Tag: Mr. Michie (page 6 of 20)

Pizza Pilgrims

Jennifer Michie Pizza Pilgrims 1

Jennifer Michie Pizza Pilgrims 2

Jennifer Michie Pizza Pilgrims 3

We headed into the city this weekend to run a few errands and decided to grab an early dinner at Pizza Pilgrims. I have been following their story for awhile now and had been dying to taste their pizza. Their restaurant is situated in Kingly Court, where CandyCakes used to be.

I had the “Filetti” (a white pizza), Mr. Michie had the “Salsiccia e Friarielli” (a white pizza with fresh fennel sausage, chilli and wild broccoli). We split a scoop of vanilla gelato for dessert. 

I have to say, and Mr. Michie would agree, that this is hands down the best pizza we have ever had in England. It tasted like I was back in Italy – it was that delicioso!

If you’re in London and looking for a great pizza, fun atmosphere, friendly staff, good beer and ice cream to die for then I would suggest you check this place out!

“M&M” Date Night #1

The Goonies Poster 1985

As I mentioned in my previous post, this weekend, we decided to try a new Date Night plan of action: “M&M Date Night”. The M&M equals “Movie and Menu”. We want to try and do this at least twice a month and simply put, we plan to create a menu around a movie.

We started off the first of many “M&M” date nights with a childhood favourite, a classic really: The Goonies. We decided to go with homemade pizza and ice cream since that is one of Chunk’s favourite things to eat! The party lights were on and candles were lit.

Jennifer Michie Party Lights

While I was busy making pizza dough (I used my go-to recipe from Annie’s Eats, although I have made a few tweaks of my own to it), Mr. Michie found a “Which Goonies Character Are You?” quiz and we took that. I got Mikey:

You Got Mikey

He got Sloth:

You Got Sloth

I’m not sure what that says about us? We went with Italian sausage, mushroom and feta as our pizza toppings. Although Mr. Michie was sans mushrooms and just ate a manly carnivore pizza. It totally hit the spot and for dessert, we made ice cream sundaes with caramel sauce, chopped pecans, marshmallow fluff, whipped cream and cherries all piled high. It was a really fun way to spend a date night and we plan to do many many more!

Jennifer Michie Goonies Pizza

So, here’s to date night, long may it last! GOONIES, NEVER SAY DIE!!!!!

Out of Commission

Vintage Photo Sleeping

Since this time last week, I have been pretty much out of commission! I got a terrible bug and it zapped all of my energy right along with it! I did attempt to go into work on Wednesday. I stayed about two hours and then had to leave, I came home and slept the afternoon away.

This weekend, I finally started to feel like myself again. We stayed in the cottage this weekend and Mr. Michie and I decided to try a new “Date Night” scheme. In the run-up to Valentine’s, I had read a “Valentine’s Day Menus” post on Shutterbean. In the article, she mentions pairing menus with particular movies. This is something we have done before, but we decided that we would start to make a game out of it and attempt to do it at least twice a month.

Last night was our first “M&M Date Night”. The M&M = Movie & Menu. It was a success, we kept it simple, since I was still on the mend. I’ll share more tomorrow, but for now, I just wanted to say, “Hello!”. I’ve missed coming to this space and I’m happy to be back in action.

{Image found HERE}

The Lion Dance

Jennifer Michie Lion Dance 1

Chinatown is an area I criss-cross through often when I’m traveling here and there in London. Yesterday, while going to pick up a goat good luck charm for the Chinese New Year, we happened upon the lion dance.

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This is one of my favourite things to see! Every year, usually by chance, we come across this tradition being performed. There are two performers inside of the costume (which is how you know it is a lion and not a dragon dance) and they go from door to door performing “cai qing” which translates to, “plucking the greens”. The lion dances around the doorway where the greens are hung, moving cat like backwards and forwards, or bending low as if hunting prey and slowly works his way up to pulling the greens down.

Occasionally we’ve seen a shop put out oranges on a small table to which the lion happily gobbles up. Yesterday one store on the second floor placed their greens, tied to a stick, out through the window. The acrobatic team worked with each other, standing on shoulders and stretching the lion’s neck, they plucked the greens from the second story window, to the delight of all of us below. There was a lot of cheering.

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As we headed out through the gates, the Hippodrome Casino was handing out fortune cookies to advertise their business. Unfortunately, the fortune inside wasn’t a fortune, but was another form of advertisement for a big gaming event. But, Mr. Michie didn’t know that, he only saw the side written in Mandarin.

I told him it was I good thing that I could read Mandarin, to which he just stopped and looked at me with raised eyebrows. With a smile, he asked me what the fortune said, to which I replied that it said: “Help! Help! I’m trapped in a fortune cookie factory!” to which we both busted out laughing.

That is a very old joke, but it never gets old! When we were little and would go out for Chinese food with my grandparents and it came time for the fortune cookies to be passed out, we would go around the table and everyone would read their fortune. My Grandpa, would always say:, “Oh, No! You’ll never believe this, my fortune says: Help! Help! I’m trapped in a fortune cookie factory!” to which everyone around the table would bust out laughing and there would be a short pause while my sister and I puzzled this one out for a second! He was a great teaser!

Oh, to be little again! I’m happy that we had the good fortune to see the lion dance again this year, it is always magical to share in this experience.

Jennifer Michie Lion Dance 6

Christmas in Denmark

Jennifer Michie Copenhagen 1

It’s only February, I’m not too late to share this post with you, right? Well, I hope not, life is just whizzing by me at the moment and I have yet to manage to get this post finished and out. So, I’m crossing it off of my To-Do list and sharing my love of Copenhagen with you, because after recent events, Copenhagen needs all the love we can give it.

I’m sure you guessed from some of my previous photographs over the month of December and my opening statement, that we in fact, spent Christmas in Copenhagen.It was BEAUTIFUL! It snowed on Christmas day and little bits here and there after that. It was frosty, there were paper stars lit and hanging in everyone’s windows, Christmas trees twinkling in front of apartment buildings and shops. It was magical.

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We walked and walked and walked and discovered and explored some areas we had not been to previously. We visited Tivoli and their magical Alpine Christmas market. It was even more dazzling as it had snowed the day before and fresh snow blanketed everything in sight. All of the Christmas Market shops were set up in little chalets and on the back of them a bird house was attached with silhouettes of birds and hearts and stars. These “bird houses” were the boxes that housed the smoke machine that would send smoke plumming out of the chimneys on the little shingled roofs like a real house. It was very cozy, indeed!

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There were Christmas trees lit around the Alpine Christmas village. The lights twinkling out from the snow laden branches. We stopped at Andersons to taste the famous pork sandwich that they only serve during this festive season and of course we picked up some mandelhorns for dessert! We saw the water and light show in the lake, scored to The Nutcracker and picked up a few surprises for family and friends.

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When we felt too cold we would grab a hot chocolate or find a coal pit they had set out in various places of the park to stand with others and warm our hands. We finished our evening with a strawberry jam and sugar crepe from a charming little stall and sat in a sleigh to eat it, very romantic! Oh, these are the things that dreams are made of!

We visited the Louisiana Museum again and I got to walk in The Riverbed! I made it! It was also a red letter day because I finally got to see a Louise Bourgeois spider in person, it has become a running joke with us, as every time I have had the opportunity to see one in person we have missed it for one reason or another.

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I love museums but I do have a few favorites and the Louisiana is in the top 10! Of course looking at all this gorgeous artwork builds up an appetite and we needed to stop for a snack! I chose this amazing looking apple roulade. Needless to say, I ate every single bite!

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The Louisiana at night:

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We made a few more discoveries this time, playing get lost and winding through beautiful neighborhoods and shopping districts. We feasted on delicious food and went to Emmery’s for hot coffee and fresh chocolate cinnamon buns for breakfast. We watched the snow softly fall while we sat bundled up on the couches, with the view of the river stretched out before our floor to ceiling windows. The riverboats going by were strewn with lights and one of the water buses even had a little tree perched on the back of the boat.

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I think that Denmark is a land of dreams. It is a place I could quite happily pick up and move to without a second thought. As soon as I leave, I long to return. Hopefully it won’t be too long as I hear those streets calling my name.

This was our view as we were packing up to leave:

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Of course when checking out, you have to write your name on the wall:

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Somehow a stowaway managed to get into our luggage. We found this little nisse bundled up in our bed!

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Our Valentine’s Day

Jennifer Michie Valentine's 1

Well we had a few plans up our sleeves for Valentine’s Day, but ended up just taking the day as it came! It was wonderful! If we got to do something, then we felt it was meant to be, if not, then it wasn’t the Valentine’s we were supposed to have.

First stop, The Prince Charles Cinema, where we just managed to get tickets to see Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It was almost sold-out when we got there. You got a free drink with your ticket. We opted for Coke to go with our popcorn. A lot of people had dressed up in their best 1960’s/Audrey Hepburn attire, it was adorable!

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A walk through Soho, looking at the lanterns strung along the streets for Chinese New Year.

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Dinner at Kua’ Aina, a Hawaiian North Shore treasure since 1975, they have opened two branches in London and we decided to try the Carnaby St. location last night. They serve a selection of Kona Brewing Co. beer and we are big fans, so that was a treat as well. Nothing like the sweet taste of grilled pineapple to make you a happy camper!

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It was a nice day, no pressure, no rushing around, just breathing in each other and the world around us.

New Hair, Hot Soup and Party Lights!

Jennifer Michie Wonton Soup

Yesterday, I pampered myself to a hair cut, mani and pedi.  I work hard for my money and I think that everyone has the right to treat themselves once in awhile.

I have been through a ton of hairdressers since living here and I have finally found the right one! And it isn’t just the hairdresser, it’s the atmosphere as well. My hair salon of choice in London is the Aveda Spa in Covent Garden. I have been going there for over a year now and I always walk away happy. It is an oasis of serenity.

I hadn’t had my hair cut since the beginning of December. Between my work schedule, weekends being pretty busy and my lovely hair stylist being fully booked, it meant I had to wait ’till this Saturday. But it was well worth the wait! I got a lot of hair chopped off and I LOVE IT! I had numerous compliments; one by a complete stranger that passed me on the street, which made my day!

To celebrate the weekend and a new haircut, Mr. Michie took me out on a date. It was so very cold yesterday and all I wanted was some soup, so off to Cha Cha Moon we went. I had a delicious, warming bowl of wonton soup and a glass of their lemon iced tea. Heaven!!

We spent today, re-organizing all the Christmas decorations. I ordered some storage bags and they arrived this week, so we went to work. It was another downsizing exercise, just keeping what we need and donating the rest to charity. The house has been thoroughly Spring cleaned. It was a lot of work, but it was well worth it. I’ve put out a few of my Copenhagen surprises and a set of very happy party lights are now adorning the mantle.

One bag of unsorted items remains, but it will have to wait until next weekend. It holds the key ingredients to three separate packages that I plan to mail home. Still, I’ve accomplished a lot, so now I’m sitting back with a glass of wine, next to Mr. Michie, staring at our new lights. Here’s to weekends!!

Flowers

Jennifer Michie Yellow Rose

Mr. Michie brought home a bunch of yellow roses for me this past weekend as a surprise. They are just starting to open. Happiness is…

The First of the Month

Smile Katie Daisy

A pot roast is slowly cooking away in the crock pot this morning. Butter is softening for chocolate chip cookies. We had heart shaped crumpets and a strawberry and yellow plum fruit salad with vanilla sugar for breakfast. Laundry is whirring away in the machine and the wind is making the windows rattle. We are moving slowly, quietly. Snow was supposed to come in the wee hours of the morning, but it didn’t materialize. I don’t think I will ever get my snow day.

I can’t believe that today is the 1st of February! How did we get here? What happened to January? I still haven’t told you about Copenhagen, it’s still on my To-Do list, I’ll get there I promise! Work, just seems to be always in the way.

Today we are going to try and work on organising a few things, in between baking cookies and Mr. Michie grading papers and doing some school related jobs. There are piles everywhere it seems and I feel it is important for our home to be an oasis from the outside world. I don’t always feel I can relax with piles jumping out at me.

I’m also going to mentally prepare for the onslaught of the week. I’m tired of rude people on trains and tubes and platforms and streets. Why can’t everyone just be polite? Kindness is not a lot to ask for. Manners are not a lot to ask for. Manners will get you far in life, don’t ever think they won’t! Just be NICE!

I hope you are having a lovely Sunday, wherever you may be today.

{Image: Katie Daisy}

It’s Only Tuesday

Vintage Photo 1964

Well, yesterday I never managed to catch my breath, today felt the same. I’m running on my little hamster wheel and I’m trying to make a leap for freedom.

Mr. Michie texted me this morning to ask if I put the shirt he wore last night to his meeting in the washing machine. I replied with a yes, only to learn he left a pen in his pocket and that was the one shirt, I forgot to check this morning in my bleary-eyed state of doing laundry at 6am. Well, the laundry gods were smiling on us, as it didn’t ruin anything and now Mr. Michie has a very clean pen.

The weeks seem to be getting longer at the moment and the weekends are getting shorter. And it’s only Tuesday. How can that be? So much happened yesterday I was sure when I got up this morning that we were farther along in the week.

Oh, well. Onwards and upwards, right? Right!