Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my wonderful readers!

I hope you and your families eat lots, laugh until you cry, and cherish these precious moments together.

Keep checking back for posts, I'm going to try and churn out a good bunch of them before I get back to the study grind.

I included a few family pictures from Christmases past to give you a good laugh.

Lots of love
xox

Gaby









1. Classic Santa picture! I'm the little blondie in the front.
2. Dinner with my dad's side of the family.
3. My first Christmas! I was just over a month old.
4. My parents at my mom's parents house before any babies.
5. Christmas in grade 2, when I got my American Girl doll.
6. Another picture of my first Christmas. Steffi and Britt with their "dolls".
7. Summer at Santa's Village in New Hampshire.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Packing for an Exchange

Before I left for my exchange, one thing that was very nerve racking was packing. There were just so many variables that it was nearly impossible to pack for end of summer, fall, and beginning of winter... All under 50 pounds! 

I am not going to go through every single t-shirt and bra I packed, but I will give anybody that is going on exchange a couple of tips that I wish someone had told me! Obviously, every student on exchange isn't going to be studying in France, or even in Europe but here's what I learned!

1. Blundstones
I got these boots right before I left for my adventure and they were my favourite item. So comfortable and supportive, yet I got many many compliments on them! I wore them on dry days as much as I wore them on days that were raining cats and dogs. They looked especially cute with cuffed pants and patterned socks peeking out #mysisterismystyleicon.


2. Socks and Underwear
Bring lots of them!!! Lots of socks and underwear means that you can stretch out the time between laundry loads. And if the laundry costs as much as it did for me, then you will want to do the least amount of laundry as possible (without being too stinky).

3. Backpack/carry on hybrid
I borrowed a carry-on that had backpack straps and it was sooooo useful throughout my exchange. I brought it on almost all my trips, so it was good for trips ranging from a weekend to a 9 day trip. The straps were key for running to catch a train and handy for when I needed two free hands #parismetro.


4. Don't overpack
I know this is so classic, but honestly when you're carrying your bags around town at the beginning and end of your trip, your back and hands will thank you for your light packing. Also, extra luggage fees will creep up on you like a rabid dog! My roommate paid hundreds of dollars extra because she packed too much. The bright side of that is that there will always be that person on your exchange, so they're the perfect people to borrow clothes from. Thanks Kate ;)
Not my blouse :)
Not my dress!
5. Pack ahead of time
Pack your suitcase a little bit ahead of time to be able to test out if you can actually carry your packed suitcase. Make sure you'll be able to carry it around without breaking every bone in your body. Also, check handles, and straps to make sure all systems are go. 

6. Buy things there
Do your research and read blogs about your host city, and make sure that you can buy basics there. If not, bring it with you, but ONLY if you are certain you won't be able to find it there. If you have a special type of shampoo, I'd say bring it, but know that you'll be able to get some sort of substitute wherever you are! 

7. Leave room
I can't stress this enough: LEAVE SPACE in your suitcase for shopping, souvenirs, and other random things you'll pick up along the way. I packed an empty backpack and used it the whole time for school and day trips, but the best part was I used it as my "personal item" on my flight home. That extra space, and the fact that I didn't use the expandable part of my suitcase on the way there, gave me just the right amount of space to fit the goodies I acquired while in Europe. 

8. Don't pack stuff you don't wear at home
If you don't wear something at home, don't think you're style or preferences will change because you are in a different country! 

9. Things to bring
Don't forget: lock for hostels, room decorations, pictures from home, flip flops, sunglasses, nail clippers, every charger you need, chapstick, a USB stick and slippers (or birkenstocks!). One thing to note is that in France they don't have lined paper note books, only graph paper, so I brought my own notebooks and I was really happy I did, because I think I would have gone crazy writing between little squares.


I'll be adding things to this list as time passes and I remember other items that were super useful during my time abroad.

Lots of love,

Gaby

Oatmeal Add-ins

With a house full of visiting friends and loved ones, it’s easy to forget things or not have time to think about anything other than the big turkey dinner. This holiday season, don’t leave breakfast out!! Some say it’s the most important meal of the day, I don’t know about that, but I do know that no ones wants hangry relatives nosily poking their heads into the kitchen. I have a solution!! Wait for it… An oatmeal breakfast buffet! Or not necessarily oatmeal, because not everyone likes oatmeal, but any type of self-serve customizable dish is usual a great idea. Last fall, I made a grilled cheese bar for my birthday and it was THE BIGGEST hit! Everyone gets what they want, and there’s no running around trying to “effortlessly" incorporate last night’s stuffing into an egg casserole.

Here are some things I like to eat with oatmeal:
  • Chopped dates and cranberries (or any dried fruit to add a little chewiness)
  • TONS of fresh fruit, my favourite fruit in my oatmeal is bananas!
  • Ground flax seed
  • Hemp hearts
  • Pepita seeds
  • Goji berries
  • Maple syrup or agave
  • Coconut
  • Nuts (roasted pecans or walnuts are sooo good, and almonds too)



Friday, December 19, 2014

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Hello!

Now that I am back home, out of residence, and I FINALLY have access to an oven I thought I would try out a Pinterest recipe I've been longing to eat all semester. It's a cauliflower crust pizza recipe and I spiced it up a little with pesto, a mozzarella/parmesan blend, chopped kale and some roasted sweet potato. The original recipe also called for a cracked egg on top, which I was skeptical about at first, but then went for it and I'm so glad I did! 

Since everyone nowadays has some sort of intolerance or allergy, I thought that I would take my Christmas break to try my hand at more vegan and gluten-free recipes. It also helps that I lived across the hall from Maggie for the last four months and she has been so inspiring with all her dates, chickpeas, and her blender!!



Gluten-Free Pizza 
Crust recipe adapted from Cooking Stoned (ya, no comment at that blog title).

Ingredients 
- 1 head of cauliflower (about 2 lbs)
- 1 egg for the crust, and 1 egg for topping (optional)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan 
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp basil
- 1/4 garlic powder
- 1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella for the crust, and another 1/2 cup for topping
- 3 Tbsp of pesto 
- 1/4 cup of chopped kale 
- 1/2 cup of chopped, roasted sweet potato

Instructions
Chop up the cauliflower and then pulse in a food processor until it is finely chopped. It should look like snow, and  come to roughly 3 cups of cauliflower.

In a large skillet, cook the chopped cauliflower over medium-low heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

Let cool, and then drain as much as of the water from the cooked cauliflower by squeezing it through cheesecloth, or though coffee filters if you don't have any cheesecloth. The more water you squeeze out, the less soggy your crust will be.

✿ Combine the cauliflower, salt, oregano, basil, garlic powder, 1/4 cup of mozzarella, parmesan. Then add one beaten egg and combine ingredients to form a dough. 

Pat the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 

Bake just the dough for 15 minutes at 400ºF, or until it starts getting golden.

Remove from the oven and spread an even layer of pesto over the crust. Then add the rest of the mozzarella, followed by the chopped kale and the sweet potato. Make a little room for the egg, and then gently crack it over the other toppings.

Bake for another 15 minutes or until the egg white sets.

Yum! Enjoy :) 

If you want to see a video of the steps check out my vine account. I'm going to try to make more mini movies on cooking, so stay tuned!


I'm heading to my mom's side of the family's Christmas get together tomorrow in Peterborough, so I'll catch you next week with posts on packing for a semester abroad, a great breakfast idea, and a Christmas celebrations!

Lots of love,

Gaby

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Friendships

It's all over. Done and done. Tomorrow morning I'm catching a flight from Paris back to Canada and I still can't believe that my semester in France has come to a close. I am sitting in the Rouen train station as I write this post because there's a train strike so I have to wait another 3.5 hours before I can get on a train to Paris (Editor's note: I moved to a coffee shop cause I was freezing). From there I'll have to take a metro to the airport which will be quite the sight because I have about 70 lbs of luggage! #weighttraining

(I started that post four days ago, since then I am HOME)

What a good time to tell you a bit about my exchange! I have learned so much and seen so many places, but what I'm really going to walk away with is amazing friendships. The exchange students I embarked on this journey with are all amazing people and I had so much fun figuring out France with them. I'm really going to miss living in residence. In my first year at Bishop's, my floor wasn't very tight knit and I missed being able to cook. Whereas at the NEOMA Business School, I was in the international residence with all my friends and I had my own kitchenette and it was the BEST DECISION! 

We had so many memorable nights staying in, just having a ball cooking dinners together or watching Jane Austen mini series (BBC's Emma if you were wondering). Maggie and I also got a group of people hooked on Serial, a podcast, and it awesome to all pile onto someone's bed and drink tea and eat cake while listening to a riveting episode.

I also loved my roommate! Although we didn't technically share a room, we did share a bathroom and a little hallway connecting our rooms, so it was nice to have someone I liked and trusted. Sam was so wonderful to have right there and I'm really going to miss just yelling through the wall "I JUST PUT THE KETTLE ON. DO YOU WANT TEA?". Also, that girl can do wonders with a straightening iron!!

Another thing that was truly great was studying abroad with my best friend, Maggie. At first we were like an old married couple bickering about everything ("You're squeezing the toothpaste weirdly!"), but by the end of the exchange we were finishing each others' sentences and sandwiches (sorry for the Frozen joke). They say travelling is a real test of friendships and I think we passed with flying colours!! 

So here's to all the laughs, the communal dinners, the movie nights, the dance parties, the countless trains we nearly missed, the weird carpoolers, and the nights we had enough wine to sink a ship! I'm going to miss all of you xox



Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Paris

Hello,

I think it's about time that I talk about Paris. I had seen it in movies and magazines, and heard about it from everyone and their brother, but to witness it was something completely different. When Maggie and I first stepped out of Gare Lyon on our first day in France it was everything I had ever imagined. I couldn't help but look up at the beautiful buildings and admire the Parisians' simple but elegant style!

Over the duration of my exchange I have been to Paris a total of eight times, but really only three times for touring around, since the rest were just stops along my travel routes. I do have to say that I made the most of those stops, because even if I had a layover of a couple of hours I discovered another little gem! Whether it was going to a Christmas market on the Champs Elysées, or writing a paper in the Père Lachaise cemetery, I think it's safe to say that I got a good dose of Paris over the past three and a half months.


I have decided to compile a little list of favourite spots for whoever wants to visit the city of lights! For people that are already Paris connoisseurs feel free to add suggestions in the comments J

EAT
L'As du Fallafel: I had read about this place on a blog and in a few guide books, and just had to give it a go. Boy oh boy, it delivered! These falafels are packed with crispy chickpea fritters, fresh ingredients like roasted eggplant, cucumbers and cabbage, and their special sauce. All served up with a smile, on a soft pita. Needless to say, since my time in France I have gone back three times... And the best part is they're a cheap way to fill up for a day of walking! One falafel to go is 6 euros, or you can eat in for 8 euros. I've never eaten inside, but instead have chosen to roam around le Marais and people watch at dusk. Sigh! So perfect.

Ladurée: I was able to channel my inner Blair Waldorf by picking up a few macarons at Ladurée. I don't think it would have been a trip to France without at least one of these little French pieces of heaven. With a crisp and airy exterior, light and creamy inside, and a multitude of flavours, macarons are the perfect way to end a day on your feet!

Le Pure Cafe: I might be a little biased because I was staying right across the street from this bistro, but it was so typically french and I loved it. It was kind of away from the hustle and bustle too, so it wasn't packed with tourists, but instead was filled with chatting Parisians having a coffee or dinner with friends. The food was simple, yet delicious.

Honourable mention goes to Angelina, the place that's famous for its luxurious decor and hot chocolate. Although I did fork over an excessive amount of dough at Angelina for a hot chocolate, I didn't think it was out of this world. With that in mind I know a lot of people who did, so I guess it depends on your taste (and bank account)!

Oh and the Lindt flagship store gives out free samples, so definitely hit that up!







STAY
Airbnb: For my first visit to Paris, Maggie and I stayed at these lovely sisters' apartment in the Bastille neighbourhood (beside Pure Cafe above). It was so nice to have our own bed and share a bathroom with only one other person. The other times I was in Paris, I stayed in hostels for just a slightly cheaper price, but they didn't compare to our first apartment. A good AirBnB apartment can make all the difference after a long day of touring around. Look ahead of time for good prices and locations because the best apartments go quickly!


SEE

I saw so many beautiful things in Paris but ultimately these were my favourites.

La Cigale: In October, I went to see James Vincent McMorrow here and it was one of those wonderful moments in life where you just look around and are so, so happy. One of the band members said it was it favourite concert hall to play in because it was so intimate and beautiful.

Musée d'Orsay: The Louvre is alright (for making vines) but the Musée d'Orsay is amazing! I'd love to say I planned to go here on purpose, but in reality both times I tried to go to the Louvre it was Tuesday, so it was closed, and I just happened to walk by this museum. I felt like a movie character prancing around the museum on my own in a sundress, just taking it all in. The paintings from the impressionist collection had me buying every post card I could get my hands on in the gift shop (okay I bought two).

Shakespeare and Co Bookstore: I once saw a post on Pinterest about this little hole in the wall bookstore and it was love at first sight! So cute and tiny, and packed with every type of book. I could have spent a solid amount of time here had I not been trying to fit one of the world's greatest cities in a day.

The Eiffel Tower: Yes, yes I know you know about the Eiffel Tower, but this is just a friendly reminder that you must definitely see it during the day and at night! Bring some neufchâtel, a baguette, and a bottle of red for a picnic to remember!

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris: This is where Maggie and I started our walking tour that we downloaded on Rick Steve's Best of Europe app. The walk brought us through many wonderful sights such as the Latin Quarter, beautiful churches, and ice cream shops.

Sacré Coeur: The views of the city from this stunning basilica are out if this world. Not to mention it's nice to walk around the Montmartre neighbourhood at its base. Also another great picnic destination!









NOTES
✿ Something to note is that students get in for free to tons of museums! I went to the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay and I didn't even have to wait in line for a ticket, I just flashed my student card.
✿ Students (-26 yrs) also get a great deal on metro day passes. It's 3.75€ for the day, instead of 1.70€ per ride.
✿ Another thing that Paris is doing right is they have drinkable water from a lot of fountains around town! Bring an empty reusable bottle at the beginning of the day and then fill 'er up when you're thirsty to avoid lugging around a heavy bottle all day or having to buy one.
✿ The city is also dotted with free wifi zones, you just have to give your email!

Before I end this post, I also wanted to say a special shoutout to UNIQLO Paris for being the best store ever. Such nice things in one store! I had been deprived of visiting since 2012 when I went to the NYC location, but I sure was happy when I got to scavenge through the shelves and racks of cashmere on cashmere. I obviously couldn't resist a selfie with this skirt, shirt, and coat!


Lots of love.
xox

Gaby







Sunday, December 7, 2014

My Classes

Hi friends!

Okay let’s talk classes. Sometimes it’s easy to associate exchange programs with travelling and partying, which I did do my fare share of, but I also really enjoyed the educational side (#nerdalert). My school was pretty much chosen for me, because it was the only one in France that Maggie and I could both go to, so I didn’t really know what I was getting into. I took all masters levels classes too, so that was another hit or miss situation that was awaiting me at the beginning of the semester. 

Now let’s not go assuming I’m a mega overachiever that thought I was too good for French bachelors classes. Quick backstory: Course registration was the day I left Canada, so I had a bijillion other things to do (read: I was on instagram for too long) and ended up registering about 15 minutes late. For those of you that aren’t in university this might seem like no biggie, but trust me, total panic surfaced when almost all the classes I wanted were full and I ended up only being able to take classes I wanted at the Masters Grande École level. But I ended up being so happy with my classes!

Here’s a little overview of my classes, which I know is so riveting that you’ll probably read twice… 

1) International Human Resources
I loved this class for a few reasons, one being that the prof was this sassy/feisty Korean power woman. Most of the class hated her for her blunt honesty, but the woman brought us cake and was really funny so she had a spot in my heart.  Two being that the course only had presentations as evaluations and we got to pick our subject for the last one. I chose Gender Equality in Global Workplaces for my group and it was so interesting to research. I somehow managed to incorporate workplace feminism into quite a few of my presentation this semester. Oopsies! Another aspect of the class that was interesting was that you couldn't have two people from the same country on your presentation team. I had five other girls on my team from Mexico, Russia, Germany, China, and France!! Talk about international!

2) Brand Marketing
This class should most definitely be called “How to Be a Hipster” because the prof was this super smart, young Scandinavian guy (#swoon) that recently won a prize for his research film on analog  authenticities in alternative skateboarding. So Joonas if you’re reading this, hi! The class was all about how brand relationships are formed with consumers. Again, our final presentation was really fun to research because my group chose to develop a brand extension for President’s Choice. Looking through food blogs and researching “foodie culture”? Yes please!! Our prof said we should patent our product, so I think he liked it J

3) International Negotiation
This class was interesting because there was an hour of negotiating per class, which meant that I could turn on “power mode” and debate about whatever the prof had stirred up for the day. I also learned a lot about different world problems in this class because there was a group presentation per class on a current international negotiation going on.

4) Cross Cultural Diversity and Global Issues
Apart from the fact that it took me two weeks to learn the course name, I was always up for what Carlos had in store for us Friday mornings. That says a lot for a Friday morning class, am I right? The prof was this boisterous little Spanish man that was a mix of my dad and Robin Williams in the Dead Poet’s Society… The class was totally off the wall, in the sense that it really wasn’t structured. For instance, one class he just told us to talk about our favourite food from around the world. It was a breath of fresh air from my regular Canadian courses and I discovered a lot about different cultures. It helped that we had about 15 different nationalities in the class!

5) Entrepreneurship
6) Sustainable Business
These classes weren’t all that to write home about so I won’t go on and on about them!

Here are some not so scholarly pictures from my recent trip to Paris.




I hope you all are getting through exams or stressful times at work, and seeing the Christmas lights at the end of the tunnel! I get home on December 15th, and can’t wait to see everyone and take some very necessary yoga classes; sitting in trains for so many trips has made my hips tighter than a steel drum. Pour me eh?

Lots of love
xox

Gaby


Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Switzerland

Hello!

I am just on my way back to home base in France and I thought I’d give a quick recap of my wonderful weekend spent with my cousins and their families in Switzerland. Little back story: when I was just a wee thing, my cousins Josh and Jesse moved to Switzerland to ski and decided to stay there indefinitely (short version). Fast forward fifteen years and I’m practically their neighbour in France, okay not really, I did have to take a bus, a metro, a car, and three trains, but you get the idea. I had a couple of weeks off before my exams so I thought I’d trek on over and see what they have been raving about for years.

Their little town of Levron was nestled on the side of huge mountains, and the view was breathtaking. On the first day, everyone was at school or work so I did a bit of exploring/hiking and snapped a few pictures. Other than that, and during a little family walk, I didn’t really take any pictures mostly because I was either a) too busy admiring the view or b) snuggling their precious little kids. Yes, I forgot to mention I was lucky enough to play with their two toddlers and two babies the whole time! Being away at school, I never get to hold any babies or go nuts at the playground with little kids, so it was lovely to be around the kids (even through the screaming and the diaper changes).






I also have to mention that one of the days three-year-old Isaac, Josh and Corinne’s son, said that I had “Elsa hair”, as in Elsa from Frozen. Be still my heart, I love children.

Another time, I had made pancakes for the kids and one of them was eating away and said “I found a hair” and sure enough there was a blonde curly hair in his hand. When I asked if he found it on his plate, he replied “No, in my mouth”… Sorry buddy!



  
My visit was jam packed with fun activities such as eating raclette at a market, hiking up to a castle, spending time in the sauna, drinking vin chaud, and skating. I loved every minute of it and I can’t wait to go back to show the rest of my family what’s been hiding up there all these years!

Thanks so much Anna, Corinne, and les boys!

xox

Gaby