LAKE JANE - design, decorating, fashion, food and all the other good stuff.

Jason Wu for Brizo

Fashion designer extraordinaire Jason Wu has designed a line of fixtures for Brizo and they are straight sexy. Love the curves on those matte black faucets.

We've lived next to the market for 2 years now and it has transformed the way we eat, particularly in the summer. We stop by once if not twice a week and purchase most of our fresh produce from there. I always feel like a traitor if I buy fruits of veggies at the grocery store between May and October. The best part of our weekly market jaunts is discovering what ingredients are in season. You can just tell by walking through the narrow outdoor rows of stalls what is being harvested. One week it's a sea of bright red strawberries and the other, mountains of bright yellow squash.

I thought I'd try out a new feature on the blog this summer and I'm calling it In Season. It's all about trying recipes that feature all the amazing market ingredients that summer has to offer! This week, it's Quebec asparagus. Their thick meaty green stalks make them perfect for grilling but since the weather's been glum, I thought I'd prepare some real comfort food. In this house, that means carbs. I love the classic combination of salty prosciutto, hard boiled egg, rich parmesan over blanched asparagus. I was inspired by these ingredients and came up with a hearty Carbonara featuring fresh market asparagus. It's so decadent and a real treat.

Note: I plan on taking good pictures of dishes for this feature but this only dawned on me once I had the plate in front of me and I was too hungry to find my camera. Please forgive my laziness and poor iPhone pics.

Carbonara with Market Asparagus

for 4 servings

1 package of Fettucini noodles

1 bundle of asparagus, rinsed and cut into small bite-sized pieces (I leave the tips whole though)

3 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 of pancetta, diced (or bacon)

1 cup of freshly grated parmesan

1 tsp of lemon zest

3 egg yolks

1/3 cup of cream

Freshly ground pepper

1. Set your pasta water to boil and follow package instructions to get them al dente.

2. In a large bowl, add the egg yolks, cream, parmesan. Gently mix together without wipping the yolks. You just want to break them up and mix them with the cream and cheese. Set aside.

3. In a hot pan, add the pancetta. You want it to get crispy. This should take a few minutes. Once cooked, removed the pan and set aside. Keep some of the fat in the pan though. It's gold!

4. Add the asparagus to the same pan and cook on medium high heat, tossing frequently. You want the centers to be slightly crunchy and the outside to be bright green. As soon they're cooked, remove them from the heat.

5. Reserve some of the pasta water (a few tablespoons should suffice), then drain. Immediately add the pasta to the egg, cream and cheese mixture and toss vigorously. If the sauce is too thick , add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water. Then add the pancetta, green onions, and asparagus and toss some more. Season with pepper (and more cheese if you please). Eat immediately!

Lake Jane loves...

...Superga sneakers. They seem to be the Italian version of the old Converse. I think they look really sweet with skirts or dresses and they come in a wide variety of styles. Perfect for summer!

Long weekend!

We're kicking off a 4 day weekend here so I'm going to sign off until tuesday. Here's a great recipe full of fresh ingredients, perfect for a sunny day! I might give it a try tomorrow. Hope you have a great weekend! xo

{Image and Recipe by Pinch of Yum}

Greek food and wine at the FoodLab

Last night I met up with my friends Jo and Leigh at the FoodLab at the SAT to sample some Greek wines and appetizers. The FoodLab is a sort of "pop-up" restaurant based in the SAT's restaurant space, which has an amazing new terrasse reader for summer. Every couple of weeks or so, chefs Michelle Marek and Seth Gabrielse prepare a new menu based around a theme of their choice. I was excited about this particular theme because I don't eat much Greek food. I don't even think I had ever tried Greek wine and I was excited to see what all the buzz was about.

Turns out Greek wines are delicious. Like, seriously tasty. The three white wines we tried last night were dry, fruity and aromatic, which is exactly what I look for in a white wine. We kept saying that these were the perfect summer wines (my favorite was the 2011 Santorini by Domaine Papagiannakos). I am definitely going to look for them next time I have to bring a nice bottle to a dinner party - or if I just want a mid-week treat.

The food was equally impressive. We shared a bunch of Mediterranean dishes including grilled and marinated eggplant, lamb kebab, grilled lamb chop with fresh mint sauce, house made pork and orange sausage, and the most perfect sour cream pana cotta with strawberries and herb granita. I was reminded of how much I enjoy Greek food and I plan on making a lot more of it this summer.

The Greek menu at the FoodLab ends on May 19th so you have a few more days to check it out!

Lake Jane loves...

...neon wood platters by Nicole Porter Design. What a great way to brighten up a coffee table!

Natural Hair Care

When I became pregnant, I started to take a closer look at the products I was using and the foods I was eating. It goes without saying, but I was shocked at the amount of chemicals I was ingesting and slathering all over my body on a daily basis. Since then, I've made a concerted effort to find natural alternatives and it's a challenge I've actually enjoyed (except for make-up...). I thought it would be more costly - and it often is the case with food - but in some instances, it has actually saved me big bucks. My latest discovery is Apple Cider Vinegar hair rinses, which have now replaced hair conditioner and all other hair treatments!

I had a read a bunch of articles on the virtues of going shampoo-free but I was very weary of cutting out shampoo full-stop. I have fine hair that looks pretty terrible after 24 hours sans-shampoo. I mostly blame years of dying and using too many products for this but it's a difficult cycle to break! I read that ACV could help remove all that build-up from your scalp and restore balance, leaving hair smoother, healthier and less greasy (you can read more about the virtues of ACV hair rinses here). It's a natural detangler too and a little goes a long way. It sounded too good to be true but I decided to give it a try.

I bought a spray bottle and added one part ACV (I use Bragg) to one part water. After shampooing and rinsing my hair as usual (I currently use this shampoo), I sprayed my hair with some of the ACV water mixture and massaged it into my hair and scalp. Sure, it smells bad and you want to make sure you don't get any in your eyes but after a few minutes and a good rinse, the smell was gone and my hair untangled. Wowee.

I've been using the rinse for over 2 weeks now and I'm impressed by the results. I find that my hair gets dryer at the ends but it's nothing a little coconut oil can't fix. Otherwise, my hair is now drastically less oily after 24 hours. I am going to stick with it for another month but so far so good! I'll keep you guys posted!

// Do you have any good all natural beauty tips or products to share?

Pictures of recently enjoyed things

{Mother's Day spent at Bota Bota Spa in Montreal's Old Port.}

{Mike's take on Shrimp & Grits}

{The tree in our backyard in full bloom for an entire week}

{A stop at Omnivore for the Roma kefte, my favorite sandwich in this city}

{Daily visits to the park with the cutest little explorer you ever did see}

{This wall of perfect leather bags at Heritage}

{A quick lunch with Julia at Sanbox, a new baby-friendly lunch spot in Mile-End}

Happy Mother's Day

Sending hugs and high-fives to all the moms out there. Especially mine. Je t'aime maman. xo

{circa 1982}

Leather sandals

Anyone else having a hard time finding a good sandal style this year? I'm looking for something dressier than a flip flop but without a heel. Something I can wear with a nice summer dress or with shorts. I don't want gladiator style because I had those a few years back and I want less "strappy". Also, my idea of the perfect Gladiator sandal already exists but it's out of my price range and nothing will every compare. I'm thinking I might go with a very simple leather sandal with an ankle strap. Not really sure what that means...or looks like. Ultimately they have to be comfortable, easy to to strap on and off, reasonably priced and versatile. Easy peasy right...? Any suggestions?

{via}

Target Canada

Anyone else counting down the ~~minutes~~ days until Target finally opens stores in Canada? The Montreal stores are scheduled to open in the Fall and I may sleep outside in a sleeping bag the night before the grand opening. In the meantime, I continue to torture myself by browsing their US site for items that I cannot purchase in this fine country of ours. My latest obsession is the Nate Berkus Arrowhead rug, which would be in my house by now if I had access to a Target store. Such a beautiful design, available in 3 different sizes. Oh, and did I mention it's only $150 for the 5 x 7??

Feeding a 1 year old

It still blows my mind that I have a 1 year old child. 13.5 months actually. He is growing at the speed of light and so is his appetite. That kid loves to eat. Considering who his parents are, that is not surprising. We are trying to expose him to many types of flavors and foods, which often means that we have to get creative. Like any other child, he has his own particularities and dislikes. I am often baffled by his immediate distaste for what we expect will be his new favorite. Namely cheese, which he hates. We've tried hiding cheese in his favorite foods, like chili, and he picks it out! I enjoy the challenge though. I recently blended avocado (he hates) with vanilla greek yoghurt (he adores) and he ate a big bowl full. I felt really victorious that day.

As much work as it can be to make sure he gets a balanced and varied diet, I am loving watching him discover new foods. I could spend hours observing him as he picks up tiny blueberries with his chubby little fingers. It's really rewarding to watch Theo devour a dish I prepared for him, especially one filled with healthy ingredients that will do his body good.

I thought I'd share some of the key accessories that we use during dinner time with the little guy and I'd love to hear some of your tips and tricks too!

1. Bibs with sleeves, IKEA / 2. Floor protector to place under the high chair, IKEA / 3. SproutWare Spoons, Green Sprouts / 4. Lollacup BPA Free Sippy Cup / 5. Food Storage, Green Sprouts / 6. Snack Keeper, Nuby / 7. Suction Bowl, Munchkin

**Our IKEA high chair has been discontinued but we absolutely love it.

Affordable, lightweight and very easy to clean! I hear great things about this one too.

Lake Jane loves...

...BabyBags' handmade backpacks, which I think are a great option for parents looking for stylish unisex diaper bags! It makes so much sense to have a diaper bag backpack instead of the old one shoulder strap and these ones offer a ton of space without compromising on design.

My daily makeup routine

If you're a regular reader of this blog then you are probably aware that I rarely write beauty posts. The main reason being that I am so far from a beauty expert. I am quite clueless actually. My own makeup routine is quite basic and has changed very little since high school. I must confess that I still buy the majority of my beauty products at the pharmacy, mostly because I get overwhelmed when I set foot in a Sephora. Luckily, I have a lot of girlfriends who are beauty experts and they have shared many tips and products with me over the years. So although my daily makeup routine remains basic, I feel like it has been perfected. Some products are splurges while others can be found at the grocery store/pharmacy. I thought I'd share the contents of my ~~super messy~~ makeup case with you guys and I'd love to hear about some of your can't-live-without beauty essentials!

Moisturizer

The first thing I do when I come out of the shower is apply moisturizer. I still love Josie Maran Argan Oil because it's so light and all natural. If I have a special outing, I might apply BB Cream instead, which is essentially tinted moisturizer that claims it's also good for your skin (I don't buy it). Unlike foundation, BB Cream is so light and also has SPF 30 so it's a great daytime option that evens out your skin tone. I bought mine at the grocery store and it cost me all of $9. I am sure there are much better BB Creams out there but I am perfectly satisfied with my cheap one!

Sunscreen

My Irish complexion is sensitive to the sun and I am trying to be more careful outdoors. If I know I'll be in the sun during the day, I replace my moisturizer with an SPF sunscreen and currently, I am obsessed with Consonant Skincare's Perfect Sunscreen. It's made in Canada, all-natural and very light. It leaves no white residue and it's SPF 30. (I also love their organic foaming face wash!!)

Concealer

Under-eye concealer is probably my greatest beauty indulgence. Even if I forget to apply mascara or blush or whatever, under-eye concealer makes me look/feel rested. Not unlike coffee. My friend Kat recently emailed me about Benefit Cosmetics' Fake Up and when she wrote "seriously, I will never use another concealer again!", I was sold. She's right. It's the best. It contains a lot of Vitamin E so it moisturizes and conceals at the same time and applies so lightly without creasing. It's perfect as a daily concealer. For days where I need something more heavy duty, I go to Laura Mercier Secret Concealer.

Eyes

I have worn liquid liner and mascara since, oh, 1996. I believe Barbie Girl was the hit song at the time. That's a long time but I never get tired of this look and it's such a quick way to add a bit of drama to your eyes. I am not loyal to one mascara and I love to try new ones but I rarely spend more than $13 on a tube of mascara because I really don't see the difference between a Chanel mascara, which I have tried, and a Maybelline. The same is true of my liquid liner. I like a deep black liner with a small foam tip. I find it really easy to apply. Again, I usually buy whatever brand is on sale at the pharmacy. For a daytime look, I'll apply the line close to the eye and use it to enhance my lash line. At night though, I go for a cat eye and extend the line quite a bit. My current mascara is L'Oréal Paris False Fiber Lashes and it's amazeballs. I look like a camel after applying this stuff (that's a good thing). I love it. The liner I use is by Almay I-Color Liquid Eye Liner and it gets the job done. Very easy to apply and very affordable.

Blush

I am new to the blush game. I never wore it because my cheeks seem to always be a little pink. Probably because I'm forever frazzled. But now I am a real lover of blush and I rarely leave the house without it. I love MAC power blush for daytime (in Blushbaby) and NARS' The Multiple (in G-Spot) for night time. I also use this product on my lips during the day ~~if I think of it.~~ This is the most money I have ever spent on a beauty product but I am really happy with it. It lasts forever and you can use it on cheeks, eyes and lips. This particular shade suits just about everybody and adds just the right amount of natural color and glow.