We've got mail!

Hey all,

Though we did not get an e-mail from AOL we did get mail from our favourite e-mail and apps provider - Google!  With a company motto of "Don't be evil", we at Simplicity are simply happy as a clam to get a post card from a company like Google, even if it is merely to confirm our address for Google Maps!  

You can now find on Google maps and find all the 411 you need on Simplicity to have us meet your event needs!

Thank you Google!

I am a terrible terrible blogger

Its been a looooong while since I've written in the blog, so much so that I got flak from a fellow blogger Carly about not blogging. 

Its been utterly crazy for the last two months and things have been juggled up in the air but don't worry I will tell all the juicy details.  We've moved, doing several events, doing a massive volunteer effort and much much more.  I PROMISE Carly!

Another great Alpha II Open House!

Well the February 10th Alpha II Alternative School Open House was a success!  We had a great turn out of parents, new students and even former students!  It was good to see some of the former students I had an opportunity to cook with last year.   There was a slightly larger turn out than expected, but thankfully the quantity we cooked up was just right!  

For this event we made a mix of the traditional "Open House fare" along with some juicier elements.  In the centre is a large spread of traditional Thai Rice Wraps with Spanakopita, Pear and Chevre springrolls, Filipino Turun treats and simple yet savoury Smoked Salmon rosebuds served with an avocado cream.  My favourite dish of this spread was the absolutely delicious Bacon-wrapped Scallops drenched in melted butter!

By the end of the day I was absolutely baked!  Here is a rare photo of me keeping a keen eye out on the crowd.   Beside me is Kether, (fellow volunteer and parent of a student) whom I really really really have to thank for all her help!  THANK YOU KETHER!

Alpha II Alternative School - Cooking Class with CHEESE!

On January 29th, I had another great time volunteering at Alpha II Alternative School and combine a great learning opportunity with the students in the kitchen with my rekindled love of CHEESE!

So on that chilly morning we all went down to Alex Farm Products on the Danforth and picked the minds of the resident cheesemongers.    I had had a great time learning more about the different cheeses and I believe that the students were able to really enjoy the exposure to a wide variety of cheeses with samples and questions answered by Elios and James.  Special thanks goes to their manager Angela for giving the Alpha II students a great opportunity to step outside the classroom and expand their knowledge of cheese.

(Thanksfully no cheese string were in sight! - Special thanks to our Parent Guardian Natasha who provided us with these pictures!)

Once they students had a chance to sample, we went to work pricing and finding the best melting cheese for our prep and cooking portion to make Cheese Fondue with baguette and apples!

This particular Alex Farms Products is our official supplier for all our and our clients cheese needs.  Going there is always a new taste experience simply because they have such a relaxing atmosphere and really take the time to find out what your tastes and needs are.  Not only are they a local business but they also provide a wide variety of Ontario and Quebec produced cheeses in keeping with out mandate to support local business and locally produced food as part of our triple-bottom line.

Interested in widening your cheese horizons?  Your local cheesemonger beats generic grocery store cheese hands down.   Here are a few cheeses that we recommend

Appenzeller - Imported from Switzerland, this cheese is simply divine.  It has a sharp note, that works well to compliment a white, or can compliment a cracker and sliver of black forest ham.  Alternately, a light drizzle of honey will add to this taste bud wonder very well.

Alex Cheeses Chevre - Produced in Quebec, this cheese is very creamy and so versatile!  I'd recommend it on anything really, its strong enough not to overwhelm a dish, but at the same time pairs wonderfully with other foods.  (Even in a fajita!) It works well with a breakfast hash, sprinkled on a light and fresh salad or especially with pear.

Paillot de Chevre - (pronounced P'hay-yo) This chevre simply is stunning.  It has a premium creamy texture with a few notes of sharpness that really give you a unique taste experience.  Where as the Alex Cheeses Chevre is very versatile, I feel that this really elegant cheese is meant to be enjoyed with a complement of a smooth red or white wine, and even with a simple selection of crackers and cold luncheon meats.

Coming up:  Alpha II Alternative School  Open House - Wednesday, February 10th!

Its Mid-January and I'm pooped!

Its been a great start to the new year and I'm back at volunteering at Alpha II Alternative school.  It was a bit chaotic but I managed to give the students a lesson in traditional Pad Thai and Thai Beef Curry.  It was good and the Pad Thai went really fast.  So much so that I had to throw together a last minute Veggie Stir Fry when everyone polished off the Pad Thai first.  I had stuff planned later that day but I was just drained and barely managed to dock myself at my new coffee haunt The Rooster Coffee House.  The way they make their Americano is simply and utterly pure tastebud love.  It was a perfect midday treat.

Later that evening J and I hit the dance floor for beginner Salsa lessons at the local studio.  I must admit that I was pretty nervous since Salsa seemed waaaay more complex than dancing to Classic House Music, Dance or Trance music.  But hey.  I had a fantastic time!

Combine all the above and having a really productive Saturday and more networking... I simply feel like poor Ookie (below).   The cute part is the book she passed out on was "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Steven Covey.

A GREAT start to the new year!

Yey.  Second post of the year!

So we started this year off right with a doing a private holiday party for a client.  Though I did not have a chance to have a hand in planning, we did have an opportunity to showcase what our staff could do!   Our client was absolutely and utterly fabulous and it was a very intimate and interactive celebration of the new year.   We made quite an impression and met some great new friends along the way! 

This year we finally got a sweet little used-camera from Henry's Outlet completely with snazzy matching case.  Sooo, I finally had a camera to bring to the event.  But alas, the only battery we had was outta juice!  Thankfully one of the guests was more than happy to snap this awesome shot of Liz, Andy and myself during the event.  Thank you Derek! 

Andy was making special martini's through out the night and Liz was keenly making sure everyone got home safely.  I was really thankful for the extra awareness, teamwork and attention to detail that both Liz and Andy exhibited.  As for myself, as a guest I ended up being roped into dancing too and even had a hand in being DJ for a bit!

Honestly this was a great way to "ring in the new year" and we have a great new client and friend out of it.  It was pure synergy of mission, excellence in hospitality and dynamic teamwork that made it possible.  Anyhoo, the picture makes me so bubbly and happy in what I do I have it on my desktop!

 

And...we're back!

Happy New Year folks!

Its been a crazy tail end and weird for 2009.  It is truly hard to believe that its 2010! 

Thankfully New Years on our end was very relaxing and a peaceful time, celebrating anniversaries and having a fun time doing it.    Simplicity, as of January 5th, 2010 is now in its fourth(!) year of operation!  In hindsight last year was a lot of infrastructure growth and research, this year is what I'd like to call the year of "connecting".  I believe this is a three-fold approach, in that we at Simplicity are continuing our connection with the community and helping out any way we can.   At the same time re-connecting with our circle of friends and family.   As well, make new solid connections with new friends, contacts and clients.

A whole lotta updates are in order!  I promise to drop down more entries this week!

-Rolo