meaning...

I had a midterm this past Tuesday. It's a small statistics class of about 15 people, and since Wednesday was a snow day, our TA managed to grade our papers and return them on Thursday.

Our proff handed them out, she quickly answered some questions regarding the test. A student that always sits in the first row, approached the proff to ask about a question she obviously got wrong... It went something like: "............ Find a nontrivial sufficient statistic for μ." The proff started to explain, and explain, and explain... repeating herself over and over... Student doesn't get it, she asks..

Student: "But what does nontrivial mean?"

Instead of trying to explain one more time, our proff decided to simply look up the definition of the word. She googled and searched... and finally stumbled on a definition that she deemed fitting... Proff looks at the girl and points to the screen, which also appears on the overhead...

nontrivial = not trivial

hahahahaha.... priceless

last weekend...

we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Kinga's...

To start a lovely dip with baguette and flat bread... on the side there was dish with olive oil and balsamic vinegar... it didn't make it into the frame somehow

 

a very lemony martini... and I mean lemony... total pucker face... yummy :)

 when it gets warm in Kinga's kitchen the alarm goes off... this worked very nicely in preventing it

 Main course... vegan cabbage rolls... sooo good... and as always when I'm totally enjoying my meal I simply forget to take more pictures of the delicious stuffing...

 great bottle of red...

 for dessert port poached pear, with slivered almonds.... a perfect ending...

I forgot to mention...

that at the end of dinner, Woodlot does not offer candy with your bill, but a nice box of matches... so much more useful

hottest restaurant in Toronto right now is

Woodlot, and we went for dinner this past Sunday... Their mini website only lists their location, hours, and phone number... but trust me it's so worth a visit...

They present you with two menus, one carnivore, and the other one a vegetarian with plenty of options for vegans :)

cocktails to start... I know you might be thinking a cocktail in a mug.. well yup... I had Żubrówka vodka with hot apple cider, delish... I couldn't really taste the alcohol, but it made me feel so warm the minute I took a sip. Jay had Jamieson's Whiskey  with home made orange bitters... it tasted like medicine :)

bread basket... we were so hungry... and it was so tasty...

I also ordered a bottle of red...

for an app Jay had a bowl of super cheesy gnocchi with sausage in a creamy tomato sauce... he was so busy enjoying it, he barely said a word to me...

I was fine with his silence because I couldn't get over my potato and charred leek salad in sherry vinaigrette... OMG!

Mains:
marrow mashed potatoes... for Jay of course

along with "...the best pork chop I've ever had" said Jay with caramelized apples, bacon, and black walnuts...

for me vegan cabbage rolls...

I had to use flash... can you taste it? :)

downstairs kitchen and a communal table... dinning room is upstairs... this is a shot of my view... the big dark square on the left is the entrance, protected from the cold... and you can see the wood-fired oven that produces many of the amazing dishes...

the view from Jay's side... yup, that's the whole efficient kitchen...

for dessert I kept sipping on our red... Jay enjoyed a cappuccino...

and a lemon tart with blueberry sauce, and a marshmallow top...

another use of flash to capture the deliciousness

I visited the ladies room on our way out... isn't that the cutest and smallest sink ever?

 

Woodlot was amazing... anyone want to join us for our next visit? :)

1st dinner of 2011

a bottle of bubbly... pink is delicious...

 and then our thin style pizza... first one with a Moroccan style pizza sauce, topped with fire roasted tomatoes, artichokes, mix of olives, and spinach sauteed with roasted garlic and raisins... yum

 the second one with a base of truffle mushroom paste with truffle oil, topped with marinated mushrooms, artichokes, and an olive mix... this one yummmy... i love mushrooms, and truffles are delicious...

 sooo goood

Black Swan

we saw it today. What a messed up little film. It was very good, but not something you'd want to see with your parents... there are a couple of scenes that would make both of you uncomfortable :) And my hands were clammy a lot, because I have a serious phobia when it comes to fingernails and sharp objects near them. Getting a manicure or a pedicure is equivalent to a visit to a dentist for me... love the outcome, not the actual process. And this movie has a lot of nail clipping scenes...
Still highly recommended...

Merry Christmas!!!

Monday (20th) at Eaton's center... it was snowing soap bubbles on the Swarovski tree :)

Holiday toes.... not mine :)

burgers for dinner...

I've been craving a burger for a while... did some research on the places in our city... and decided to head to W Burger Bar... We went on Monday, I had my last exam that day, and we finished our Christmas shopping...
To start a couple of beers... a Blanche de Chambly for me (the cloudy one) and a 1516 Lager for Jay...instead of bread basket a little plate of carrot sticks with ranch dip...
What I like about W Burger is that fact that you choose your burger and your bun (whole wheat, white, or lettuce leaves), and then any toppings you like from their complimentary list, which do not cost any extra and there is plenty to choose from... then they also have a few premium toppings which are at an additional cost (check out their website for the menu)
Pictured below my burger... a couple of grilled portobello mushrooms on a whole wheat bun, from the complimentary topping menu I chose: mixed greens, sauteed onions, pickles, beets, and grilled red peppers... yum, with a side of large fries...
Jay had a Bison burger on a whole wheat bun, he chose to top it with mixed greens, sauteed onions, pickles, and Hellman's Dijonaise... with a side of large green salad with house dressing...
we shared our sides... and it was delicious...
Jay finished off his meal with a slice of sweet, moist looking chocolate cake...
this place is definitely worth a second visit... they have an actual veggie patty that I want to try... and Jay wants to try their Kobe burger...

drinking Portugal...

a treat from Sara and Adrian... Jay and I don't drink a lot of world wines because neither one of us has a sophisticated wine tasting palate, and we're both obsessed with Ontario vintages... we support homegrown efforts :)
But it is nice to take a break from what you know... Now on the back of most Ontario wines you'll find a brief description of the wine (basic notes, finish, and such), optimal drinking temperature, and sometimes even a suggested meal pairing... no such information on the back of our Portuguese vintage, when I asked Jay for it.. he looked and replied, "The Portuguese don't believe in such stuff, their wine goes with everything". :)
It was a very nice bottle, the wine tasted a lot better 15 minutes after we opened it... thank you S and A for expanding our wine appreciation...
we enjoyed it with some pasta in a superb tomato mushroom pepper sauce...

kale chips

are addictive... if you've never tried them, you're missing out... these are not store bought by the way... they're super simple to make (but I never have), Jay has the perfect kale chip touch, why mess with it :)

Thank You Magda and Patrick

This post comes a bit late, but exam season is on... and I'm a bit overwhelmed once again....

So I've mentioned that Jay and I are vodka people, but I should mention that rum runs a very, very close second, then amaretto, grand marnier... and a few others.

We received this interesting flavor from Magda and Patrick. A Bacardi Strawberry Rum infused with Dragon Fruit. This rum smells like the most delicious strawberries... I closed my eyes and could almost feel the summer sun on my skin...

I decided that since we had some mint left over from our party we should create strawberry mojitos and celebrate the first cold snap of the season. It was delicious. Can't wait to share it... The little red pieces in my drink are freeze dried strawberry chunks that Jay picked out of our cereal mix :)
tonight (or really early morning, depends on how you perceive it... it's almost 1am) I'm test tasting it with some ginger ale... if you get the balance just right, it's very nice... a bit on the sweet side but still nice to sip... it was a long day... In the background a Holiday card from Kinga (it reminds me I should probably send some out too... because I love receiving them)

her favorite spot to nap

she's a little weirdo... does an excellent job at keeping that shelf dust free... there is a book shelf adjacent to it with books on it, she uses it as a walkway to get to her napping spot...

this is not a deal...

this is highway robbery... getting $15.00 back because you spent $1500.00 is a joke... that doesn't even cover one minimum monthly payment... what a waste of paper...

Thank You Lisa and Rob...

Jay and I do enjoy our vodka... it's just so versatile... while we do like to try other spirits and liqueurs, vodka is a staple in our house (must be the Polish in me). Lisa and Rob gave us a real treat with Dan Aykroyd's Crystal Head Vodka... currently it is banned for sale in Ontario LCBO stores, because of the packaging..

LCBO spokesman Chris Layton: “That’s an image that’s commonly associated with death. It’s especially problematic at a time when there are concerns around binge drinking by younger adults, which in some cases unfortunately has resulted in alcohol poisoning.”

... while I agree with his statement, somehow I don't think this ban is hurting the sales... controversy might actually have the reverse effect... plus it's a smiling skull... it doesn't look menacing or deadly to me... anywho I like it a lot and don't want to open it... but I know I will...