That fateful day a friend posted this on my facebook wall, and it helped me to shift my perspective. “Jennifer, when my daughter was born on my birthday I knew it meant we were forever bound together with the most sacred of ties. I believe it works the same this way around. So special what you two have.” So with that, I postponed my birthday to today, and signed up for Toastmasters (which I had been putting off) as my birthday gift to myself. I then gave myself to room to grieve.

A week later I have begun to realize that what I really got was the best present in the world. I struggle sometimes with nerves and anxiety and Ron knew a great deal about my troubles. What he gave me with his passing was a more developed understanding about friendship and love, and the realization that I am about a million times stronger than I thought I was. I thank him.

Here is the eulogy I wrote in his memory.

Ron and I met on Church street in 2003 or so. He withmore hair, day-glo red, and mine asymmetrical, short and black. We talked a bit, hung out some and split a cigarette here and there between classes at Ryerson University’s School of Image Arts New Media. Ron was friendly, we both had eyebrow piercings and light eyes. We both lived on or near Church, and for some strange reason we had a connection. Fast forward a couple of years to early 2008 when me and my failed relationship were returning to Canada after a stint in Asia. Anticipating a three day stop-over in Vancouver, I put a note on Facebook hinting for a place to stay while we were there. Ron volunteered some room in his Granville Island apartment, and a pick-up at the airport. Ron was the first familiar face I had seen in a very long time and he was a remarkable host. He shuttled us around Vancouver, fed us Starbucks and brunch (which is SO not a thing in Asia) and insisted on showing me all of the sites even though my jet-legged self was passing out without notice at any given time. After 72 hours (and an unforgettable incident in Gastown with two rats) , Ron brought us back to catch our flight back to Toronto, when I promised I would make it up to him any way I could.

When he returned to the city, I got him a job interview at Canwest and promised that I would him help fit in. He got the job, got promoted above me (for a bit), met my friends, spent endless days ordering my Starbucks drinks for me (I get so confused!) and spending most New Years eves with me. He was there the second time I ever saw Joey (who is now my fiancee) and assured me that he was a great guy, even when I had doubt. He helped me through friendships ending, family illnesses and mountains of my day-to-day dramas. Ron was possibly the most patient ad loyal person that I have ever met.

To Ron. Aka Ronnie, Aka Ron Ron Juice.

I will never again get to tease you about sharing Justin Timberlake’s birthday, eating salmon every single day (ad nauseum), wearing those ridiculously eccentric tees, being the most obsessive Apple fanboy, or using the word “Sherpa” wherever possible. I will forever appreciate that you would always bring a nice bottle of Californian Cab Sauv even though you barely drank. I will miss your nookie cookies, quinoa bites or the pies you would remember to pick up even though I forgot to even think about dessert.

You tried to get me to like “Girls”, tried to get me to explain to you the fascination with females and “makeup” and you constantly bombarded me with projects on Kickstarter. You sent me an appropriate quote from 30 Rock to solve any of my many problems, fixing my phone/computer/television and introduced me to VeryMaryKate. You were constantly dealing with my many quirks – going out of your way to use biodegradable containers, taking long flights of stairs when I wanted to avoid elevators and taking marathon street-car rides when the subway was just too much. You were constantly pushing me to come to San Francisco or NYC with you and now I really wish I had.

Even though you were a volcano, and super nosey, and you would pick on me in the way that only a loving brother could, I miss you dearly.

To the startups we would form (No NDA). To the glassware we would never ending up making from beer bottles, to the doomsday you never had to prepare for and the 17 cookies from the 16 cookie batch. From now on I will hold plank-offs, and buy trendy hats, and push people to be their best. I promise.

May heaven have loft-like ceilings, high thread count sheets, Indian buffet, Hendrick’s gin, custom suits, quiet time, retina display and all of the Salad King noodle dishes you can handle.

Love forever, from now until “space.” Your modern girl, your basket case, your twinsie metal rooster with the selfies.

My GBFF forever, xoxo

Jennifer.

R.I.P. Ronald Wilson Mason January 17th 1981 – March 27th 2013

So back in 2006 or so, MySpace was in its hey dey and the movie the Secret had just come out. This was huge news in the Personal Development industry. I had always been into public speaking, and listening to great orators. Bob Proctor and my paternal grandmother knew each other. Needless to say, I was in to many of the people featured in the Secret, so I got myself a copy.

Fast forward a bit, and I began finding some of these people online, on MySpace to be precise. Even then I understood the power of social media, and I offered them my design services. Generally, no one knew how to create custom-designed Myspaces at that point (not professional looking ones) and I could.  I could do it well. I mean, the Personal Development industry was (and still is) all about glam shots from 10 years ago and bevel & emboss. So why do it? Well, I really wanted to be more involved in something I was interested in, plus I was FRESH out of design school and eager to make a name for myself.

A short while later I was contacted by a Hollywood production company that claimed to be making “the Next Secret” with many of the same speakers. For about a year my business partners at the time and I worked with this company. We did their branding, sites for the producers, the logo for the film, creative direction, the DVD covers, the site, the community, the movie posters, the billboards, designs for the affiliate program etc etc etc.

I am putting some of the photos up, because hey – why not.  My twenty(five?) year old self partied with Robin Leach in Vegas. It happened.

Two of us went to Las Vegas to the red carpeted, star-studded film premiere in Las Vegas. Robin Leach was there, Evander Holyfield. I got to attend a party in the Penthouse Suites at the Palms with all of these people from the Secret, and whose books I had read. Authors, speakers, hollywood directors, boxers, olympians, television stars, thought leaders. It was surreal. I had only seen some rough cuts of the production, but surely it would be fabulous right?

With the incredibly genuine, inspiring, and down to earth Jon Assaraf.

After the miserable failure, they dropped us in a second. A bundle of life lessons about contracts – Hollywood lawyer types – people that fake it – spec work -throwing your money around – profit sharing – appearances vs reality – the personal development industry later, I have moved on.  The biggest learning in all was that the people behind the film cared nothing about the production quality. They only cared about the “production.” Lifestyles of the not-so-rich and desperate I guess.

Regardless, check out this DVD cover, still on the interweb.. designed by moi.

For HGTV Canada 

Last week, the biggest names in baby and toddler flocked to Kentucky for the ABC Kids Show, the largest North American Trade Show for children’s gear, furniture, clothing and toys. With almost a million square feet of new and inventive products, I had a lot of ground to cover.

Wandering through aisle after aisle, it was obvious that these days, cheery colours, thoughtful design, attention to detail, and multi-purpose products are leading the way in the baby realm. Eco-consciousness is also a growing trend, and Canadian-made items (hooray Canada!) are making a huge impact – especially in furniture. Plus, thanks to companies raising the bar on prints and patterns, with Dwell Studio leading the charge, outfitting for baby has become more chic and stylish than ever before.

Out of all the furnishings, gear and decor, here are the top 10 that caught my eye.

Nursery Works

Nursery Works Tree Bookcase can hold up to 100 books and can securely fasten to your nursery wall.

Full Post: Visit HGTV Canada 

Montreal is quickly becoming known for its vibrant food scene as Quebec’s distinct local culture is being celebrated throughout its many eateries. Living and eating well are paramount there and often a meal in Montreal becomes a feast. The culinary heritage has its roots in France of course,  but with the benefit of a uniquely Canadian influence, dining out in Montreal can be truly magical.

One of the most celebrated restaurants in Canada is Joe Beef. Taking its namesake from an irish-born 19th century tavern owner who catered to the working class and the down and out.  The Joe Beef of yesteryear served labourers, beggers, longshoremen, sailors and ex army men with easy service and most surprisingly, “a menagerie of wild animals.” Joe Beef current day is a massively popular restaurant serving whimsical French market cuisine to locals and vistors alike in the not-so-quickly gentrifying neighborhood of Little Burgundy. The animals are gone, for the most part (the washroom boasts a bison…).

Full Post: Visit Food Network Canada 

On Sunday afternoon, Woodbine Park in Toronto was host to Soupstock – a one-day culinary celebration which featured over 200 soups from some of Canada’s top chefs.

Presented by the Canadian Chefs’ Congress and the David Suzuki Foundation, the intent of Soupstock was to raise awareness about the fight to stop the Highland Companies’ proposed limestone Mega-Quarry in the Township of Melancthon 100 kilometres northwest of Toronto. Over 40,000 visitors sampled original soup creations made from over 10,000 lbs of donated ingredients.

Full Post: Visit Food Network Canada

Jamie Oliver scribbled his first book onto the back of cigarette packs, cheques and scraps of paper solely to keep the recipes on record.  It wasn’t until the opportunity to publish a cookbook presented itself that Jamie gathered all of these recipes together into a collection. Fourteen books later, Jamie is an old pro, and is finally at a stage in which he can pay homage to his country. After all, he says, “Eventually everyone comes home.”

Jamie was in Toronto this past weekend to promote his newest book, Jamie’s Great Britain: 130 of My Favorite British Recipes, From Comfort Food to New Classics. Friday evening, Jamie sat down with CBC’s Matt Galloway in front of an audience of fans at Massey Hall for a chat about his career, crusades and of course, what he loves to eat.

Full Post: visit  Food Network Canada 

Earlier this summer, Toronto’s CNE fairgrounds were host to the 2012 Festival of Beer. While most visitors came for the brews, the gastronomically inclined had the opportunity to watch some of Canada’s favorite chefs demo a dish or two in the Napolean grill tent.

Amidst the afternoon heat, Top Chef Canada season one alum Rob Rossi casually sipped on an ice-cold glass of Keith’s and kept his cool – even while having to improvise his recipe on the fly. Originally intending to pan fry the scallops, Rossi made a change in plans to grill them directly, which worked out beautifully.

Rob and sous chef Frank Vanditti prepared a dish of grilled scallops on a bed of corn, prosciutto and mushroom, adding cilantro to finish on a whim. The captive audience was filled with home cooks eager for samples (some more intoxicated than others, of course) and fans that came to swoon from the front row in hopes of a photo op after the event. Rossi fielded questions like a pro, the audience asking impressive and intelligent questions through a constant stream of beer.

Want to see Rob Rossi in action? His restaurant Bestellen has an open kitchen!

All photos: Jennifer Myers

Earlier this month, tens of thousands of thirsty Canadians descended on Toronto’s CNE fairgrounds for the 2012 Festival of Beer (see pics below). While quenching their thirst (and beating the heat) was top priority for some, eating was definitely on the agenda as well. The well-equipped Napoleon Grilling Tent featured appearances from some of Toronto’s top chefs. Ted Reader, the self-proclaimed BBQ guru was on hand to demo an appetizer and main course to a slightly inebriated audience of eager home cooks. We caught up with Ted and grilled him for a couple of tips for your next BBQ.

Ted’s Tips

1. Clean your grill. A clean grill is a healthy grill (and it gets hotter!)
2. Have FUN! Because fun equals flavour.  And fun and flavour makes your belly happy and you should be happy with the food that comes off your grill.
3. Be patient. Patience is extremely important. Otherwise, things either burn or come off the grill undercooked.
4.  Slow down and enjoy it.  If slowing your pace is a challenge, look at it this way: the longer it takes to cook, the more beer you get to drink!
5. Make it tasty! Remember: high heat – lid open; low heat – lid closed.
“Have fun, make it delicious, keep your beer cold, have some patience and remember that it is all about the flavours that you create for your friends and family because life can be tasty.”

Ted Reader’s Schneiders Smoked Sausage n Cheddar Stuffed Jalapeño Lollipops

Total Time: 2 hr including refrigeration resting time
Prep Time: 15 min
Skill Level: Intermediate
Serves: 24

Sometimes you have to think outside the bun – way outside. Jalapeno peppers stuffed with ground cheddar smoked sausage, wrapped in bacon and served on a pepperette stick. It requires a bit of work but the end results will have your guests screaming for more. Don’t rush the grilling process as you want the bacon to be crisp and the inside to be nice and hot.
Ingredients:

5 Schneiders® Grill’ems® Fully Cooked Smoked Sausage Cheddar, each cut into 4-5 chunks
¼ cup (60 mL) Cream cheese
1 cup (250 mL) Shredded Cheddar cheese
24 Large green jalapeno peppers, seeded
24 Schneiders® Pepperettes Original Sausage
24 Slices Schneiders® Bacon
24 Tooth picks, soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes.
24 4 to 6 inch (10 to 15 cm) Square sheets of aluminum foil
2 tsp (10 mL) Ted’s World Famous BBQ Bone Dust BBQ Seasoning or your favourite BBQ seasoning

Directions:

Place Grill’ems® sausages in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add cream cheese and cheddar cheese and blend until well mixed. Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Rinse hollowed out jalapenos under cold running water to remove any remaining seeds. Stand
peppers cut side down on paper towel to drain.

Using a small spoon, stuff each jalapeno with the sausage and cheese mixture, pressing gently to fill the jalapeno. Using the handle of a very small wooden spoon or a chopstick, push it into the center of the stuffed jalapeno to make a hole. Insert a pepperette into the center of the stuffed jalapeno to make a meat stick jalapeno stuffed lollipop. Repeat with remaining jalapenos.

Lay a slice of bacon on a flat work surface and run your fingers across the entire length of the bacon to stretch it by almost one third. Wrap each smoked sausage stuffed jalapeno lollipop tightly with the stretched slice of bacon making sure to cover the entire surface of the jalapeno, leaving the pepperette stick exposed. Start by wrapping the bacon at the base of the pepperette, where it meets the jalapeno, and wrap down to the tip of the jalapeno. Secure with a toothpick ensuring pepperette and bacon are both pierced. Repeat with remaining stuffed jalapenos and refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour.

Set grill up for indirect cooking (1 burner not turned on) and preheat remaining burners to approx. 400°F (200°C), about medium to medium high heat.

Wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the end of the pepperette end of the lollipops, nice and tight. This will keep the pepperettes from burning and drying out on the grill. Place over the unlit burner, close lid and cook for 10 minutes. Turn jalapenos, close lid and continue to cook for another 15-18 minutes to allow the bacon to begin to crisp. Once the bacon just starts to crisp, move the lollipops over a lit burner and grill, turning gently and frequently, for about 15 minutes until the bacon is fully cooked and crisp and the jalapenos are tender and the stuffing is hot.

Season lollipops with a little BBQ seasoning. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with your favourite BBQ sauce for dipping. Yeah Baby! It’s a meat stick heaven!

For more Grill recipes from Ted Reader check out his newest book: Beerlicious – The Art of Grillin’ & Chillin’ to see more like these, visit facebook.com/Schneiders

There really isn’t anything I love more than finishing off my day with a good meal and some wine. And, where I have spent endless hours debating on which wine to pair with which food at any of my dinner parties, I had barely had a second thought about the coffee I served with dessert. That is until James Chatto set me straight.

James is Canada’s quintessential food writer, and he is on a quest to bring that good cup of coffee from the breakfast to the dinner table. He is best known for 25 years of food critiquing, journalism, and fervent food and beverage enthusiasm. Now, he lends his talents to Van Houtte as ambassador, and I got to meet up with him to chat all about the similarities between my two favourite beverages: coffee and wine.

“It is more about the nuances of flavour and aroma,” said James. “The way a sommelier will take a glass of wine and smell it and say, ‘I get raspberries, and truffles and mushrooms and woods’… and you can do the same with coffee.” Paring coffee can elevate the experience of a meal and hey, as James says, “Anything that makes life more pleasurable.”

Both coffee and wine can be extremely complex. Understanding the similarities of these profiles can help you pair coffee as you would wine with dinner. That Cabernet Sauvignon accompanying your meal may be a blended with Merlot and Shiraz grapes. Coffee beans are treated the same way with roasters merging and blending the acidities of light coffees with the boldness of darker roasts. This allows for the development of distinct flavour profiles.

And, once we’re all on board with offering food-coffee pairings at dinner parties, what is next? Coffee recipes of course! Off camera James shared with us a great idea for a coffee, citrus and cardamom rub for grilled chicken. If you are not so adventurous, here are some recipes featuring coffee to get you started.

Photo credit: Robert Bava