Are you a city person or a country person? or a little of both?

That reminds me of this song by Donny and Marie. (now I’m really dating myself) 

Anyway, I love the peace and quiet of the country, the closeness to nature, the lack of traffic!

But for me –  I really love living in a city. Having great food, really good coffee and fun friends all pretty close is amazing.

Walking to my favorite coffee shop or buying a great pre-made dinner on my way home is a pleasure I don’t take for granted.

My three favorite things this month are kinda local but are things you could find in any urban environment.

1. Smoked Pork Chops. Stay with me on this one! the smoked pork chops from Empire Provisions (on the corner by my house) or Sunterra Market are soooo good. I made a simple rub with mustard powder and cayenne, then a glaze with brown sugar and beef stock and they were divine. I love the wide variety of easy dinner options from both these neighborhood stores.

2. Cortados. The best way to have a coffee! Cortados are espresso, with a small amount of milk. I like it because a latte is sometimes to milky and an espresso shot alone is too bitter. It stays hot while you drink it and you can taste the espresso! I especially like Monogram coffee – it is not on the menu but they know it and will make it for you.

3. Fragrance. It is funny because I never used to wear perfume – but the pandemic changed that for some reason. No one really can smell me with the masks but… I enjoy it!

I have three to recommend but fragrance is such a personal thing – I recommend testing these first. These first two can be tested at either Saks or Holt Renfrew, both stores only found in cities!

The first I am loving is Black Orchid by Tom Ford. This is not a fragrance for the faint of heart, it is described as a spicy floral but it is not flowery at all. It lasts forever and changes and softens as the day goes on.

The second is a more subtle fragrance by Aerin Lauder called Amber Musk. This one is much more transparent than the Black Orchid, but it is really lovely. It has notes of Amber and Musk obviously but also coconut water and rose.

The third scent is for patchouli lovers only. I did not actually buy this one but I tried it out at Community Natural foods and I had people stop me in the store (twice) to ask me what I was a wearing. It is called Dirty Hipster and is a made in Calgary solid perfume.

Do you have a favorite scent? Let me know in the comments below!