Paws for Hope

Today Henry and I took part in the first Paws for Hope in Fredericton in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.  It was a beautiful fall morning to get out and play and raise money for a great cause.

when you're this adorable you make friends easily

my lovely pal Julie couldn't make it but her husband Keith gamely brought Charlie in his pink shirt.  Henry and Charlie became fast friends.

'zausted Henry after a good morning outing

paws for hope - a message from henry

Paws for Hope from Miss Allaby on Vimeo.

come here... i love you...

You know what my one regret in life is?  That I'll never have a dog.

I don't know how I missed this last week but this stop-motion video from Dean Fleischer-Camp and SNL actress Jenny Slate is just adorable and brilliant and oddly touching.



MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

fairytale wedding

Once upon a time...

Supermodel Coco Rocha's wedding video is a dream for anyone who loves stunning fashion, chandelier crystals, spiral staircases,  European castles and twirling.   

Just unbelievably gorgeous.


Coco + James // Teaser from Americana Cinema on Vimeo.

quick butterscotch or penuche icing

I attended a picnic last weekend and had my heart set on bringing a chocolate cake with a brown sugar icing.  This recipe from Joy of Cooking captures all the melting sweetness of penuche (peh-NOO-chee) fudge.

(The cake was devoured before I got a picture. But trust me, it was delicious.)


Quick Butterscotch or Penuche Icing (JoC)

Heat, stirring in the top of a double boiler until the mixture is smooth:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup light cream or evaporated milk

Remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.  Gradually add, beating until spreadable:

•  2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon run

If the icing seems thin, set the pan in a larger pan of ice water and beat until spreadable.  If necessary, add more powdered sugar.   Add 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans if desired. 

This makes 1 1/2 cups - enough to easily cover a 9x13 slab cake.

**
If for some reason you're not using the icing right away (and really, why wouldn't you?!), you can cover the surface of the icing with plastic wrap and store it  for 3 days at room temperature and 3 weeks in the refrigerator.  Or freeze up to 6 months.  Just soften and stir or beat until smooth before using.

Enjoy!

the romantics

I predict that I will enjoy this film for the following reasons:
* the interiors (wallpaper, antiques, trophy rooms!)
* the exteriors (cedar-shingled grey beachiness!)
* the cars (panelled station wagon!)
* the clothes (sweaters, silk and stripes!)
* the girls (Candice Bergen, Anna Paquin, Dianna Agron)
* the boys (Adam Brody, Elijah Wood, Josh Duhamel)
* it's an ensemble piece that gathers old friends together for a big event in the tradition of The Big Chill or St. Elmo's Fire
* a vulnerable Katie Holmes gazing pensively at an ocean pining for lost love (it's Capeside redux!) almost makes you forget that whole TomKat thing ever happened...

emma

There are so many reasons to love Emma Thompson: 

Her career has been dominated by literary adaptations and period pieces; the kind I love to curl up with on a Saturday afternoon.

She has two Oscars (and is the only person ever to win for both acting and screen-writing), two Golden Globes and an Emmy along with a slew of other awards and nominations.

Her college boyfriend at Cambridge was Hugh Laurie. Thirty years later they're still chums.

She had her first child at age 40.

She's funny: "In one scene I get to stand at the top of the stairs waving an empty sherry bottle which is, of course, a typical scene from my daily life, so isn't much of a stretch."

According to her latest co-star Maggie Gyllenhaal: "She's cooked me roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, while acting and writing and producing a huge, multimillion-dollar studio movie."

AND this weekend at the ceremony for her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she posed outside the "Pig-n-Whistle" with a pint and a pig and still manages to look classier than your average celebrity.