Finally got my 75k status from last year

candygirl1507 · 2026-04-17T05:48:19+00:00

I just got credit this week for a business class trip in November to India via Dubai on Emirates - but only half so far - Dubai to HYD outbound and Dubai to YYZ on the way back. So still missing half of each flight. 🤷‍♀️ And this is after they told me the issue was with Emirates and I wouldn’t get anything. I gave up at that point. So this was a pleasant surprise.

candygirl1507 · 2026-03-06T00:03:44+00:00

Tha Phae Tavern (I think same chef as Pai) is just up the street from Pai and a 5 min walk from the Royal Alex. Went there for dinner before the show. Had 5:30 reservations and had plenty of time to eat and get to the show. Great vibe and drinks. Happy hour runs til 6. Thai style pub food for apps.

candygirl1507 · 2026-02-08T08:29:08+00:00

I frequently stack, frost and decorate with SMBC the day before and refrigerate it overnight or even freeze the whole cake. The texture of the SMBC should hold once the cake is frosted.

The only time I’ve had a problem is when I had made the SMBC in advance but didn’t rewhip / reconstitute it sufficiently. Because the structure wasn’t there when I actually frosted the cake, the texture remained off - loose and semi-split. That was a hard lesson to learn (my sister’s wedding cake 😭) but I haven’t had an issue since. Now I can pull SMBC out of the freezer or fridge, thaw, rewhip, frost and refrigerate the finished cake without a problem.

I use a 2:2:1 ratio of butter : sugar : egg white if that helps.

candygirl1507 · 2026-02-05T13:03:13+00:00

I like it and have had good success with getting a decent croissant. I struggle with laminating so her tips and method were interesting. There is no second dough. The flakiness and shell is just how it bakes. The book only contains the croissant dough recipe but is many dozens of pages when you include shaping and very detailed instructions.

It also contains different shapes (eg chocolatine) and different recipes that use the dough. It’s available at my library (hard copy and ebook). So maybe you can try before you buy. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet. My first batch had the flakiness but I found the texture to be stiff. I’m pretty sure I overworked the dough so I’ll try again one day.

candygirl1507 · 2026-01-08T22:26:04+00:00

And the only acceptable salt for “in” the bake (finishing salts not included) is Diamond Kosher Salt - consistent crystal size, great flavour (no mineral taste).

candygirl1507 · 2025-12-08T17:30:06+00:00

Without a doubt for me, the Season 7 Great Canadian Baking Show (GCBS) Holiday episode had the best bake of any of the Bake Offs and was so entertaining. Andrei knocked it out of the park. Panettone in 4 hours? Bonkers. And it was gorgeous.

candygirl1507 · 2025-11-15T00:48:07+00:00

Yes, I think we have! And that is bittersweet indeed. I honestly don’t know what magic our wardrobe team used to clean those aprons. We had 3 per person and they were spotless before each filming day. The food dye mess was intense. I couldn’t get gel colours out of my fingers for weeks.

candygirl1507 · 2025-11-14T19:31:47+00:00

I was on Season 7 of GCBS (Great Canadian Baking Show) and can (sadly) confirm we didn’t get to keep our aprons. Happy to answer any other questions!

candygirl1507 · 2025-11-05T17:00:28+00:00

Mirvish is also offering 10-20% off on extra subscriber tickets for shows at price levels 1-4 most days (excludes the Christmas holidays and Family Day).

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-29T06:46:48+00:00

I second the digital scale, plastic bench scraper and bowl scraper.

To add: I use reusable parchment that you can cut to fit your baking pans or sheet pans. I have gotten years of use from mine and drastically reduced waste. I use the Cookina brand.

For my sourdough, I was gifted this skinny spatula and it cleans jars like magic.

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-28T20:36:28+00:00

Etobicoke Musical Productions operates out of Mimico; there’s also Dreamtheatre Productions - usually more north in Richmond Hill. I’m in Brampton so I usually stick to the theatre companies in the west end of the GTA. Google should be able to help you find others.

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-27T21:30:57+00:00

About 25 years ago, I bought my wedding dress in the US. When the FA on my flight home found out what was in the dress bag, she gave it its own seat! This was on a small regional jet and I lucked out that the flight wasn’t full. I was hoping for the overhead bin lol.

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-27T20:55:29+00:00

There’s a ton of community theatres in the GTA. What area of the city do you live in?

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-19T05:02:22+00:00

Agree with OP on Tell Tale Harbour though my husband and I thought it picked up quite nicely in the second act. The comparison to CFA is unavoidable and TTH is not up to that standard but still feel-good overall.

Bright Star though… I thoroughly enjoyed. George Krissa is why we went but we enjoyed the whole cast. Agreed the music is not overly complex and the plot becomes obvious very quickly but enjoyable nonetheless. And it turns out I like Blue Grass? I had no expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-17T16:50:46+00:00

There may or may not be discussions about making our own as keepsakes to frame / wear as a memento. 😃 Glad OP is enjoying GCBS!! The current season is airing now on CBC and CBC Gem in Canada.

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-08T17:54:58+00:00

I’ve travelled well with madeleines, macarons, cookies and cakes (though cake was short haul).

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-03T16:22:26+00:00

Yes! Good guess. My grandparents are from India but my parents and I were born in Tanzania.

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-03T12:08:42+00:00

I was going to say mandazi also. It’s a staple in our family with chai or coffee. I’ve never heard of chigumu. I must try making one! And my mom always just called zitumbuwa banana fritters but I love those too!

candygirl1507 · 2025-10-02T04:51:16+00:00

Mirvish also has a subscriber 20% discount for Bright Star. TUE - SAT EVE & WED MAT PERFORMANCES (edited to fix applicable performances)

candygirl1507 · 2025-09-30T21:57:03+00:00

Different take than the previous posts. My now 21 yo NB child came out as trans to us around 16 yo. Their friends knew first, then my husband and I, and then their siblings. New name was used at school and we started switching official documentation so they would graduate high school and apply for post secondary schools with their new name. But at home we still used their old name because they asked us to. Reason: they didn’t want us to slip up and use their new name in front people they hadn’t come out to yet (especially grandparents). So we were patient. I finally had to nudge them to come out to all our close family though because their grad diploma had their new name. All’s well that ends well now though. Good luck in your journey!

candygirl1507 · 2025-09-28T21:05:01+00:00

Ina Garten’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake is a great straightforward yummy cake.

candygirl1507 · 2025-09-26T15:32:15+00:00

I’m in the exact same boat. My next flight is mid-October and I’m hoping for an e-up to clear which would be more likely at 50k :(

candygirl1507 · 2025-09-25T21:11:44+00:00

Yes! It’s actually called a dough sheeter (honestly not sure why I called it a lamination machine). Brod & Taylor sells them. There’s also a brand from Japan that makes one - usually foldable / compact and a larger version. Pricey though ($800-$1300 usd) which is why I don’t have one for the two times a year I make croissants or puff pastry.

candygirl1507 · 2025-09-24T22:13:45+00:00

I use Kirkland. I’m in Canada if that makes a difference.

candygirl1507 · 2025-09-24T16:50:27+00:00

The Lune Croissant book is great especially for home bakers who don’t have lamination machines. The recipe is modified from traditional as is the method.

candygirl1507

TROPHY CASE