Dr. Calvin!!

Today I had my teeth cleaned by Calvin at Roseman University in South Jordan, Utah. It was really cool to see him in action:) And he did a great job, he was gentle and open to my feedback haha! My teeth feel so clean. I love that after dentist clean feeling. Who's with me?  

There's a pretty nice view from his chair:

So anybody in Utah looking for super affordable dental care : you should set up an appt with him! (all procedures are 50% cheaper or more through the school than a regular dentist) Check it out: http://rosemandental.com/ ! 

Book Review: "Tolstoy and the Purple Chair- My Year of Magical Reading" by Nina Sankovitch

I enjoyed this book- though it read more like a blog to me, which shouldn't be a surprise since it began as a blog. It is a memoir of a woman who spent a year reading a book every single day in an attempt to deal with the grief she felt after her sister's death. She is a passionate reader and believer in the healing power of literature. 

Some highlights for me include the story below about a young Ukrainian girl and her pure love for her mother, the most beautiful woman in the world...( P 8)

Here are some quotes that stood out to me:

...from a magazine on how to choose a book to read: "be serious, earnest, sincere in your choice of books, and then put your trust in Providence and read with an easy mind." (P 161)

This quote is in response to being told that nothing in the world matters except Love: "a banking account, sound teeth, and adequate servants matter a great deal more." (P 130- quote is from the Provincial Lady in London by E.M. Delafield)

A quote I liked from page191: 

" I realized it was my decision whether I would interpret the ending as unjust and unsatisfactory and suffer because of it or decided that this, and only this, was the fitting ending." (Taken from Self's Murder by Bernard Schlink) 

And a final quote from Tolstoy himself, "the sole meaning of life is to serve humanity." 

All in all- a satisfying and inspiring read. It has added to my list of books I want to read- the top of that list is "the Forged Coupon" by Leo Tolstoy

The author has a website called: ReadAllDay.org if you are curious about her voracious reading!

French apple tart with an infant by your side

A few nights ago I was hosting a book club social and decided to make this recipe I saw on A Cup of Jo. 

First things first: I poured myself a nice cold glass of diet Pepsi with cherry (even though I hate pop!!) because I'm exhausted from getting up with a baby all night:)

Next: I got excited to try my new scale that Calvin's brother gave us for Christmas last year. It made me feel extra French to not have to Google how much flour, in cups, the recipe called for.

Making pastry always reminds me of my days working at Savary Island Pie Company in West  Van.  My best advice for people intimidated by making pastry is- do not fear the pastry! Believe in it- don't over mix it and get excited for how much better it tastes than store bought crusts. But don't be too good for store bought crusts if you're in a rush:) 

I skipped chilling the dough because who has time for that? It might be better chilled but I'll never know the difference.

Let baby boy try some apple while you work:)

Arrange the apples.

I felt very righteous seeing my tools washed and drying while the tart baked so I had to take a photo.

Pulled it out before burning the top too badly. Broiling is SO tough, especially when baby boy gets sad. But still- I think it's a very pretty dessert and with only 3 Tablespoons of sugar in the recipe, it's really not too sweet. 

I also baked a little tart with the leftover pastry and apples so Calvin and I could have some before guests arrived. Sorry these next two photos are blurry:)

I bet you could substitute any in season fruit in this recipe and have a very elegant looking dessert. Was fun to test it out! Plums would be really nice and tart. 

Currently reading...

These two books in conjunction:

Ha ha ha! And Calvin is teasing me, just a little bit. But seriously, I've never felt more motivated to not procrastinate while simultaneously feeling less bad about the procrastinating I've done in the past. I recommend this combo for any fellow procrastinators out there. 

"Tolstoy and the purple chair" by Nina Sankovitch

Been reading and thumbing through this book since I picked it up at the library yesterday. The last sentence of this quote  really struck me. I love dramatic descriptions like this! 

Gus wears shoes!

Movies to watch when you feel a little blue if you're...me. Or a list of movies I like so I can stop asking Calvin to remind me what I like.

Begin Again

Admission

A Room With a View

Adaptation

Moonstruck

Groundhog's Day

Friends with Money (NOT Friends with Benefits)

Paris Je T'aime

Happy Go Lucky

Another Year

Enough Said

Not listing movies to not watch after you have a baby because you'll cry imagining the evil character's as once being someone's baby because I'm gonna keep this blog all about the pos!