Lady Grey's Sneaky Cheats Lasagna

Ok, so this isn't really lasagna at all... but it certainly tastes incredible!

There are no noodles in this lasagna. Instead it's made from stale bread.

I've been making a lot bread machine bread lately, and we never seem to be able to finish the loaf before it goes stale.

Enter my cheats lasagna...

All you do is place a layer of stale bread at the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover with a thick layer of tomato sauce and top with a mixture of cheddar and parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes until the cheese starts to brown & bubble.

I'm telling you, this is delicious!

You can get real creative and make layers, add pan-fried mushrooms or meat if you like. 

The world is your oyster ; )

Rainy Days - Moody Music

It's been raining for days but I don't mind... it kind of suits my mood.

I worked overnight last night and now I'm lazing around the house somewhere between awake and asleep, watching the rain run down the windowpane. 

Oh and I can't get enough of this song

 (thanks, Yasmeen, for the recommendation)

It also seems to suit my mood today.

Have a listen... it really grows on you.

Picking arctic blueberries and making a wild blueberry pie!

It's berry season here in the north, and wild blueberries are growing everywhere. They don't grow as big or quite as sweet as they do in the sunny south, but the fact that they grow at all in these harsh conditions is a miracle to me. 

Yesterday the husband and I spent a few hours gathering berries, and last night I made a pie. It was a great reward for all our back-bending hard work (arctic berries grow really low to the ground).

It was the first time I've ever made a lattice top pie crust. It's certainly a labour of love, but since we had picked and washed every single berry by hand, this pie deserved a proper top!

It turned out amazingly, and tasted Deee-licious!

Read on for the recipe....

Just a little bit in love with Florence Welch

Honestly. I'm completely smitten with her. She has a new album coming out November 7th and I'm so excited. The first single, What The Water Gave Me, is out and it's everything I hoped for... moody, dramatic, romantic, tortured... I just can't get enough of her incredible voice.

Have a listen....

The Goal.

"The goal is to cultivate in our hearts the concern a dedicated mother feels for her child,

and then focus it on more and more people and living beings.

This is a heartfelt, powerful love.

Such feelings give us a true understanding of human rights

that is not grounded just in legal terms,

but rooted deeply in the heart."

~ The Dalai Lama

(via Elephant Journal)

Josee & Jon's Elegant Toronto Wedding

  On Saturday we celebrated the marriage of two dear friends of ours, and it was such a beautiful wedding! 

The wedding was held in an art gallery in Toronto's distillery district, which made for a very unique and modern backdrop.

One of my favourite details at this wedding was the flowers - the tables were covered with all sorts of vases and mason jars holding mostly single blooms and succulents. It was a gorgeous change from the traditional centerpiece.

 The food was amazing too... especially the dessert trio (much better than any wedding cake I've ever tasted!)

Oh and the champagne came with candied hibiscus flowers in them... so pretty!

All in all it was an incredibly stylish event, and I wish that I'd taken more pictures, but I was too busy enjoying myself : )

Congratulations again, Josee & Jon, you make such a beautiful couple.

oxo

Lady Grey's Picks for Fall

Fall is such a wonderful time of year in the fashion world.
During my week off in Montreal I did quite a bit of window shopping (and quite a bit of actual shopping too).
 Here are a few of the things I've fallen in love with this season.....

 Club Monaco's Nadine skirt (I love those leather pockets!)

A long Miss Ellie sweater from Toronto company Preloved. 

Each piece is unique and made from repurposed vintage fabrics. These are not your average frumpy wool sweaters, they're a bit stretchy and fit gorgeously.

(available at Holt Renfrew)

A pair of dark brown riding boots, like these Frye Dorado boots

or these over the knee boots from Roots Canada

An affordable and flattering stretchy sweater dress from T by Alexander Wang

 

and finally the Missoni collection for Target (Missoni for Target)

I could go on and on, but I'll stop there.
; )

Summer's not quite over yet!

Oh it's so good to be home! I've had a wonderful few days in Montreal, but the best moments have been out in the country... 

We went hiking in Sutton last weekend with these guys, and it was just beautiful! Summer may be coming to an end, but it certainly didn't feel that way deep in the forest or out by the lake.

We spent a few days in the Eastern Townships where my parents live. It is such a gorgeous area to explore. We love going around wine tasting at the local vineyards, berry picking, and sampling all the freshly harvested produce. 

Have you ever tasted corn that was freshly picked the same day? Once you do, you can never go back!

 My parents garden is exploding with abundance. I think I ate about a million toasted tomato sandwiches!

It's funny that I have so many different places that I call "home" right now. My current home up north in Chisasibi feels like home. Montreal certainly still feels like home. But then there's the country... it's where I grew up, where I feel at peace and deeply connected... I guess that will always be home to me too. 

Is there a limit to how many places you can call home, because I think I may be exceeding it!

I hope you're having a wonderful week.

oxo

KAZU Montreal - Definitely worth the wait!

Kazu is a small, unassuming Japanese restaurant in downtown Montreal.

 It opened about a year and a half ago, and I can't believe it has taken me this long to actually try it. 

This restaurant is crazy good!

We've attempted to go a few times before, but we were always put off by the ever-present long line in front. But let me tell you, it's definitely worth the wait. 

Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera, so I only have iphone photos to share with you.

The restaurant is tiny, but very charming. The smiling, bubbly Japanese waitresses definitely add to the charm. The food tasted incredible, unlike anything I've ever had before, and it was completely affordable too. I highly recommend either the tuna & salmon bowl or the shrimp burger. And definitely don't go home without tasting their homemade earl grey tea ice cream... Delicious!

I'm already planning when I can go back for more : )

Beautiful Kate's Beautiful Wedding

Of course Kate Moss's wedding was breathtakingly beautiful (would you expect any less?). I love that she had teepees set up for the kids to play in. Adorable.

photos via vogue.com

New Music: Feist

I'm very excited for the release of Feist's new album, Metals, on October 4th. I loved her first two albums, so I have high hopes for this one too.

Feist is an incredibly talented artist. She's original, always inspiring, and I can't wait to hear more. 

Here's the first single....

How Come You Never Go There by Feist

Homeward Bound

Today I'll be leaving this far away place and heading home for a week's vacation in my favourite city in the whole world... MTL.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

oxo

Little Bits of Cree Culture

I thought I'd share a few pictures of what traditional Cree culture is like. Many traditional activities have  been lost, but there are great efforts in bringing them back. 

 There have been a few festivals going on this summer and it was so interesting to see these little glimpses of Cree ways of life...

Like what really goes on inside a teepee.... 

Cooking!

All the women sit around preparing the animals, chatting away while roasting the meat and fish for dinner. 

The floor of the teepee is covered in fresh cedar boughs, so not only is it comfy but it smells incredible too.

We tasted fried bannock with wild blueberry jam... which is pretty much the Cree equivalent to a doughnut. It was delicious!

The elder men sat in a circle carving traditional wooden crafts. The husband bought me a little canoe that I fell in love with.

We saw a little more wildlife... a gigantic porcupine. Aren't his little padded feet adorable?!

Hunting is definitely a huge part of the culture up here... a part that has in no way been lost. There was a little target shooting competition at one of the festivals and I was told that I should learn to shoot a rifle. Although I have no intention of taking up hunting, I must admit it was pretty fun! My arm hurt for 3 days afterwards.

And lots and lots of singing and dancing....

Well that's it for now. We've been up here for a little over a month now and next week we have our first vacation (we get a lot of vacation for working in such a remote area).... and we're heading back to Montreal. I absolutely cannot wait! I do love it up here, but Montreal will always have my heart.