Quaintrelle Weekender

Four ways to a better weekend

Welcome to Quaintrelle Weekender.

This is a short list of things I am currently loving to make eating, drinking, and hosting easier and a lot more interesting.

It’s a long weekend in Canada.

Officially, “Victoria Day,” unofficially “May Two-Four,” this weekend is always the start of summer to just about everybody (even though the technical start isn’t for another month.)

Next week, our American friends have their long weekend, and it seems Europe is in a perpetual long weekend, so here are a few ideas to get your summer off to a roaring start.

Get Beach Feet Ready

Revlon Wet/Dry Foot File

Guys, this is a revelation.

I bought this somewhat intimidating device a few months ago and resisted using it as it looked like I would potentially slice my feet to ribbons.

Returning from Italy, where I walked and hiked, quite literally, hundreds of kilometres over three weeks, my tootsies had morphed from tender to tough.

It was time to break out the big guns. And by big guns, I mean this seriously menacing foot file.

It took only minutes to go from calloused, dried-out hooves to soft and tender, totally touchable paws. And I did it while watching TV.

I was able to do it watching TV, because you can use this grater on dry feet, which I did, and it’s designed in such a way that the backside of the file is bowl shaped, with a snap-on cover, thereby catching and containing your foot detritus in a tidy, fascinatingly disgusting snow globe.

Spring Clean

Kärcher WV1 Plus 2-in-1 Electric Window Vacuum Squeegee

Because I lead a wildly intriguing, non-stop action life, I spend every May long weekend washing my windows.

And this year is no different.

Well, it’s a bit different because instead of spending 90 minutes on my two patio doors (six door panes total, inside and out), I’m blowing through them in minutes – with better results.

It’s all thanks to the nifty Kärcher WV1 Plus. After a reasonable charge of about two-and-a-half hours, this baby is ready for action, first soaping and squeegeeing the dirt away, then vacuuming up the soapy/dirty water. It also works magic on mirrors and glass tabletops. And it’s oh-so satisfying dumping the brown-grey water from the dirty water catcher.

To Drink

Limoncello Basil Spritz

If you were among the enthusiasts who attended last week’s Art of the Cocktail Party at Wine School, you now know how to make this drink for yourself. The group made this as part of the evening’s lessons. If you missed it, you could attend a tasting on the wine and food of the Italian south I’m hosting at La Cucina Studio in Toronto on May 23.

I love this drink for warm weather sipping – it’s refreshing, with a splendid balance between tart and sweet. It’s also flexible: if you don’t have basil use mint or rosemary; if you don’t have vermouth, use vodka or even gin, if that’s your thing.

To Watch

Apples Never Fall

Have you seen this show yet? I loved it. My dad hated it. My sister read the book and loved that.

It’s only seven episodes long so you can be the judge this weekend as you hide from the world to easily binge what I think is a compelling and highly entertaining murder-mystery, who-done-it miniseries.

Annette Bening and Sam Neill star and they are fabulous together and apart.

Hey – did you know if you check that little heart at the bottom or the top of this post, the magic internet fairies will show it to more people? And, seeing little hearts all lit up just makes mine light up too.

If you like reading Quaintrelle, it would mean so much to me if you could share it with a few like-minded winos, foodies, travellers, and party throwers.

And if you feel like saying hi, I love to hear from you.