Woman in Real Life

Now that spring has truly arrived, I am looking forward to spending more time exploring some of Toronto's lovely, artsy neighbourhoods.

Last weekend, we hung out with my husband's cousin in The Junction, an "up and coming" area of the city that sits near the junction of four railway lines. Regular readers will know that I was drawn to the area by a desire to go to Bunner's vegan and gluten-free bakeshop. My travels are often inspired by food in some way. If we are going on a trip, I will google vegetarian restaurants before I even look for flights or hotels. I'm greedy like that.

Happy Friday! I hope you are looking forward to a fun-filled weekend, light on laundry duties.

My husband is playing in a volleyball tournament tonight with other teachers, which means he will likely spend tomorrow complaining of sore muscles (and possibly bones). Once you reach a certain age, sports don't come easy. But hey, he's trying. My son has a soccer game tomorrow afternoon. At the age of 10, I'm sure he'll recover nicely. The most exercise I will get is cleaning a bathroom floor by hand or passing laundry from washer to dryer.

It's Friday and time for a look back at the week using simple cell phone photos. Follow me on Instagram if you like (@ziajojo).

I think we have had all four seasons of weather in the last week or so. We had snow just last Thursday. Then, last Friday, we had icy rain.

I actually have my own cell phone. With a real plan!

I have had cell phones before, but they were pay-as-you-go and I used them basically for emergencies.

No data plan yet, though. Don't get crazy now.

A new cell phone means more photos for Insta-Friday...which is all about capturing simple moments from your week via your cell phone cam.

It's What I Ate Wednesday! I am sharing a look at some foods that my family and I have enjoyed over the past week.

I am continuing to have fun trying new, simple recipes. I don't go for anything too complex. If I do, I get hot and irritated by the time I put the food on the table. And that's no fun for anyone.

One night, I paired an old favourite, Tina's delicious lentils and rice, with a new recipe for rapini with rotini. The lentils and rice recipe is great for parties because it makes a lot. When I am cooking it for my family of four, I often have trouble. You can cut the recipe in half, but NOT the water amount. So, this time I tried six cups of water, and it worked out great.