Not me!

But coming up is graduation. My friends who are getting married this summer, are finally graduating from their institutions (heh heh) right before they tie the knot.

Maybe I will think of grabbing some sappy graduation songs to tease them with at their wedding. Maybe Alice Cooper’s – School’s Out.. for.. the summer!

But seriously, we have to get busy. We need a graduation party for them and it cannot be too over the top or too casual. Something like an elegant BBQ.

With gorgeous linens, nice glasses, actual plates (I am not a fan of throwing anything away especially plastic plates, cups or cutlery) and set somewhere on somebody’s gorgeous patio overlooking all of Toronto as we sip and cheer to the end of books to welcome real life.

If nothing else, those of us weary professionals who have already been in the work force for 3 years, can at least kick back and drink some sangria (alcoholic and non-alcoholic for those of us who don’t drink), to celebrate the beginning of summer with friends.

Now, just to find the friend, and a time when we can all actually make it to one spot at the same time. Can you believe it? It was so true. After you leave school, you have to book months in advance to see your friends. I never thought I would see the day.

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I call it lazy because prep time is low, I’m just mixing sauces, and the only hard part is mashing down the potatoes.

Chicken

Marinate chicken

Mix the following ingredients until it’s an even paste
Blobs of Oyster Sauce
Drizzle of Soy Sauce
Honey

Rub the paste into the chicken

Tuck a couple of smashed garlic cloves and bay leaves into the chicken

Put the chicken skin facing up

Heat up the oven to 250 and start by grilling the top of the chicken skin until it’s crispy

Switch off the grill function and just let it bake until cooked and when pierced, juices run clear… or when the bone doesn’t look too pink.

Mashed Potatoes

Boil potatoes.

Bring the water to a hard rolling boil first, then gently put the potatoes in, and lower the heat so it’s a gentle boil.

20 minutes at medium-to-high heat

Put a couple of salt rock crystals in the water for flavour.

Remove potatoes after they’re done, let them cool after shocking them with cold water to stop them from turning black.

Peel the skin chop them up and start forking them down into a mash.

Optional Addition:

Remove baked garlic cloves (hopefully cooked) from the chicken after it’s been fully cooked.

The idea is that some of the marinade from the chicken will be in the garlic/on the garlic and you can add a little flavour to the mashed taters.

Smash and grind the minced, cooked garlic into mashed potatoes with some salt and pepper, and a pat of butter or two.

I also added some other seasonings like Wafu Japanese Vinaigrette that really gave it a sort of tangy, creamy flavour. Totally delicious.

Mix until you decide that the lumps in the mashed potatoes are not such a huge deal any longer and you can live without smooth, creamy mashed potatoes because you’re really hungry.

Or, until your arm hurts from forking that damn mash.

Serve and wait for praise that should be forthcoming.

This is the other option: Tear off ALL the bits of chicken so that you don’t have to get your fingers dirty.

This is an eating quirk of mine, because I hate touching my food with my fingers when I eat, and getting utensils and my face dirty.

I prepare EVERYTHING ready-to-eat before I actually eat it.

Additional Veggies

You can decide to stir fry some green beans, add onions to the chicken or whatever you want. Totally up to you.

For this dish, I didn’t buy green beans because they’re a ridiculous price of $3.99/LB or around $8/KG.

Other Info

Portions: No clue. I just eat whatever I want to eat until I’m full.

Calories: Are you kidding me?

I only put butter in the potatoes, and if you want to watch your fat intake, just don’t eat the delicious, crispy chicken skin that is one of the best parts of chicken in my opinion.

Here it is again:

YUM!

Plus sized clothing is one section of the fashion industry that just keeps chugging along so slowly.

I know plus sized fashion it is FINALLY starting to become more fashionable, and I am seeing more stores that have cuter, normal-looking plus sized clothing that isn’t all black or some funky print in a fabric that not even Christian Siriano from Project Runway would have deigned to use.

But I think a lot of work still needs to be done in that arena.

While I am not a plus sized girl myself, I am pretty lucky to be fitting in a range of size 2 – 6, depending on the retailer and the fabric.

(No really! I fit into my old size 2 dress the other day. Never mind that I could not actually move comfortably in it, but I still “fit”. Technically.)

I tend to stick to size 6s just because of the comfort it gives me, but it really depends on the fabric. Sometimes I can’t even squeeze into a size 10 because they made it so uncomfortable.

With the desperate lack of REAL plus size fashion retailers, it is refreshing to see a Plus Size Catalogue from the United Kingdom that looks like.. *gasp* an actual fashion website!

A couple of really cute looks?

How about this flattering black applique gown for upcoming Prom?

Or this cute summer top that looks extremely comfortable yet stylish?

And my last favourite, this stone cropped jacket with the cute little buckle detail across the front

There are lots more on the site, and all I can say is.. does it come in MY size now?

I’ve figured out a way to calculate the true cost of anything you buy.

It’s simple:

Take the item you want to buy and figure out what accessories you want/need to buy with it, and calculate it as a total cost.

For example, with my Garmin Nuvi 255W GPS system I knew it’d cost around $250 before tax, but I had to buy a case to carry it in, something small, sleek and easy so that I don’t leave the electronic gadget in the car.

By the way, did you know that thieves (in Montreal and New York) can now scan for electronic devices in the car, even if they’re turned off and hidden well?

Do NOT leave anything electronic in the car! AT ALL. Take it all with you when you leave.

I’d have to factor in:

Garmin Nuvi 255W GPS: $250
Small slim carrying case: $25
Total = $275 before tax

Which meant I had to think about saving up $325 to buy the GPS system, or at least be willing to shell out that amount.

Products from Apple, especially those iPods and iPhones are a glut for accessories. I know!

So next time you want to buy something – a pair of shoes and you need a pair of tights or heel blister pads, or shoe grippers to wear with those pair of shoes, you should calculate it this way:

Pair of shoes: $100
Tights: $20
Heel pads: $10
Shoe Grips: $10
Total = $140

And that’s all before tax!

So readers, what do you think?

Do you do something similar before you buy anything?

Or do you just buy it and figure out the wants/needs later?