrated with some orange juice in our classy Vegas champagne flutes. Then, John headed off to a work dinner and I parked my rather large self on our new couch!

10-years since John popped the question!

At about 8pm, I felt something wet on my leg and I leapt off of our new sofa (it was the fastest I’d moved in a while). Could this be it? I called John at the restaurant–they had just finished appetizers. I told him to stay put while I called the doctor. I’d been having contractions for a few days, but nothing regular or so intense that I had to cease all activity.

I explained my symptoms to the doctor over the phone. He told me he thought my water had broken! However, as my contractions were irregular and not very strong, I didn’t need to rush. I could come to the hospital in the next few hours. I called John excitedly and told him the news. They were just bringing the steaks to the table, so I told him to stay and finish the dinner. Honestly, I wanted to shower and pack a few last minute items anyway. Plus, he could bring me some food since I wouldn’t be allowed to eat anything once I checked into the hospital.

John followed my advice and stayed through dinner (and dessert/coffee–haha) much to the humor of his colleagues. They still won’t let him live it down–especially since he got “the call” at dinner.

After eating (and texting me every 10 minutes for an hour) John brought me some food, packed up, and we headed to Hahnemann University Hospital. Since we only live a few blocks away, we walked. I wanted my own Rocky moment! 😉 Plus, it was NFL Draft weekend in Philly–we had to get into the spirit!

In labor and walking to the hospital. Excited to meet our baby boy!

We checked into the hospital around just before midnight on 27 April 2017. I won’t go into great medical detail here (if you’d like to know the story, I am more than happy to tell you in person), but after some drugs to speed things up, an epidural, and a quick 15-minute push, Conrad was born! I was in labor for a total of about 30 hours–he was born on 29 April 2017 just after 2am.

Conrad Ernest Candeto. Born at 2:04am on 29 April 2017. 20.5 inches long, weighing 8 pounds 2 ounces.

Our sweet baby boy!

My parents had flown in upon hearing I had gone into labor. They arrived late Friday night, just before Conrad’s early Saturday morning arrival.

Proud Dad and grandparents!

It felt so good to have a shower and get settled into a recovery room. Now, we could focus on our adorable little bundle!

Conrad.

We loved all of the baby snuggles we got those first few days!

Birth: Nailed It!

And my first meal request: sushi! John had it delivered and it was absolutely scrumptious!

So much deliciousness.

After a couple of nights in the hospital, we were released. Only being a few blocks from our apartment we walked home, baby and grandparents in tow!

Leaving the Hospital. They let me walk out 🙂

Walking through City Hall on our way home.

We were blessed with a very positive birth experience I cannot say enough good things about the doctors, nurses, midwives, staff, etc. at Hahnemann University Hospital. John and I often compare our “customer service experience” there with the likes of American Express or Disney. I felt empowered, informed, and well taken care of. I am very grateful for that. I always say that I wouldn’t give birth for fun, but they made the daunting experience very pleasant for this first time Momma. And to top it off, we have now have our sweet baby boy!

Our biggest…and most excellent adventure yet!

Thanks for reading and sharing in our joy! We can’t wait to show the world to this little guy–and take him along on our Most Excellent Adventure!

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Posted in USA

Minibreak: Weekend in NYC

Posted on March 31, 2017 | Leave a comment

Philadelphia is an amazing city in its own right, but I do have to admit one of the perks of living here is the proximity to NYC. We took advantage of this by boarding the Amtrak early one Saturday and heading to New York for the night for one last baby-free trip–just the two of us.

Our first stop was Chinatown for some Dim Sum. It had been a while since we’d had some really good dim sum (visiting Hong Kong spoiled us forever), but we managed to find some in New York!

Nom Wah Tea Parlor – the first Dim Sum in Chinatown!

After some googling, we opted to try Nom Wah Tea Parlor — and I’m so glad we did! It’s no frills with some delicious dim sum, a lot like our favorite spots in Hong Kong. The highlight was the house speciality, a pork bao. And don’t forget to order some Chinese tea (Bo-lay is my preference) to wash it down.

Pork bao. Aka deliciousness.

The pork bao, soup dumplings, and rice flour rolls were all delicious. You can imagine my delight when I found out they also have a Philly location! Score!

Our bellies full, we strolled around Chinatown and took in the ambiance. Our hotel was just a few blocks away…

Once we reached our hotel, we dropped our bags and I took some time to rest. 33 weeks into the pregnancy, I was starting to slow down…just a bit ;). We stayed at a lovely boutique hotel in Soho called Nomo Soho. The location was excellent–close to the food and sights we wanted to see, but a bit away from the main tourist hustle and bustle of Times Square. Perfect for our quick little getaway!

Hotel Entrance

View from our room

View from our room

We didn’t take many pictures of our evening (FAIL) but we did go to a delicious restaurant and then for drinks at our hotel after. The hotel lobby had a club-esque vibe in the evenings. With my big belly and my non-alcoholic beverage, I didn’t feel like I quite hit the level of coolness required to hang out there ;).

The next morning, we attempted to check out Dominique Ansel’s bakery to try a famed Cronut. However, the queue was down the block and this pregnant lady was HUNGRY! We settled for bagels and headed uptown for a stroll through Central Park to visit the Met. I had never been before and was very excited to see one of the best museums in the world!

Excited to be at the Met

33 weeks–Peanut loves museums!

Washington crossing the Delaware

Stunning building, inside and out

After touring the museum, we headed to a jazz brunch at one of John’s favorite jazz institutions: Blue Note. The last time we were here as an engaged couple nearly 10 years ago, while John was interning in New York.

This time, we saw a jazz set put on by student musicians. The food was ok–but the music and ambiance are hard to beat. Side note–Peanut loves jazz music. He kicks as the music plays.

Jazz Brunch at Blue Note

From there, we did a little bit of walking and taking in the city until we ended up in Little Italy. Believe it or not, I was hungry again, so we settled in to a quaint Italian restaurant for a bite.

Little Italy

The restaurant was like something out of a movie. We entered through a bar and walked by several gentlemen who I am sure are regulars and into a connecting building which served as the dining room. There were old fashioned plastic checked table cloths and an old-fashioned menu featuring Italian-American classics. We ordered a sampler meal which came with a massive plate of antipasti (not pictured) and a huge plate of the house speciality pastas. So. Much. Food. But it was delicious!

Italian done the American way 😉

After this meal, it was time to head back to Philly via the Amtrak. It was a quick 36 hours in New York, but it’s always great to get a taste of the Big Apple. See you soon, NYC. Next time, Peanut will help us explore 🙂

Farewell, New York. See you soon!

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Posted in USA

Vilnius, Lithuania: Christmas in the Baltics

Posted on December 30, 2016 | Leave a comment

One of our favourite European trips has been a weekend we spent in Riga, Latvia. It struck us as an under appreciated gem in Europe. We also spent a day in Tallinn, Estonia while on a cruise and loved it. We needed to round out our tour of the Baltics and what better time to do it than Christmas? After completing my last exam at Le Cordon Bleu, we boarded a plane and headed to Vilnius.

We stayed at the beautiful Kempinski Hotel in the Cathedral Square. It was all dressed up for Christmas which made it even more gorgeous!

Pregnant lady happy place!

Kempinski Hotel all dressed up for Christmas!

After a lovely breakfast, we headed out to the square to explore the Cathedral. The bell tower is not attached and, therefore, provides some lovely views of the cathedral itself and Christmas market below. Of course, we had to climb to the top!

The Cathedral’s Bell Tower which is separate from the Cathedral itself.

Stairs to the top

Christmas market from above

So many bells!

As we were walking around the top of the bell tower, we were discussing how interesting it was they let tourists up in the tower around midday and therefore they must not ring the bells anymore. About one minute later, it was noon. I think I felt my first hard baby kick at this point!

Baby’s first bell tower. 22 weeks pregnant!

View of the Kempinski Hotel from the Bell Tower

Charming Christmas Market!

Then we had a wander through the streets. The sun set quite early, this was still the middle of the afternoon!

Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn–a picture of the Virgin Mary housed in a City Gate that has become a symbol of Vilnius.

Lovely, quaint street

After a walk around the city, we stopped in a local restaurant for some traditional Lithuanian cuisine.

Cabbage Soup. I could have eaten many bowls of this.

Mushroom Soup in a Bread Bowl

Potato Pancakes with a Sour Cream/Crackling dipping sauce. I prefer plain sour cream!

Zeppelins: perhaps the most iconic food of Lithuanian cuisine. They are potato dumplings filled with meat and shaped like a zeppelin.

Pierogi–the Polish influence is obvious in the cuisine.

Acorn coffee. Surprise, surprise, it tastes like a tree. Not my favorite after dinner beverage.

We then went back to the Christmas Market across from our hotel and enjoyed the lights!

Merry Christmas from Lithuania!

The next morning we awoke to a Lithuanian Christmas fairy tale–snow on the ground! It made the Cathedral and Christmas Market even more charming.

Good morning, Vilnius!

Snow covered and lovely

Our flight back to London was late in the evening, so we took in a few more Vilnius sights! First stop: The Museum of Genocide Victims. We learned that compared to industrial Latvia which attracted many Russian immigrants, Lithuania was more agrarian and more actively resistant to Soviet rule. Several freedom movements began in the forests of Lithuania. Interestingly, even today there a noticeably less Russian influence in Vilnius than in Riga.

Museum of Genocide Victims, the former KGB Headquarters

Every time we are in a city that has a museum like this, we try to visit and we always learn something. It serves as a good reminder of a very recent past that none of us want to relive. Perhaps most haunting room on the entire tour was the execution room.

The yard, with footsteps leading to the execution room.

After our sobering tour of the museum, we headed to Užupis, a neighborhood of Vilnius that declared itself an independent republic in 1997. It is very popular with artists and has its own constitution. I found the constitution so interesting I decided post it here (from Wikipedia):

Everyone has the right to live by the River Vilnelė, and the River Vilnelė has the right to flow by everyone.
Everyone has the right to hot water, heating in winter and a tiled roof.
Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.
Everyone has the right to make mistakes.
Everyone has the right to be unique.
Everyone has the right to love.
Everyone has the right not to be loved, but not necessarily.
Everyone has the right to be undistinguished and unknown.
Everyone has the right to idle.
Everyone has the right to love and take care of the cat.
Everyone has the right to look after the dog until one of them dies.
A dog has the right to be a dog.
A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of nee[d].
Sometimes everyone has the right to be unaware of their duties.
Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an obligation.
Everyone has the right to be happy.
Everyone has the right to be unhappy.
Everyone has the right to be silent.
Everyone has the right to have faith.
No one has the right to violence.
Everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance. [In Lithuanian this reads Everyone has the right to realize his negligibility and magnificence.]
No one has the right to have a design on eternity.
Everyone has the right to understand.
Everyone has the right to understand nothing.
Everyone has the right to be of any nationality.
Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday.
Everyone shall remember their name.
Everyone may share what they possess.
No one can share what they do not possess.
Everyone has the right to have brothers, sisters and parents.
Everyone may be independent.
Everyone is responsible for their freedom.
Everyone has the right to cry.
Everyone has the right to be misunderstood.
No one has the right to make another person guilty.
Everyone has the right to be individual.
Everyone has the right to have no rights.
Everyone has the right to not to be afraid.
Do not defeat.
Do not fight back.
Do not surrender

The pub that serves as the Republic’s government building, along with a sign welcoming all to the Republic.

After returning to Vilnius proper, we walked around a bit more and enjoyed the snow covered city before retreating to our hotel for some afternoon tea before our taxi to the airport.

Church of St. Anne

Baby Candeto enjoyed Vilnius!

Snow-covered and happy!

O Christmas Tree!

Afternoon tea–my favourite!

One last shot before hopping in the taxi

John waiting for me behind some strategically placed adverts. I insisted on wearing my Santa hat in the airport!

We enjoyed our whirlwind weekend in Vilnius and found we had plenty of time to see the major sights and relax a bit as well. It certainly confirmed our love for the Baltics!

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Posted in European Escapades

Le Cordon Bleu: A culinary adventure

Posted on December 15, 2016 | Leave a comment

I have always loved food. As a baby, I had the cheeks and fat rolls to show it! Cooking is a relatively new passion (developed since moving to the UK) and I find it intersects beautifully with my love of travel! John wanted me to further explore this passion and suggested I go to cooking school. Not just any cooking school, but Le Cordon Bleu which has a London campus! I gratefully jumped at his offer. I applied and was accepted to Le Cordon Bleu to begin Autumn 2016!

The day I accepted LCB’s offer for enrollment, I found out I was pregnant. This was turning out to be quite the adventure 🙂 I started courses when I was 9 weeks along and just coming out of the haze of morning sickness…thank goodness!!!

Le Cordon Bleu London in beautiful Bloomsbury Square!

I opted to do both Cuisine and Pâtisserie, which meant a full course load of 40ish hours per week. I would learn the basics of French cooking and baking. The LCB curriculum is made up of three progressive levels: Basic, Intermediate, and Superior, of which I did Basic. I learned a TON in the Basic course and am very happy with my choice to stop after completing this level. That being said, I was 21 weeks pregnant when I finished, to go any further would have been pushing it especially on my feet in those hot kitchens!

First day of school!

We had three main types of lessons: lectures, demonstrations, and practicals. Lectures happened roughly once per week and covered a specific topic such as wine, cheese, flours and sugars, etc. This was to give us a knowledge base from which to pull. The main instruction came in the form of demonstrations and practicals. Demonstrations are three hour lessons in which the teaching Chef cooks the dish you will prepare in the subsequent practical. The classrooms are awesome–think full kitchen at the front with mirrors on the ceiling and a video feed to get a close-up of what the chef is doing, like a live version of the Food Network in which you can ask questions! We were given ingredient lists, but no methods for each demonstration. Methods we had to write down for ourselves as the chefs created the dishes. After the three-hour demonstration, we went into the kitchen for our practical where we had to reproduce exactly what the chef had demonstrated. Each kitchen accommodated 16 students and a teaching Chef. As we were reproducing the dishes, the teaching Chef would walk around and critique our methods. At the end of the class, we had to serve the prepared dish at the appointed time. The chef would critique the presentation and the taste–it could be quite nerve-racking!

From our first demonstration: knife cuts!

I was very nervous the first time I stepped into a practical kitchen. We didn’t even have to turn on the stove or oven–it was three hours of knife cuts. This seems like tons of time, but most of us struggled to deliver a plate of carefully sliced veggies because the standards are so exacting. We would have to reproduce five of these cuts on our final exam in addition to a full dish and all within a strict time limit. Talk about pressure– I feel like anytime I stepped into a LCB practical kitchen, time magically melted away.

Product of my first Pâtisserie practical: fruits!

In Pâtisserie, we got to use the ovens much sooner–it was all about baking! One of our first practicals included Crème brûlée. We learned how to top it with a beautiful basket made of sugar. It was very encouraging to have such a photogenic product from such an early lesson.

Pâtisserie Practical: Crème brûlée with a sugar basket

Each course (Cuisine and Pâtisserie) culminated with a written exam and a practical exam. The standards for the practical exam were very strict, including a time limit enforced by point deductions from the final grade (you lost so many points per minute you were over the time limit). As we went through each course, three of our practicals contained a potential exam dish. For cuisine, the potential dishes were Lemon Sole, Trout, or Chicken Mousse. For Pâtisserie the options were a Lemon Tart, Coffee Eclairs, or a Charlotte Au Cassis. For our practical exams, my class ended up with the Lemon Sole and the Coffee Eclairs.

Pâtisserie Practical: Tarte au Citron. This was a potential exam dish.

First up of the potential exam dishes: the Tarte au Citron. Each practical dish contained several elements to build and test our skills. The Tarte au Citron had a shortcrust base, lemon curd, candied lemon peel, and merengue. Plus, we got to use the blow torch :). Every dish we did at school had multiple elements and built on each other as the course progressed.

Tarte Aux Pommes: one of the best parts of cooking school is taking home your schoolwork!!!

What we made in the practicals, we got to bring home with us! This was especially nice because after cooking all day at school, I really didn’t feel whipping up a fancy dinner at home. John was traveling to the US for work quite a bit at this point, so he missed out on a lot of the goodness!

Jalousie Aux Poires Et Creme D’Amandes

Being pregnant in cooking school was tough (especially on long days), but I was very fortunate that I had a fairly easy pregnancy that interfered minimally with my studies. And that my studies did not interfere with my pregnancy! LCB was extremely supportive and I am thankful for that. Fortunately, I got through most of the programme without anyone (besides the school administration) knowing I was expecting! I wasn’t trying to hide it–I just wanted to be treated like everyone else on the course. I was delighted when I got some surprised looks (even from some of the Chefs) when I wore my “Baby On Board” Tube button the day we received our final marks and had our Chef reviews.

Bande Feuilletee Aux Fruits De Saison

The one exception to all of this was the lesson on Les Abats (edible glands and internal organs). The soaking of the organs in water to remove the toxins is what got me. And then there were the smells. I couldn’t stand the smell of entrails–especially at 8am. I could deal with filleting a fish at 8am on a Saturday, but I couldn’t handle innards. After going to the demonstration, I opted to skip the practical. Other than that, the hardest thing to deal with was pregnancy brain (my classmates saved me a few times here) and collapsing (intentionally!!!) on the couch at home at the end of a long day. Thank goodness I had brought food home with me!

Crabe Farci A L’Anglaise (this crab was alive when I started!)

Some of the dishes we created were a bit old fashioned (this crab dish being one of them). However, lots of different skills were utilized here here. I had to kill a live crab, cook the crab, and use the light and dark meat for different purposes, hard boil an egg, finely chop herbs, etc. Although I’ll never make this dish again, the building blocks are useful. I compare it to diagramming sentences–this is not something you have to do in the real world, but the elements that go into it are fundamental and used regularly.

Coffee Eclairs

Although some of the dishes I won’t be preparing at home (I’m looking at you, consommé) some of them I am very much looking forward to recreating. One example: coffee eclairs. Eclairs are made using choux pastry, which is actually started on the hob. It can be a bit tricky, but if you get a good rise in the oven, you are golden. This ended up being our Pâtisserie final, along with buttercream piping.

White Bread Rolls

Some of the practicals were more enjoyable than others. I LOVED learning to fillet a fish. Having lived in Singapore and living very close to Billingsgate Fish Market in London, I find it empowering to know that I can go in and pick out any kind of fish (flat or round) and take care of scaling it and filleting it myself. Our final exam in Cuisine ended up being the Lemon Sole. During the allotted time, we had to scale, fillet, and prepare the fish and do our knife cuts using a couple of potatoes. Talk about pressure!

Before and After: Filet De Sole Duglere aux Epinards et Champignons de Paris. This was another of our potential exam dishes.

Other lessons were less enjoyable, such as the consommé lesson. Consommé is a clear soup that is packed with flavour (ours was beef) and is clarified with a process using egg whites. The one piece of advice: don’t boil the consommé. If you do that, it’s ruined. What did I do? I turned my back on it for one minute and turned around the find it boiling. It was so discouraging to have messed up so early in the lesson. Even more frustrating was the fact that the teaching Chef saw this and curtly let me know it was “ruined” with his French accent. Needless to say, I won’t be recreating this dish at home!

Charlotte au Chocolat

Most of practicals, however, were very enjoyable. They were stressful because of the time issue and the chefs’ standards, but they were enjoyable nonetheless. Nothing was more satisfying than successfully completing a practical and taking a photo of what I had created! Except for maybe eating it!

Gateau St Honore (St. Honore is the patron saint of bakers)

I learned a lot whilst studying at Le Cordon Bleu and not all of it was cooking. I learned what it takes to be a chef. We had to wear chef attire to every lecture and demonstration and full chef attire (including apron, hat, hairnet, and safety shoes) in the kitchen for each practical. Chefs clothing is incredibly comfortable but can be incredibly warm, especially with all of those layers! There is even a neckerchief for sweat control!

Tired after an evening class. I was about 18 weeks pregnant here…

I gained a lot of respect for those in the food industry during my studies. I had no idea that most kitchens are run with such military precision with a strict hierarchy and a “Yes, Chef” can-do attitude. And, I had no idea the kinds of hours that people in food service work and, more importantly, how exhausting those hours could be. I thought being a chef was all about creativity, but the reality is until you reach “Head Chef” you are recreating someone else’s dishes.

Pistachio and Chocolate Macarons

One of the biggest changes in my behaviour since finishing at LCB is the fact that I now rarely go off-menu or request alterations to a dish. LCB made me respect the creativity and thought that goes into each item on a menu. A chef has painstakingly designed a dish to taste a specific way and for the flavors and textures to play off of each other. In short, it’s a work of art. I don’t ask the saxophonist in a jazz band to stop playing because I prefer the sound of other instruments, why should I (without allergies, etc), alter a dish a chef worked hard to create?

Piping practice for my Pâtisserie Exam. This is a whole can of shaving cream!

Earning my certification at LCB was the hardest course I have ever undertaken (and I have a Masters’ Degree!!!). It was physically demanding, mentally taxing and emotionally challenging every single day. Every time I would create a dish for the Chef to critique, I felt like my heart was on the plate. I was beyond exhausted (being pregnant didn’t help) and had to stand on my feet in a hot kitchen, with sharp knives and hot pans and try not to cut of burn myself. Before LCB, I was used to being graded on written tests, papers, and projects (in their finished state), not on my methods of creation and something I made with my hands. My biggest physical worry was a paper cut! And in the kitchen, I was used to having unlimited time and sometimes a glass of wine in my hand! This experience stretched me and I am beyond thankful for it. And I loved it.

After completing (and passing!!!) the courses, we are anxious to find out if we are having a girl or a boy!!!

Thankfully, I (and Baby Candeto) passed both the Cuisine and Pâtisserie courses! After the final exams, the chefs sit down with you and go through your performance over the term. They encouraged me to continue my studies, which was flattering. However, it is now time to focus on preparing for Baby.

I am so thankful for the experience to study at LCB and for the Chefs and classmates that made the experience so wonderful. The skills I learned I use daily because, hey, we all have to eat 🙂

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Posted in London

Weekend in Paris 2016

Posted on November 26, 2016 | Leave a comment

Why? Because Paris is always a good idea. And, as I am midway through my studies at Le Cordon Bleu, John and I thought it would be fun to have a little field trip that would reinforce what I am learning 🙂

We took the first Eurostar to Paris on a Saturday morning, stayed in the Marais district and returned to London late Sunday evening. It was a quick trip, but we packed a lot in. Paris is one of our favourite cities in Europe–and we love it even more now that I’m learning about French cuisine!

A beautiful courtyard off of Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris.

On a walk to the Notre Dame

Gargoyles

The Notre Dame. No matter how many times I see it, it never gets old!

Twilight at the Notre Dame!

YUM!

We went for a delicious multi-course French dinner!

Pumpkin Velouté

A delicious casserole with lamb.

I don’t remember all of the details of this one (pregnancy brain) but I do remember it being delicious!

Chocolate Fondant

The next morning, we participated in one of our favourite Parisian rituals: croissant and coffee!

I don’t know what it is…they just taste better in Paris

Then we went on a long walk around the city for the day. It was gray and rainy, but still just stunning.

That’s the Eiffel Tower behind us in the clouds!

Les Invalides

One of my favourite places in the city is the garden of the Rodin museum. We stopped by and snapped a few photos!

John thought this was ironic: baby bump shot in front of “The Gates of Hell”. Haha–we are excited about Baby Candeto, I promise!!!

The detail is incredible

The garden in the autumn

Rodin’s house, now a museum

And, of course, the Thinker

We also made sure to hit some major Paris highlights before heading back to the train.

The Louvre

The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

It’s just so beautiful!

Centre Georges Pompidou

After a lovely long walk, we ended up back at our hotel to collect our bags. It was a lovely place and fun to stay in a different neighborhood.

Quaint hotel lobby

Paris, you never disappoint. Can’t wait to go back! 🙂

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Posted in European Escapades

Roadtrip: Ireland and N. Ireland

Posted on September 15, 2016 | Leave a comment

Ireland has been on our list for a long time. You’d think being so close, we would have been there before hitting the five year mark in London. We did–but just barely 🙂

**Update!!! We hadn’t told anyone, but at the time of this trip, I was six weeks pregnant and just starting to experience all of the joys that accompany the first trimester. This included morning sickness and fatigue. We still had an incredible trip, but my culinary adventures were a bit more tame than usual! I’ve added a few things to this post to document this special time in our lives***

We aligned our trip with the Georgia Tech vs. Boston College American Football game in Dublin. John’s cousin, Craig, is a coach at Georgia Tech and he and his wife, Maribeth, were going to be in Dublin for the game. So, we booked tickets to the Emerald Isle for the game and a pre-game road trip!

We landed in Dublin in the early morning and immediately rented a car and took off across the country, more than 300km to Killarney.

In the driver’s seat! Shifting with the left hand should be interesting (for an American driver) 😉 Also, please notice our spreadsheet itinerary!

In Killarney, we took a few moments to explore the town and then had dinner. I had some delicious fresh salmon, caught fresh from the Wild Atlantic Way (and the streams leading from it).

Exploring the streets of Killarney

Local salmon dish

After dinner, we drove a further 70km to Dingle on the west coast of Ireland, where we would stay the night in a pub. It was a bit noisy, so we didn’t get the best night of rest.

Gorgeous scenery for our road trip!

Tired from our early morning flight and the 400km drive across the country!

We had to stop and see the cows on the steep incline. Perhaps they were some kind of mountain cows?

Drinks at the pub

The next morning, we were up super early (left the pub at 6am) to do the Slea Head Drive on the Dingle peninsula. We wanted to beat the tour bus traffic, because the locals told us it could cause quite a traffic jam on the very narrow and winding road.

The early bird definitely gets the worm. We were all alone on the beautiful road, save a few sheep.

Beep, beep, Mr. Sheep

John driving very cautiously. This would have been super stressful with tour buses!

Cliff face on one side, large drop on the other.

Taking in the beautiful view with tired eyes

Stunning

After completing the Slea Head Loop, we headed north for about 200km to the Cliffs of Moher. We stopped en route to pick up some groceries for a picnic lunch. When we arrived at the Cliffs, they were covered in fog. We decided to enjoy a fog-gazing picnic and were rewarded with some gorgeous views of the cliffs after the fog lifted!

The view from our picnic: proceed with caution, there is a cliff hiding in the fog!

The fog lifted to reveal spectacular natural beauty

Happy to see the Cliffs!

Long way down…

Checking out the drop…

After seeing the Cliffs, we drove to our hotel for the evening: The Ross Lake Hotel, just outside of Galway. This was a lovely house hotel where we enjoyed a lovely dinner and sat by a roaring fire. Our hosts were very gracious and took excellent care of us.

***This was the first day I experienced morning sickness, so unfortunately I don’t have any photos of the beautiful food. I wasn’t able to eat salmon again until after Conrad was born…haha***

Picturesque

Does it get any better than this?

The following morning, we got into the car and decided to head straight to our next lodging, since it was going to be one of the nicest places we were staying on the trip. We went another 250km to Donegal where we stayed at the Harvey’s Point Hotel. We cannot recommend this place enough: friendly staff, gorgeous rooms, and glorious views. We will be back!

I was hoping this would happen on our road trip!

View from hotel onto Lake Eske

Upon arriving, I immediately wanted to relax in the massive bathtub. I was also greeted with a Donegal quirk: bog/peat water! The water has a slight whisky color due to the peat. Apparently, this gives whiskey from the area a unique flavor. The water has been treated and is safe for human consumption and soaking!

Bog Water Bath

John caught up on some work in the library. Complete with a cuppa!

The gorgeous room!

The next morning, we took off for Northern Ireland, where we would spend the next 24 hours. Our first stop is a place I’ve been wanting to visit for a while: The Giant’s Causeway! It is a unique volcanic sight, characterized by 40,000 basalt columns.

We made it!

Like another planet

Pretty cool to climb around on

***Six weeks pregnant with Conrad***

I feel like they should film a Star Wars battle scene here

After leaving The Giant’s Causeway, we embarked on John’s favorite part of our road trip: Torr Head Road. It is his favorite drive to date and considered to be quite a challenging drive. Aka, very long and winding. ***With a wife with morning sickness*** I think he’ll want to go back and do the drive again some day! We have some videos from the awesome drive, that I can’t get to upload here. They are good, but don’t do the drive justice.

One still shot I got from Torr Head Road drive

That night, we stayed in Belfast and had dinner at a The Crown Saloon downtown.

1830’s pub with cool decor. Fun fact: the wood floor panels were intended for the sister ship of the Titanic!

The next morning we took a Black Cab Tour of Belfast (we used Paddy Campbell’s–highly recommend). We saw the Peaceline and learned first hand about “The Troubles.” John and I were stunned at how little we knew about this, especially since we live so close and it was such a recent conflict. Our driver told us first hand stories of his experiences, including a time when he was shot. We learned so much that morning.

Shankill: the Protestant neighborhood on one side of the Peaceline, a wall separating Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods

There are tons of murals, depicting either pride in Protestant history or highlighting aspects of “The Troubles”

Leaving our mark on the wall

The last few years have been relatively peaceful–hoping this continues.

The commanding presence of the wall

After our black cab tour, we spent the rest of the day driving down the east coast of Northern Ireland and Ireland eventually ending up back in Dublin for the night.

After more than 1500km driven, we settled into Dublin for a few days of sightseeing and, of course, the football game!

Our first stop was the obligatory tour of the Guinness Factory. I’m not a beer drinker, but I have to say the Storehouse is a well curated museum to all things Guinness, including the Guinness Academy where you can learn to pull a pint. I was very impressed.

We made it!

John learned how to properly pull a pint

Nicely done, sir!

That afternoon we met up with Craig and Maribeth for the Georgia Tech Pep Rally at Trinity College!

Great to spend time with these two!

That night, we were even invited to a local Rugby match.

Rugby

The next morning, we went to the stadium for the game, where we watched Georgia Tech beat Boston College!!! It was so nice to go to an American Football game. It had been a while!

Georgia Tech wins!!!

We spent what little time we had left in Dublin doing some exploring. A highlight was seeing the Book of Kells at Trinity College. No photos were allowed of the actual book, but I was able to get a few of the library, where it is housed. It’s like something out of a storybook.

Trinity College Dublin Library

Why hello, Mr. Aristotle

And so ends our adventure in Ireland and Northern Ireland. We were impressed by the beauty of these places and the warmth of the people. A hundred thousand thanks to the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland! We will be back.

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Posted in European Escapades

Wallace Family Holiday 2016: NYC and Quebec City

Posted on August 16, 2016 | Leave a comment

For Christmas 2015, my parents gifted us a family trip to NYC and Quebec City! NYC because a childhood friend is starring on Broadway in Paramour and Quebec City because Mom and Daddy went last year and loved it!

We flew out early and all met up in NYC!

Start spreadin’ the news…The Wallaces/Candetos hit NYC!

There was a major heat wave happening in the city while we were there but that didn’t stop us from making the most of our time in the Big Apple. We still waited in the queue to check out Ellen’s Stardust Diner, where the waitstaff sing show tunes! I personally loved it!

Ellen’s Stardust Diner–a favorite of mine!

Paramour: Starring Ruby Lewis!

We had a wander around the city for the rest of the evening then went to bed early. We needed our energy to explore the next day!

Rockefeller Center

From our hotel in Times Square, walked north through Midtown and to Central Park!

Pre Central Park walk. I am obviously the most excited of the bunch!

Patty and me!

That night, we went to see Paramour (Cirque du Soleil’s first resident show in NYC) at the Lyric Theatre starring Ruby Lewis–a friend I’ve known since we were three. Ruby was STUNNING. I could not stop smiling as I watched her captivate the audience. Definitely worth checking out if you are in town! Before, though, we had an incredible Italian dinner with all you can eat pasta! Yum!

Delicious!

Ready for the show!

Ruby was even kind enough to give us a glimpse of life backstage! It was such a cool experience–thanks, Ruby! 🙂

Ruby Lewis–Broadway Star!

Thank you, Ruby for such an awesome backstage tour!

The view from a Broadway stage into the audience–a view I will likely never see again!

After an amazing night at the theatre, we woke up to another unique New York opportunity. We had the chance to go on the floor of the NYSE and watch the opening bell! We got there so early, we had a little extra time to take in the sights, including the Trinity Church (from the movie National Treasure).

NYSE early in the morning

Trinity Church, just by the Stock Exchange

The floor of the NYSE was buzzing and we got to take it all in. Such a cool experience.

NYSE–so cool!!!!

Opening Bell

One of my favorite family photos ever!

After our time on the floor of the NYSE, we hopped a boat and headed for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. That sea breeze felt amazing on such a hot day.

On the boat to see the Statue of Liberty!

Lady Liberty selfie!

Ellis Island

After coming back to shore, we engaged in a more somber activity: visiting the site of the World Trade Center. We went to the museum as well, which I highly recommend. It was very informative and paid good tribute to those who were lost.

9/11 Memorial

One of the best museums in NYC. A haunting reminder.

Unbelievable

The following morning, we were up early to catch the train from NYC to Montreal! It was a beautiful scenic trip and provided us with a lovely day to rest up after running around NYC.

Good morning, New York!

Sneaky pic on the train!

View from the train–gorgeous!

Upon our arrival in Montreal, we walked to a quick dinner then went to the bed. The following morning, we set out to do a bit of sight seeing before catching our final train to Quebec City!

Montreal Olympic HQ

Notre-Dame Basilica

Notre-Dame Basilica

One last train–on to Quebec City!

Upon our arrival in Quebec City, we headed to the iconic Château Frontenac for a round of drinks. Such a gorgeous hotel.

Our first round in Quebec City

I love sampling the local food and wine wherever I am. Canadian wine is quite delicious 🙂

Canadian Wine at Château Frontenac

After some drinks, we found dinner at a local restaurant and had to try one of the national dishes: poutine. Poutine is french fries with cheese curds and gravy. It’s actually quite nice, but very rich!

Poutine

Cannon ball in a tree!

The following day, we explored the town and topped it off with dinner at Panache, a restaurant serving Canadian fare. It was my favorite meal of the trip.

Artist street

Exploring!

Steep hill

Stunning. Like Europe in North America

My favorite meal of the trip: Panache

Amuse-bouche

Yum! Venison Wellington!

Love these folks!!! (This is the church from “Catch Me If You Can”)

This pretty much sums it up–I am way too excited!

We took the funicular back up the hill–I decided we needed a selfie. Some played along, some did not. 😉

Mama’s feet are tired

After exploring on our own the previous day, we joined a guided tour to learn more about what we were seeing. Our tour guide focused military history. I learned a ton–French and British history are definitely intertwined here. Having lived in England for five years, it was interesting to see how this relationship has played out on a different continent.

Walking tour–John and the tour guide.

View from the top of the stairs

My sweet boys!

Iconic view

🙂

Aren’t they the cutest?

Daddy/daughter selfie

Twilight in Quebec City

No trip to Canada is complete without Tim Hortons

My sweet parents

After an incredible trip, it was time to head back across the pond. Big thanks to Mom and Daddy for such an incredible time! We learned lots and loved spending time with family 🙂

Ketchup crisps–pairs nicely with prosecco 😉

Empty Tube car on the way home bright and early! An unusual sight!

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Posted in USA

Cruisin’ the Middle East: UAE and Oman

Posted on April 16, 2016 | Leave a comment

Winters can seem pretty long in the UK, so by the time March rolled around, we were in need of some serious sunshine. Not to mention we just got our visas renewed (yay!!!) so we were itching for an adventure. We decided to explore a part of the world we haven’t ventured to yet: the Middle East! I (CB) had been to Dubai on a long layover, but it was great for both of us to get a chance to explore the city and add a few others to our list!

First view of Dubai–from the air!

We stayed at the beautiful Conrad Dubai, which has a gorgeous pool and amazing views!

The room was massive!

Windows were a bit dirty, but you can see the Burj!

We had taken the red-eye to Dubai from London so we were pretty tired and hungry. Where did we go? Dubai mall and….Chili’s! Sad–I know, but it’s a guilty pleasure because we can’t get it often! Don’t judge!

A little too excited about that Quesadilla Explosion Salad…

After some lunch, we decided to do a bit of wandering…

We found it! The tallest building in the world: the Burj Khalifa!

After a restful first afternoon, we went to Souk Madinat for dinner.

Souk Madinat–with the Burj Al Arab in the background!

Dinner our first night…I am one lucky lady!

The following morning, we headed straight to the pool for some relaxation time!

Morning relaxing by the pool

Next, we headed to the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa where we went to the 124th floor!

Shadow of the Burj Khalifa–dwarfing everything else!!!

Loving the view!

Fountain Show from Above

Enjoying the incredible view at sunset

Loved our experience “At the Top”

A Guinness World Record!

Then we watched the Fountain Show from a different vantage point.

Our view of the Fountain Show from Dinner!

The next morning, more pool time was in order. We really been missing the sunshine!

The next morning: more relaxation

After a morning by the pool, it was time to check out and get ready to head to our Cruise Ship! But first, we had a little afternoon tea…

John took me to afternoon tea before we got on the boat!

Our first night on board the Splendour of the Seas!

On the boat. Bon voyage, Dubai!!!

Our first stop was Khasab, Oman. Unfortunately, our fjord cruise was rained out–but we opted to go into the town to check things out!

Khasab, Oman

We found some goats wandering the streets!

We popped into a local coffee shop to try the local brew. We ended up having tea which reminded us of teh si in Singapore! It was a taste we have definitely missed!

As the afternoon went by the clouds lifted, revealing some gorgeous scenery.

Reading with a view

Right before we sailed away, I found a rainbow 🙂

Evening acrobatic entertainment!

Next stop: Muscat, Oman! When we arrived, we found a taxi driver to take us around for the day. He was wonderful–we have his mobile number if anyone is in Oman and needs a taxi! He even helped me tie the scarf on my head for the mosque visit–he did a great job. I could barely get it off when we left!

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Women’s prayer room

Stunning architecture

Inside the main prayer hall

The detail is incredible

This was is huge. This was the largest carpet in the world until the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi was built.

Our driver opened a Quran so we could see the beautiful calligraphy

Lovely

We had a GREAT tour guide 🙂

As we left the mosque, we were taken to an outreach centre where we could ask any questions we had about Oman, Islam, etc. They gave us TONS of dates (I think we ate at least 10 each), Arabic coffee (with a bit of cardamom), and ginger tea. All this while asking about our about our faith and explaining theirs. This experience was probably one of our favourites from the trip.

Next we went to the Royal Opera House in Muscat. Unfortunately it was closed to visitors for the day, but that didn’t keep us from taking in some incredible views!

Royal Opera Muscat

Next, we stopped by the Ritz Carlton (Al Bustan Palace Hotel). The scent of frankincense was heavy in the air as we looked at the beautiful architecture.

Frankincense scenting the air at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel

Our last stop was the city centre, where the palace is located!

Muscat!

Sultan’s Palace

Our taxi driver dropped us off near the boat and recommended a local hangout for some freshly caught fish. We had a good meal then had a bit of a shop before heading back to the boat for the evening.

One of my favourite pictures from Oman: at a local eatery with the mountains and locals in the background, enjoying some freshly caught fish. Delicious!

Mutrah Souq: one of the quieter souks we have been in

Muscat was lovely. The best part: the people. All we encountered were extremely hospitable. It felt a bit like being in the American south. All Omanis were also very proud of their country and its beauty. This made our time there very enjoyable, indeed.

Enjoying the sunshine–sail away party from Muscat!

Sultans Palace from the Water

After a lovely day at sea, the next stop was Abu Dhabi, UAE! Our first stop in Abu Dhabi was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which can accommodate over 40,000 worshippers. This place is massive!

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

The outside was stunning–couldn’t wait to go inside!

We hopped on a free tour–so glad we did! It gave us a bit more context to understand the UAE, Sheikh Zayed (who was the “father” of the UAE), and the place of this mosque in the greater community.

So photogenic

Waiting for the tour to start!

This is the mosque that took the “world’s largest carpet” title from the mosque in Muscat.

Inside the main prayer hall

You can see lines in the carpet–this is to help organize worshipers so they can maximize capacity!

The amazing carpet

Big mosaic

We really enjoyed our tour of the mosque!

After the mosque, we paid a quick visit to the Heritage Village where we learned about the Abu Dhabi of the not-so-distant past, when it used to specialize in pearls.

View of Abu Dhabi from the Heritage Village

Next stop: the beautiful Emirates Palace.

Camelcinos–I was very very excited. The date syrup on top is even in the shape of a camel!

Abu Dhabi

Emirates Palace Hotel

Our final stop in Abu Dhabi was the Manarat Al Saadiyat. This was an exhibit showing Abu Dhabi’s future “cultural district” which will include a Louvre Museum and a Guggenheim. We are definitely going to have to go back when these museums are open!

Manarat Al Saadiyat: Learning about the future of Abu Dhabi!

Then we headed back to the ship for the last leg of our journey.

My dinner date 🙂

Our final day was another full day in Dubai. We saved one of the most anticipated activities for this day: a desert safari!

Riding on Humphrey! One of the highlights 🙂

Before we got out onto the sand, our guide let air out of the tires reducing the PSI from 35 to 15! We were rocking and rolling for about 15 minutes, sliding up and down the dunes (AWESOME!!!!!) when we got a flat tire! The tire wasn’t flat per say-it just slipped off of the wheel! After a quick tire change, our caravan was back on the move!

The dune-bashing was so intense, we got a flat tire!

The desert landscape was amazing–like nothing we had ever seen before!

The scenery was amazing!

Then, we had to try a little bit of sand boarding!

Sand-boarding!

I did it, too!

After taking in the scenery and running up and down the dunes, it was time to head back to civilization.

We found a camel roaming in the desert!

After the safari, we headed back to Dubai-proper and went to the Al Fahidi Historic District for some Arabian Coffee, dates, and freshly baked bread!

A little too excited–probably don’t need the caffeine!

Abra ride across the Creek to Deira

Spice Souk

Gold Souk

We spend out final night on the ship enjoying a delicious meal, dancing to live music, and just enjoying our holiday.

The following morning, back to London!

Virgin Atlantic celebrated their 10th anniversary by giving everyone a cupcake–I was definitely on board!

London on our final approach to Heathrow!

Oman and the UAE were beautiful places–distinctly different from each other and fascinating to us. We found the people to be warm and welcoming and can’t wait to go back and explore more of this part of the world!

As always, thanks for reading!!!

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Posted in Beyond

Weekend in Brussels: January 2016

Posted on February 21, 2016 | Leave a comment

Our first weekend back to Europe after the Christmas holidays, we made a trip to Brussels! We left from work on Friday night and headed straight to the Eurostar and over the channel.

Friday night view of Grand Place from our hotel.

It was late, so we headed straight for an old favourite, Chez Leon, for some Mole Frites. Then, we headed to Delirium for some Belgian beer!

Dinner at an old favourite. Mussels from Brussels!

After a few drinks, we strolled through Galeries Royale Saint-Hubert on the way back to our hotel

A bit blurry, but our only photo together from the trip!

The next day, we slept late then took a stroll around the city. First stop was St Nicholas Church, surrounded by shops. A church was originally built on this location in the 11th century.

St. Nicholas Church–surrounded by shops.

Next, we had lunch at Le Cirio where we both had delicious croques and some drinks. The house speciality is a half sparkling wine, half white wine combination, mixed at your table. Worth a taste!

Le Cirio Cafe

We kept strolling around the city taking in the sights, then stopped for hot chocolate.

Twilight in Brussels

Something Belgium does amazingly well: chocolate. Hot chocolate in fact. At Frederic Blondeel–not to be missed!

We stopped in a cathedral en route to a jazz concert at The Music Village. Three sets of jazz played by passionate musicians. We truly enjoyed it!

The lighting in the church at night was haunting…

Front row seats–The Music Village. Some delightful jazz music for our Saturday night.

We had a short day on Sunday, because we needed to get back to London. That didn’t stop us from visiting the Magritte Museum near the Royal Museums of Fine Arts.

Museum time!

Lovely, relaxing 48 hours in Brussels!

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Posted in European Escapades

John and CB's Most Excellent Adventure

A Weekend in Dallas, TX

Our Biggest Adventure Yet: Baby Conrad

Minibreak: Weekend in NYC

Vilnius, Lithuania: Christmas in the Baltics

Le Cordon Bleu: A culinary adventure

Weekend in Paris 2016

Roadtrip: Ireland and N. Ireland

Wallace Family Holiday 2016: NYC and Quebec City

Cruisin’ the Middle East: UAE and Oman

Weekend in Brussels: January 2016

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