Highlights from Stratford, Ontario

I have not had the chance to travel for work in a long time, so I was very excited to not only go to Canada for work, but I got to plan the trip, too! It was great working with the Bruce Hotel and researching restaurants and other fun things to do in town (other than the Stratford Festival for theatre, of course!). And even though I was there for work, I had a lot of fun doing my own thing, too. Here were the highlights in no particular order:

1. Staying at the Bruce Hotel

When I first started planning this group trip to Stratford, my boss was insistent that the Bruce Hotel was the only place worth staying. And boy was he right! The Bruce is a very fancy, 5-star hotel, with extremely attentive staff and lots of food included in your stay (apples and pastries in the room upon arrival, breakfast each morning, little candies after each meal, etc.). The rooms were beautiful with ginormous bathrooms; you know I had to take a soak in the tub my first night there to decompress! And the grounds are lovely, with a little meadow walk out back (they have an apiary!) and pretty gardens. Our group was so comfortable there, and all of us said if we made it back to Stratford, we would be sure to stay at the Bruce again!

There was a pumpkin patch behind the Bruce Hotel, and I found an apple tree, too!

2. Starting off my mornings at Modo Yoga

I knew I wanted to exercise each day, but since Stratford is too small to have a Pure Barre or Orangetheory, I opted to take hot yoga (and other classes) at Modo Yoga (formerly Moksha Yoga). The owner, Christa, taught most of the classes I took. She was so kind and welcoming, taking the time to tell me more about the history of the studio and really bringing me into the fold. I made sure to bring a new washcloth with me to each class to wipe off ALL the sweat (I learned quickly not to pick a spot right underneath a heat element!), so there was definitely some detoxing going on. I also took a fusion class and a barre class, but I think the yoga classes were my favorite. 

These were the Thai noodles from Mercer. So yummy and a very good size portion (with big shrimp, too)!

3. Trying different restaurants around town

While we enjoyed many meals at the hotel, we also tried several restaurants in downtown Stratford. On my first night, since I was on my own, I went to Stratford Raja INC. for some Indian food. Raja did not disappoint! I had the samosas, dansak, and peshwari naan (i.e. lots of fruity/sweet options). And I made those leftovers last over a couple of meals. The same goes for our group lunch at Mercer Hall; three courses means lots of leftovers, including Thai noodles and carrot cake for breakfast! I also enjoyed lunch at Bluebird one day, where I had raw oysters, an heirloom tomato salad, and a delicious English dessert called posset, which is like a custard. Delicious!

These were my souvenirs (other than the ice wine I bought and drank while there!)

4. Exploring the chocolate trail!

Along with real food, I had many desserts outside of the hotel along the chocolate trail. For $35, you get six vouchers to spend at different sweets stores around town. I had already done my research, so I made sure to get the most bang for my buck! I tasted amazing truffles from Rheo Thompson Candies (including their fancy mint smoothie chocolates), picked up two retro candy bars from the Small-Mart, and ate a fudge sundae from Jenn and Larry's for lunch! And there was more! This was so much fun: every city should have its own dessert trail like this!

5. Going to a cat café

I had heard of cat cafés before and walked past the one in Georgetown several times, but I had never been to one before. I had some time to myself, so I stopped into Alley Cat Cat Café to pet some cute kitties for a half hour. Black cats get a bad rep, but I swear these were the cutest and most friendly of the bunch. They had more than ten (!) cats, but most of them were sleeping and seemed to get along okay with each other. I hope they get adopted soon!

6. Walking along Lake Victoria/the Avon River

The whole town of Stratford was designed after Stratford-upon-Avon in England, home of Shakespeare. So the manmade lake is called Lake Victoria, but it's also called the Avon River. It was so pleasant to walk along the water and see the weeping willows, mallards, Canada geese, and kayakers. We had such amazing weather (low 70's and sunny), so I wanted to spend as much time outside as possible. We also stopped by Art in the Park where many artists were selling their wares. I could only fit a small ornament in my bag, but I took business cards in case I want to have a custom piece sent to me!

This artwork is a fabric collage that was sewn together and then stretched onto canvas. So cool!

While I didn't like the storyline, the costumes from Dangerous Liaisons were amazing!

7. Experiencing the theatres

The whole point of the group trip was to see theatre. Most of our group went to a matinee and an evening show, so that's six shows in three days! I skipped the matinees so I could explore town, but I did see the plays at night. I saw Annie, Dangerous Liaisons, and Sense & Sensibility (and I only slept a little bit during each one!). But more than the shows, I really enjoyed the backstage tour we had at the Tom Patterson Theatre. It was renovated in 2020, so everything is very new. And it's an international building, featuring wood, stone, and other materials from all over the world. There are large windows along one side of the building closest to the water so you can see the natural views. The building is quite a masterpiece and designed specifically for the theatre, so that's really cool!

The cafe at the Tom Patterson Theatre looks like a fancy hotel lobby!

These are some of the headpieces for The Winter's Tale. 

Here are two videos about the Tom Patterson Theatre:

I took my photo with a cut-out of the dog featured in Annie. He looks pretty real!

This was such a fun trip! I would definitely go back, and I look forward to exploring more of Canada in the future. It's so underrated!

Recipe: Creamy Chicken & Zucchini Casserole

I bought several large zucchini thinking I would make zoodles, but then I came across this casserole recipe from Eating Well, and since I had all the other ingredients, I thought I would try it.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces 
• 3 teaspoons salt-free garlic-and-herb seasoning blend, divided
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped (5 cups)
• 1 tablespoon water plus ¼ cup, divided
• 6 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsalted chicken broth
• ½ cup whole milk
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• ½ cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and 1 teaspoon garlic-and-herb seasoning; cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through (165°F), about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Wipe the skillet clean. Add chopped zucchini, 1 tablespoon water and 1 teaspoon garlic-and-herb seasoning to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
2. Add chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon garlic-and-herb seasoning to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour; cook, whisking often, until the mixture smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Add ¾ cup broth, ½ cup milk and the remaining ¼ cup water; continue cooking, whisking often, until smooth and thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in 4 ounces cream cheese until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add ½ cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Pecorino, stirring until melted and smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Spread half of the cheese sauce in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Add the chicken and zucchini; top with the remaining cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Pecorino. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional pepper, if desired.

To make things easier/cleaner, I baked the chicken (I used thighs) in the air fryer, and once that was done, I put in the zucchini and cooked that in the air fryer, too. So much faster! I also use the diced garlic from a jar and whatever random spices I already had in the pantry. 

While the recipe doesn't use this word, I think the butter-flour-cheese mixture is called a "roux," and this was my first time making one. But it worked! It took a little while to thicken up, but once it did, I knew I was on the right track. And even though I forgot to pre-heat the oven until I was half-way through making the recipe, I simply cooked everything until the cheese on top started to brown. And that was just right!

I think the recipe smells better than it tastes. Coming out of the oven, it smells so good! But the taste is just okay. But this could be more about the spices I used (or lack thereof). It's still a pretty good (and easy!) recipe, so I'm still happy I made it. Anything with cream cheese in it is good in my book!

Lee Brice Concert

I was supposed to see Lee Brice in concert a few years ago in DC, but at the last minute he cancelled the show with no explanation. So when I got a chance to see him live, I had to get tickets!

You know I had to wear my cowgirl hat, cut-off jeans, bedazzled Betsy Johnson boots, and my Whiskey Girl T-shirt from Dark Corner Distillery, which I visited in 2018 (read that blog post here; the distillery is no longer there, so that's kinda sad!)

I had been to Baycare Sound before to see Brad Paisley in concert (read that blog post here), so I was already familiar with the venue and I had a game plan. First of all, I bought seats closer to the side than the center because we would be closer to the large fans; I also invested in a neck fan that did come in handy. My friend and I left early enough to beat rush hour, and we parked on the street I was familiar with for ONE dollar for the entire night! We had drinks and tacos at Prelude Sports Bar (great prices, poor service) before walking over just in time for the show to start. 

Lee's brother, Lewis Brice, was the first opener. He was good (certainly better than Sting's son; read that blog post here), but doesn't compare to his older brother. Here are some of his songs:

Blessed (He feels extra-blessed now that he has a 16-month-old baby.)

Product Of

She Loves My Country (This song is to the tune of Puddle of Mudd's "She Hates Me" song, so when I heard the first few chords, I thought, "He's not going to sing that song!" And he didn't; he made a country version!)

I LOVED her outfit!

Next up was Ashley Cooke. I didn't know who she was until she played the last song, "Your Place." I've heard that song on the radio, and I love it! She commented that songwriting is her favorite, and she likes to be clever with the lyrics, and that song is the epitome of just that. Here are some of the other songs she performed:

Back in the Saddle

It's Been a Year (She dedicated this song to a friend of hers who passed away who was from Sarasota, FL.)

See You Around

The F Word (It's not what you think!)

And finally it was time to see Lee Brice! My friend looked at the set list, and he was planning to sing some of his very best songs, so I was so pumped. His show did not disappoint! And this was actually the kick-off show to his What You Know About That tour; I guess that song is so new that it's not even on YouTube yet!

Hard to Love (I remember when this song came out in 2012!)

Soul

One of Them Girls (Great encore song! I remember this song coming out during the pandemic.)

Rumor (such a cute, romantic song!)

I Don't Dance

Memory I Don't Mess With

Drinking Class (He wore a hat that said UPPER MIDDLE CLASS WHITE TRASH lol)

I Drive Your Truck (This is my favorite song of his. I cry every time I hear it. I also remember the first time I heard it in 2012. So moving.)

I Hope You're Happy Now (He sang this with Ashley Cooke, which was great!)

Woman Like You (He did NOT play this song, but I love it, so I had to include it in this list!)

SUCH a great concert! I'm so glad I finally got to see him live. I feel like the other country singers I still need to see perform are Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood (even better if they're together!), and Luke Combs. AND I would love to see Rascal Flatts when they come to town in February, but I'm not sure if that'll happen. We'll see!

Recipe: Rum Cake

We met a woman who makes AMAZING rum cakes down here in Florida. She only makes them for friends on special occasions; she doesn't sell them at farmers markets or anything like that. She inspired me to make one myself, even if it wasn't fully from scratch. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com, and it sounded like something I could do.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 (15.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup dark rum
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

Glaze:

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• ⅛ cup water
• ¼ cup rum

Directions

To make the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.
3. Sprinkle walnuts over the bottom of the prepared pan; set aside.
4. Mix cake mix, eggs, dark rum, water, oil, and vanilla pudding mix together in a large bowl until well combined. Pour batter over walnuts in the pan.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
6. Cool, then invert cake onto a serving plate. Gently prick holes into the top and sides of cake with a toothpick or skewer.

To make the glaze:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir sugar and water into melted butter; bring to a boil.
2. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove glaze from heat; stir in rum.
3. Drizzle warm glaze over top and sides of cake.

I actually made this cake to bring to a friend's house for book club. While she's the only one who is vegan, she does host the gathering at her place every time, so I feel it's only right to bring something she can eat. There are many different substitutes for eggs in baking: applesauce, bananas, even seltzer water. Since this recipe called for four eggs, I thought it would be best to use a mixture of all those options instead of leaning in for just one of them (otherwise the cake would have been REALLY apple-y or banana-y!). So I used a quarter-cup of mashed banana, a quarter-cup of apple sauce, and a half-cup of seltzer water.

I didn't bother with the nuts, since some people are allergic or simply don't like nuts in desserts. I knew this wouldn't really impact the recipe anyway. But what I did forget was the vanilla pudding packet: I didn't have any! I read online that a pudding substitute can be a cornstarch slurry made with water and added flavoring. So I did that with vanilla extract. That was the last ingredient I added to the mixture, and I noted how wet the batter was. But I did replace two of the eggs with seltzer water, so I don't think the slurry was the culprit. 

And I wasn't sure what to use instead of butter for the glaze. The idea of a rum cake is that the glaze soaks into the cake to deepen the rum flavor. But instead, I made a rum-flavored icing (as opposed to a glaze) with just powdered sugar and Pusser's. I've certainly drizzled icing over bundt cakes before, so this change wasn't totally out of left field. But it was STRONG. If you took just a spoonful of icing, you almost felt like you were taking a shot!

Because of all these changes, I feel like I definitely have to try making the original recipe. But I will say the vegan version was delicious! It was so moist, and because there was only a little bit of icing on each piece, the rum effect wasn't too strong. My friends LOVED the cake, and they might have even liked the icing more! We joked that I have to bring the cake to every book club meeting, as well as little cups of icing for each person so they can just eat it on its own. So this recipe is a real WINNER!

UPDATE: I did make the regular version of the recipe (still skipping the nuts), and I actually think the vegan version is better! Yes, the true recipe rose much higher in the oven and is lighter/fluffier. But it's not as moist or flavorful. And the glaze is SO messy. A full stick of butter is way too much. Only some of it goes in the cake; the rest of it spilled everywhere. I would NOT recommend making the glaze, but instead doing the icing like I did the first time.