This is time. Not coming up to Christmas. Certainly not January through March. It's this time of year. From the end of March until the end of the school year is the time that seems to slip through my fingers. I can't keep up with the date or which weekend is which because they are flying by so quickly. Before I know it the end of March has turned into the first week of June and spring has gone bye bye and I've somehow missed it all. The seasonal garden centre near my house is closing up shop and I haven't even gotten a chance to get in there let along put as much as a trowel into the ground. The rhubarb is as good as gone and I think that there might have been a long weekend and a wedding anniversary tucked in there but I can't quite remember.
I'm not sure why it happens. Could be in part due to the time change that we are forced to participate in twice a year (One guess as to which side of that argument I fall on) Might be that the days are getting longer - but one would think that might cause time to slow down a bit. Could also be that just when I want more time to stop and smell the roses that aren't quite out yet that's when everything else kicks into high gear. Concert season looms. The yearly concert tour is imminent. Events and gala appearances are piling up. Kids are gearing up for the end of the school year (and this will be our first  set of high school exams!) And let's not forget the many shows on netflix that I have waiting in my cue - haven't even touched those yet. Kid #1 and I are still working through season two of Gilmore Girls and it's taken us months to get that far.


Then there is this recipe. I was so happy that for one evening I had the house to myself. By 'evening' I mean two hours after 7pm. In that time I got the recipe out of the oven, seasoned properly, adequately photo'd and entire recipe entered as a draft. So much accomplished... and that was three weeks ago. THREE. I cringe and whither a little on the inside when I think about it for long.
As such, I've decided that Easter weekend will also be a second thanksgiving weekend for me because I need to remind myself of the things that are good and that will sustain me through the frenetic pace of the next 8 weeks.
1. Winter is gone. Even though it doesn't exactly always feel like it, it is gone. The temperatures will get better and better.
2. After months of mourning I have discovered (to quote the title here) that there is a god who cares about humanity. Here is my proof
3. Music still inspires me. Thank you D'Angelo, Kendrick Lamar, Hey Rosetta, SIA, Die Antwoord and Mafikizolo.
4. Cadbury mini eggs are no longer seasonal.
5. Nickel Brook Headstock IPA exists and is a beautiful thing.  Best part: it is available near me at a place that also serves great food.
6. I can run outside again without four layers on.
7. It is virtually impossible to destroy pork and beans.
What more can be said? I'm sure I will think of other things to be thankful for but the general theme will be unchanged. Happy Eastergiving.


My version of Pork and Beans
serves 6 - 8

2 - 3 lb pork roast
1 medium onion
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 med fennel bulb
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/4 cup navy beans, dry
2 boullion cubes
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 bay leaf
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp worcestershire
2 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
2 - 3 cups water
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
pepper sauce to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F
Heat a heavy bottomed/oven friendly dutch oven over medium/low heat.
Add about 3 tbsp of oil.
Add the veggies (except for the garlic) and turn the heat down a little. Heat for about 10 min, stirring to keep from sticking. add in the garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the boullion cubes, salt, bay leaf, brown sugar, worcestershire, soy sauce and water. Mix well.
Add the navy beans and mix, making sure that the water completely covers the beans with about a half inch of liquid extra.
Add the pork roast.
Roast covered for about 3 hours, checking every hour that the water is good and it's not going dry.
After 3 hours remove from oven and check the beans for doneness (are they soft) and the pork as well (it should be more than enough time). If it needs more time then put it back in for another 30 minutes at 250°F and check again.
Once everything is done, remove the pork from the bean mixture.
Add the tomato paste, molasses and apple cider vinegar to the beans and mix well. Check taste and add salt or more molasses if necessary (and a little pepper sauce in there as well ;-)
Cut the pork roast into large pieces (or large chunks if it is just falling apart like mine) and place back in with the beans.
Serve with mashed potato, crusty break or nothing at all.

.... And Cue May.
Just like that you get back from Italy and barely settled back into life and then it's May and life spins away from you.  Not two weeks ago I hadn't dreamed of signing up for coaching track and field (Let's just fill in some blanks here.  I didn't exactly know what I was signing up for.  I've only recently learned that I will be on the track at 7:15 a.m. on Monday morning.  People will pay for that one... they don't know it yet but they will pay), after school choir rehearsals hadn't started and the after school cooking club that I volunteer with was still on 'Italy Tour' hiatus.  Now all of that has changed... AND it's May.  May brings with it spring concert season.  The first one starts tomorrow for me (yes - I'm doing a concert people - this is not a choir) and the last one is at the beginning of June.  May is still dwarfed by Christmas for concerts but just barely and when you consider that there is a Mother's Day and an anniversary or two thrown in there that tips the balance ever so slightly.
The silver lining to all of this is that it's now bearable to be outside in Toronto.  I had two lunches outside this week - count 'em... TWO.  I was outside in short sleeves and I don't have to wear a jacket in morning when I ride to work.  It feels like summer vacation is around the corner even thought it's really not.  Sitting outside eating lunch, watching the world walk by and taking maybe about 10 minutes longer than you should is proof that summer vacation mode it hitting hard.  Walking a little bit further for that morning coffee is further proof.
There is a kind of nervous energy that takes me over at this time of year.  It's hard to explain but it's almost a compulsion.  I can go and go.  I don't need to sleep as much.  Eating doesn't seem as important as going unless it involves a patio and a beer.  I just want to be moving and/or outside.  However, we need to eat.  I can't spend every day on a patio and my kids will certainly not get well fed on patio food though it would be fun to see how far we could run with it.  I managed to settle myself enough and eek out enough time to make this quiche which I'd been eyeing for a while.


Quiche is weird.  It is satisfying in a odd way but leaves me wanting more often than not.  I can't figure out why that is.  I don't know if any of us truly love it around here but at the very least there were no outright protests.  Kid #2 did not indulge but we didn't press it either.  The sweet potato crust added something new and exciting [!] to the quiche repertoire but at the end of the day it's still quiche.  If quiche is your thing then you're gonna love this stuff.  If you are interested in adding more sweet potato to your diet for some reason (Health I'm guessing) then this might be just the thing to jazz your weekend cooking.  If none of this has quickened your heartbeat at all then hard luck - I'll make something else and hang it up here and you can see what you think.  


Sweet Potato Crust Quiche adapted from FarmGirl Gourmet
makes 1 quiche

3 cups (a little more is ok too) sweet potato, pealed and shredded
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 egg
salt and pepper

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp dijon
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 cups cheddar shredded

4 cups veggies(cooked ones work well)/ham mix (I used roasted leeks, roasted red peppers, roasted tomatoes and ham)

Preheat the oven to 450°F
Butter a 9 inch springform pan.
Place the shredded sweet potato into a large square of cheese cloth (you could use an old dish cloth too but don't expect it to get clean again) and squeeze out a significant amount of liquid - not sure how much to tell you but the sweet potato should feel a lot drier than it did before you started.
Place the sweet potato in a bowl and add the flour.  Mix until everything is coated with flour.  In a small bowl whisk the egg and salt and pepper together.  Add to the sweet potato and mix until coated.
Pour the sweet potato mixture into the prepared pan and press in until it's running up the sides evenly and is uniform in thickness.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until it's just becoming firm to the touch.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and milk until fully combined and just becoming slightly frothy.
Add in the salt, nutmeg, paprika, dijon and cayenne and mix well.
Add in the cheddar.
Place the veggies and meat onto the crust.  Pour the egg/cheese mixture over the top of everything.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 350° F and bake for another 30 minutes or until the centre is firm and not liquidy anymore.  Crust should be nicely browned at the top.

Well, this is it.

First of all, apparently a Ham is not really supposed to be called a 'Ham' unless it is the leg (Derek has done some thorough research).
Secondly, this is Derek's first attempt at Christmas Ham (even though ours is not the leg). It has been a tradition for his Mom to do a wonderfully home-cured Ham each year (along with Black Cake and a couple of other mouth watering Trinidadian delicacies that I won't mention yet). This year they (Derek and his Mom) decided to do it here in Toronto. I had nothing to do with this venture, it's all Derek and I think that it's impressive enough to merit some Blog space!
Derek cured it using a big needle and all!!! Quite a process all told. Sometime I'll do a more in-depth look at meat curing but for now just know that it requires time and space in the fridge for a couple of weeks (at least) and patience for those waiting to indulge.
Derek cooked it today and here is the result (notice the incredible tasty crackling on the top!!!)

I'm proud of Derek (xoxo) and my belly is happy!