Looking Back: 30 Years

Happy New Year (23 days into 2016, so it still counts)! How was your 2015? How were your holidays? I hope everyone had a wonderful end of year. I love how everything feels so festive in December, twinkly lights and decorations everywhere. The atmosphere is fun and light, especially at work when everyone is looking forward to some time off.

I actually made this pie on Christmas Eve because I was hosting a family dinner with my dad and brother. I figured Howard likes citrus flavours and my brother loves meringue that this pie would be the perfect dessert to serve. It was . . . but it tasted better the day after when I brought it to my in-law's for Christmas day dinner. Letting it set and chill in the fridge actually tasted better than fresh!

Speaking of chill, do you have Netflix? We watched a lot of shows during the holidays that had us doing all-nighters. My whole sleeping schedule got flipped thanks to the addicting series. We managed to finish Luther, Narcos, and started Making a Murderer. Have you seen these shows? What did you think? What would you recommend we watch next?

I'm deciding to make this a combination post too. Not only are we celebrating national pie day, I also want to chat birthday. I've also hit a new milestone, I'm officially in my thirties!!! Way to make myself feel old there. My favourite cousin recently turned 13 - gasp, a teenager - and I remember babysitting him as toddler. He's still not taller than me yet, I hope that takes a bit more time (we have a height bet). It's amazing how fast time flies. There has been so many neat changes in the past year alone that I'm excited for this year.

Looking back, here are thirty highlights:

1. WE GOT MARRIED! Finally!
2. Had an amazing and memorable honeymoon in Jamaica. Which reminds me, I want to share that in a post soon.
3. In Jamaica, we visited the Luminous Lagoon. Very cool experience, we'd recommend going if you get a chance.
4. Tried scuba diving for the first time. 
5. Met new relatives that flew in from Taiwan and South Africa.
6. Felt the love at my bridal showers. Good friends and colleagues are hard to come by, so when you do find them, make them bake and cook for you.
7. We were fortunate enough to squeeze in some travel. We visited Chicago and flew Porter for the first time!
8. Work perks: Met Judy Blume and had my book signed. Had my photo taken with Chef Curtis Stone. Ate dinner with Alan Doyle. Shook hands with Al Gore. Saw Chef Michael Smith. Shook hands and had my booked signed by Chris Hadfield. Felt the excitement when Ethan Hawke and Rainn Wilson were in the office. Seen Margaret Atwood roam the floors.
9. Helped plan Anne Michaels' book launch for The Adventures of Miss Petitfour. She's a fantastic reader and there were sea shanties.
10. Gained a godson because we're awesome godparents. Still watching in awe as our goddaughter becomes more vocal.
11. Survived an office move. Boxes of books are incredibly heavy.
12. Made new friends with new colleagues thanks to the merge.
13. Switched from the editorial department to the marketing and publicity department. Every day is a learning experience, but we do such cool things.
14. Working with the coolest children's marketing and publicity team ever, I love my pod.
15. Finished watching Veronica Mars as numerous interns vouched for it. It lived up to the hype.
16. Lost at Pongapalooza. In the first round.
17. Made lots and lots of bunting. Then more and more. I've been given the title Baroness of Bunting.
18. Also been given the title Countess of Cake.
19. Featured in the Globe and Mail as an office model.
20. Had an amazing dinner at Grand Electric's Champagne Room.
21. Discovered my new favourite chocolate chip cookies recipe!
22. Had my hair coloured and my nails done for the first time.
23. Got a waffle maker. Just you wait for all the waffle posts.
24. Saw the Pan Am excitement around the city of Toronto.
25. Gave pop pilates a try and was surprised I enjoyed it.
26. My orchid bloomed!
27. Not getting cable and just having Netflix was the best decision ever.
28. Discovering canelés. Ugh, craving one now.
29. Howard surprised me with a spa date. His first one ever!
30. Booked an ambitious trip to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Taiwan for 2016.

And if you were just here for the pie. The recipe is from the New York Times, which they adapted from Alice Water of Chez Panisse. If you read the comments, you'll see that lots of people doubled the lemon recipe. I ended up doing so as well and it gave the pie a nice inch of lemon filling. I also found that the lemon filling set better in the fridge, despite the recipe's instruction saying not to place it in the fridge after letting it cool for one to two hours.

Recipes: Flaky pie crust | Chez Panisse Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie