Surprise visit back to Canada

I love it when a plan comes together... :)

Lee and I arrived back in the UK this morning after a whirlwind week-long trip back to Canada. The goal of the trip was to surprise my Dad on his (rather significant) birthday. The look on his face when he found us hiding in the backyard was priceless and certainly worth the 8-hour flight.



We were able to surprise him again a few days later when we took him to the Twisted Fork restaurant in Oakville under the ruse of a normal family birthday dinner. Thirty or so of my Dad's friends and colleagues were waiting for us - all wearing a wide range of funny aprons. The restaurant was ours for the entire night and the theme was Carribbean, so the food included curried chicken, baked sweet potatoes, fried plantains, rice and beans, cuban bread, and key lime pie.

After a short session on knife and general kitchen safety, my Dad was asked to draw names to create small groups that would be responsible for cooking a specific part of the meal. This was a great way for guests to meet and mingle.



The staff were incredibly helpful and patient, guiding us through each aspect of the menu. I was part of the 'rice and beans' team and attempted to stir the onions by flipping the pan like the professionals do. I realized that I have very weak wrists and had to resort to asking for a wooden spoon.

The baked sweet potatoes were delicious but peeling several dozen gave my sister a serious hand cramp!



Lee and my aunt were on plantain duty.



The coleslaw team.



We had such a good time celebrating my Dad and the food was incredible!



While we were home we also managed to pop into Toronto where the TIFF had just started. We both wanted to see some movie stars but after only seeing Eric McCormack walking down Bloor street, I consoled myself with some street meat (a hotdog) outside of the Royal Ontario Museum. Classy, I know.



We're now back home and back to reality. I have to defend my first year dissertation on Thursday, so had better get cracking on my preparation. Thank goodness I have a lot of tasty goodies from Canada to keep me motivated!



(The pumpkin is impossible to get in the UK and is a must for Thanksgiving! I certainly wouldn't classify the baking soda as a treat but as it is so much cheaper than over here and is available in much greater quantities, I thought I would stock up.)