I saw this posted by a friend on FB. The article managed to almost capture a conversation that I've had over and over since getting back from our trip. In fact, D and I were discussing this very thing just yesterday over a well-deserved, relaxed and very enjoyable beer. When you go away with kids it is a trip. A trip is not necessarily a vacation. There are times when an event can be both a trip and a vacation... I guess, if that's your thing. I'm beginning to think though that travelling to a place you've never been before and staying in a wonderful new city or town or villa or whatever may never mean that I am having a vacation. If vacation means relax, read endlessly at breakfast with my coffee in hand, not have to think about food for even a second, stare contentedly at my umbrella topped drink, not even once have to read something in a language other than my mother tongue... then yeah, why would I travel somewhere wonderful for that. I can do that at home... mostly. If I'm in a new place then I want to see it and be a part of it. Walking around is my favourite way to do that cause I really do think that on foot you have a chance to take a place in... wander a bit. Weaving through streets and parks and taking turns that you might never consider in a car or be able to get to on a bus.
Nope, we took a trip. With our two kids on an overnight flight (they did better than we did with that), our destination in a 6 hr ahead time zone, got through customs, rented a car and drove about 45 minutes away from the airport to a place we'd never been to before. We stayed for a few days about 45 minutes outside of Amsterdam in a lovely, quiet 'trailer park' - these are not the north american trailer parks... think small cottages (2 bedrooms or more) on a compound and all with boat access to a lake. We travelled to the North Sea for a friends wedding. We hopped on a plane and spent a weekend in London whooping it up with family. Saw as much of downtown London that we could in 3 hours. Hopped on another plane 72 hrs after arriving and found our way back to Amsterdam. Stayed in Amsterdam for another 3 days before plopping onto a big plane and landing back in Toronto.

One of our rare family shots with D's wonderful university buddy on my right... the best host ever!

Just outside the only museum we dragged our kids to.

The small row boat on the left was used to completely embarrass my children when I took them out in it... and rowed terribly of course

It was wonderful. It was exciting. It was not frenetic but it was NOT doing nothing.
We still cooked. We walked through markets. We searched for ice cream. We made sure that a nose piercing happened. We kept kids happy, healthy and entertained (which isn't really much of a chore with our kids) and it was amazing but make no mistake... it's not a vacation. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

One of the few indulgences...

My morning coffee oasis

Did I mention that we threw in a weekend in London... family reunion and all

St Paul's just in case you needed further proof

On one deliciously hot, steamy night with jet lag throwing us all off our game and not really knowing what the hell was in the fridge of the cottage, this is what I found and threw together. Everyone was very happy.


Fridge Pasta 
serves 4 (maybe)

2 cups dry pasta - rotini, spaghetti, fusilli, whatever - boiled to al dente, drained (reserve pasta water) and set aside
1/2 cup onion (or green onion, leek... whatever) diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, thinly sliced - or green pepper or eggplant or sausage or mushroom or whatever
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken diced - or cooked hamburgers, or hotdog sausages or whatever
1/2 cup tomato, finely diced with juice
1 peach - or nectarine or plum or whatever - peeled, diced and crushed
1/2 cup beer or stock or wine or milk
1/3 cup pasta water
1/4 cup cream
2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
- optional - pinch of pepper sauce (cause I never leave that)
1 tbsp lemon zest or orange zest or lime zest
1/2-3/4 cup cheese (any cheese) diced
1/2 cup fresh herbs - parsley, chive, oregano, whatever - coarsely chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium heat
Add about 3 tbsp olive oil.
Throw in the onion, garlic, red pepper and zucchini. Cook over med/low heat for about 7-10 minutes or until softened and beginning to brown nicely.
Add in the chicken and heat for another 4 minutes.
Add in the tomato and peach. Mix well
Add in the beer/stock/whatever and pasta water. Stir for two minutes.
Add the cream, salt, pepper, lemon zest and pepper sauce (optional)
Mix well and heat through (about 4 minutes)
Check the taste and adjust if necessary
Turn heat off and add in the pasta. Mix well
Take the whole skillet to the table and sprinkle the diced cheese and the fresh herbs over everything.
Serve.

We have just arrived back in Canada after a 10 day jaunt to Amsterdam and London. The trip was wonderful and crazy and deserves it's own post. It will be given what it deserves but for now I will tell you that generally kids above the age of 4 are probably more flexible than we give them credit for  and specifically that D and I have the best kids to travel with.
Among some of the people that I had the privilege of meeting was a beautiful woman at a party. She is bright, articulate, full of personality and crazy fun - generally one of those salt of the earth types that you feel grateful for having in your life. During the course of our conversation (during a big party, over the course of many hours and just as many drinks BTW) she began to talk about how lucky she felt to be with her partner whom she feared was out of her league in both looks and physique. I of course told her that was ridiculous and rhymed off some of those easy to see attributes that I've written above. It made me sad though. Sad because she was so clearly so open and loving, smart, capable, funny, mischievous, fiercely loyal... need I go on? Sad because I highly doubt that her partner was wandering around the party hand wringing about how beautiful and out of his league she was. Sad because we so quickly get caught comparing and judging ourselves against an impossibly limited physical standard. Sad because that no matter what anyone says to us, we all know that we will have to wrestle with the same inner dialogue when we wake up tomorrow. Sad because I'm there too. If she is reading - you never know - I want her to know how lucky I feel having had the opportunity to meet her and how truly beautiful I (and many others) think that she is. I have no solution.


Every once in a while you make something that everybody asks for once it's gone. In my family this usually does not include anything with visible vegetables in it. In fact, I can't remember either one of my kids asking for a repeat of something without adding 'but without the ________' to the request.
Then I made this.
The heavens have opened. The gods have heard my cries and have granted me 3 wishes - or whatever. They liked this. They all liked this. I think that kid#1 was setting up for a 'but without the asparagus' adendum but when the recipe is pretty much half asparagus and your parent is giving you a look that means internet privileges might be on the table if she doesn't like your answer, you think hard before uttering sound.
With the exception of mirin and/or sesame oil you should everything for this recipe on hand (any med/lg supermarket should carry them though and they are worth having)


Asparagus and pork stir fry   adapted from bon appetit
serves 3 - 4

1 lb ground pork (I used honey garlic sausage, casing removed)
1 bunch (med/small) asparagus, ends removed and cut into 2 inch strips
1 1/2 cups broccoli or brocolette using mostly the flowerettes
3 tbps sesame oil
1 tbsp lard or other oil
6 - 7 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
3 tbsp mirin (fish sauce)
3 tbsp sherry or red wine
3 heaping tbsp honey
1 veggie boullion cube
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
3 tsp corn starch
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or finely grated
dash of pepper sauce or red pepper flakes
a little water in case the corn starch does it's job a little too well

In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, mirin, sherry, honey, bullion cube, worcestershire sauce, and corn starch. Whisk together and then add the crushed garlic, minced ginger and pepper sauce. mix well and set aside.
Heat a wok over medium/high heat. Add the sesame oil and other oil to the wok.
Add the ground pork to the wok breaking the meat apart as you go.
Cook for about 4 minutes
Add the asparagus and broccoli. Mix and continue to cook together for 5 minutes (turn the heat down a little if necessary)
Turn the heat down to medium and add the soy sauce mixture. Mix and continue to simmer for about 4 minutes.
Check the taste and adjust if necessary
Cool just a little before serving - goes great with rice.

Most of the time I just order pizza. I got it into my head that I wanted to do something new, something different but with components of things I had already done. I was also feeling tired, stressed and maybe a little more tired. D and I go out together sometimes. We try once a week but often it's more like every two (or three). Work doesn't always agree with our date night and kicks up a fuss. This was also a night when D and I were about to go out. Most of the time I just order pizza.
I soldiered on. Slapped the dough together and stuck it in the fridge. Got the filling stuff together. The kids were getting hungry but that's ok. I'm really tired. Kid #1 gives up trying to talk to me because I'm distracted, grumpy and probably a little incoherent. Kid #1 leaves, escapes to room and closes the door. She hadn't stopped texting through the entire 'conversation' so I'm sure she is fine.
Kid #2 asks what's we are having for dinner. Daddy and I are going out. Can I come? No. Kid #2 groans and then sighs deeply when I tell him about the exciting thing he is about to eat for dinner. I might not have been coherent but I think that I was. Kid #2 stomps upstairs, goes to room, reads on my kindle... my kindle.

I have way more filling for this than dough. What else could I possibly do with all of that filling. I'm putting it all in. I don't care. It will taste better. Everybody is gonna love this and it's gonna be amazing. Both kids need to clean the lunch containers out of the backpacks incidentally.
Determined. All the filling goes on top of the rolled out dough. All the pepperoni. All the cheese. All the sauce. I start rolling up the dough. This is dumb because the filling is everywhere. I really want to go out. My head hurts. I think that Kid #1 just yelled down to me but I'm not sure. Probably talking on the phone... wait, nobody does that anymore.
I start to slice the bulbous, red blob that is waiting to become my masterpiece. I'm elbow deep in more filling than I can manage. I bet you didn't know this - because I didn't - pepperoni doesn't slice well. There are big slices of pepperoni falling out of everything everywhere. I'm really frustrated now. Kid #2 is practicing piano which means he races through his two beginner pieces at break neck speed despite about a thousand mistakes. 3 minutes later he is done and I am hacking the pepperoni slice dough log, slapping the 'pinwheels' onto a cookie sheet and stuffing filling into every crevice I can. I need a shower.
They bake, I clean up.
They are done. This is not as exciting as it should be.


Kid #1 eats one and says it tastes good. She doesn't have another.
Kid #2 stares at plate and sighs. He eats two bites under duress but I'm pretty sure that as soon as we close the door he's got cheetos and rice crispies on standby.
Usually I just order pizza.
Make this at your peril.


Pizza Margarita's adapted from Here
makes 9 - 10 medium sized buns

Dough
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Dash basil, oregano
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/3 cup shortening or lard
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup milk (approx)

Filling
1 1/2 cups (approx) pepperoni, thinly sliced
1/4 cup zucchini, thinly sliced (or something like mushrooms would work well too)
1 cup greens (spinach, kale, chard), thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups (approx) tomato/pizza sauce
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp worcestershire
1 1/2 tsp salt and a dash of pepper
1 1/2 cups mozzarella, grated
1/4 cup (approx) parmesan, finely grated

Dough:
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, basil and oregano together. Mix well.
Add in the parmesan and mix
Add the shortening or lard and cut it into the flour until it forms a loose crumbly mess (pebble sized balls)
Add the olive oil and about half of the milk. Mix until the liquid is incorporated. Add just enough more milk for the flour to form a cohesive dough ball.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about a minute or two - until the dough is fairly smooth and soft (not tacky), add a little more flour as you knead if necessary.
Wrap in plastic and set aside in the fridge (about 10 minutes is all that is needed)
Preheat oven to 400°F
Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon liner.

Filling:
Combine the pizza or tomato sauce, basil, sugar, worcestershire, salt and pepper together. Check the tastes and adjust if necessary.

Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until you have formed a rectangle shape 20 - 25cm by 35 - 40 cm. Dough should be about 2 - 3 cm thick.
Spread the tomato sauce over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle with the greens and the zucchini slices. Place the pepperoni slices over that. Sprinkle with the grated mozzarella and finish with the parmesan.
Carefully roll the dough up long side to long side.
Carefully slice the roll into about 9 or 10 thick slices and place each on the prepared baking sheet leaving space for expansion.
Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and bubbling like a crazy hot mess.
Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes before attempting to eat.

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.

It's summer.  I realize that turning on your oven in the middle of the hottest season may not be your thing.  If you have been reading me for a while (say at least as far back as last summer) then you might have gathered that I'm not big on the grilling/bbq thing.  In fact, that is an understatement.  I don't care about it to the point of considering selling my bbq... if it were in decent enough shape to sell that is.  It's not.  There is almost no time that I even consider using my bbq in favour of my stove/oven.  I don't know why.  It's a fault I guess.
It may be one of those nature vs nurture things.  Once the weather got decent enough in southern Ontario, my Dad would unveil the bbq, clean it and get it fired up.  We would bbq on weekly basis for the most part.  Now when it comes to food, my Dad is into simple and honest.  Having said that he's come a long way - he now believes that garlic is something that could conceivably be used in a recipe without wrecking it (I think that he even goes as far as eating garlic bread once in a while), he also has been seen consuming pizza (something that the rest of us had to eat when he had already gone to bed because it was gross) and I have even seen him eat lasagna - stop the presses.  I am told by my Mom (whom I just assume is honest and trustworthy) that Dad ate chicken curry once and although I'm sure it's true I will only fully believe when I see that with my own eyes.  Back then though, Dad was a farmers kid to the bone.  Garlic was something you hang around your neck in case of vampires, pasta may or may not be a real food and only if served with potatoes as well.  BBQ meant meat, on a grill, cooked through (really cooked through) and served... buns optional.  Rubs, sauces and garlic nowhere to be found.  It didn't sell me on grilling and perhaps that is what has stuck through all of these years.  It's a great excuse story and I'm just gonna go with it.
We will fire up the bbq if we are having people over for dinner or a big party or something but it seems like such a bother to do it otherwise.  And we make sauces.  Sauces are essential - D is the sauce man for the most part.  The sauces get put on everything.  Would you like some chicken with your sauce would not be an inappropriate question.  Veggies are also essential.  On a skewer, preferably marinated and when done right might just outshine the burgers and chicken.  It's a production.


No grill was harmed in the making of this recipe. A oven was heated up about it though but unharmed as it turns out.  For those of you who may be hardcore bbq people at this time of year I think that there may be a very good way to make this whole recipe happen on your grill.  You could grill your veggies in the marinade at low heat and then get the grill up just a bit and do the pie itself.
This has nothing to do with anything really but I thought that you all should know that kid #2 has eaten only hotdogs for the last 60 hrs.  Extended 8th birthday celebrations.  I'm not joking... even for breakfast.



Fennel, Pepper and Sausage Crostata
serves 4

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded
1/3 cup ice water

Filling:
1 lb sausage of choice - whole and uncooked
1 red or yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1 inch thick strips
1 lg or 2 sm fennel bulbs, washed and cut into 4 or 5 pieces
1 med/small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch strips
salt and pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup mozzarella
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 300° F
Place all of the cut vegetables on a large baking sheet.  Add the sausage.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle on the brown sugar.
Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Toss everything together and spread out evenly on the baking sheet.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 - 20 minutes

Meanwhile:
Combine the flour, salt, sugar and parmesan together in a large bowl.
Add the cold butter.
Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry cutter until the butter is no bigger than little peas and everything looks kinda of crumbly.
Add enough of the ice water to keep the dough together in a ball but it shouldn't be too wet.
Cover the dough and let it chill for about 30 minutes (you can let the veggies and sausage cool)

Put it all together:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Line a large baking sheet with parchment, cornmeal or a silicon liner
Slice the cooled sausages into 1 cm thick rounds
Roll out the dough (edges should be rough not even) to about 1 cm thickness and place on the parchment.
Spread the cooled veggies and sliced sausage evenly on the dough leaving about a 3 cm edge around the circumference.
Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheese on the top.
Fold the edges over on to the veggies. Brush the edges with a little olive oil
Bake for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown at the edges.
Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

I have a few problems with pesto.
I'm a little ashamed to admit it because pesto is decent tasting and it's easy to make.
My first problem is that I never know quite what to do with it.  It's supposed to work with pasta - just tossed in pasta... and not much else.  I'm not a tossed pasta kind of person typically so that's just lost on me.  D is not much of a tossed pasta kind of person either.
I've also seen it used to coat meat.  Usually chicken.  Chicken that I'm going to stick in the oven and bake or that I'm going to cook on the stove top.  Just chicken and pesto.  I'm not much of a 'just chicken' cook.
Pesto works well on bread.  As an appetizer.  With tomato and cheese or something.  I'm not much of an appetizer cook either.
The texture is weird.  It's creamy/goopy but also leafy.  That feels odd on my tongue.
It can also be a pretty intense flavour depending on how you make it - and because I make my own it can get pretty intense.  I use a lot of parmesan.  The intensity can overwhelm easily I find and it has to be well balanced out.  I always reach for cream or a creamy cheese to add in but it does add to the richness.
As you can tell by now, even though I like the idea of making pesto I'm a little lost when it comes to using it.  This means, of course, that the pesto remains in my freezer for undetermined (read: LONG) time.  This is not good for pesto... or pretty much anything.


I'm not exactly sure that pesto and asparagus/fiddleheads are a good combination but somehow this worked.  Considering I found the pesto in the back of the freezer and it had no date on it, it's amazing that this worked at all.  At least it worked the first day.  This is not one of those baked pasta things that gets better the second day.  It gets way too dry for my taste.  I would recommend making this at a time when you have a few hungry friends coming over and maybe not when you are undergoing kitchen and house renovations.
I'm not really selling this recipe I realize but if you have the right situation to serve it in OR like a sane person make about half of the recipe then you will be fine.


Asparagus and Sausage Pesto Pasta Bake
serves 8

1 lg bunch asparagus (about 1 1/2 cups), ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 - 2 cups fiddleheads, stems removed
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 - 4 cups spinach, washed, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 lb sweet sausage (I used honey garlic), casings removed
1 boullion cube
1 1/2 cup pesto (I used homemade but store bought is just fine)
1/2 cup chèvre (soft goat cheese)
1 cup milk or half and half (5%)
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
pepper sauce (optional - you know I'm gonna throw in a little half tsp or so)
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup parmesan, finely shredded
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
3 cups cooked pasta (rotini, penne), cooked to al dente, drained (save the water though) and set aside

Preheat a large sauce pot over medium heat.
Add in about 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil.
Add the asparagus and onion, turning down the heat to med/low.
Cook together for about 4 minutes.
Add the fiddleheads, red pepper and garlic.  Cook for another 4 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add in the sausage meat and mix well, cooking together just until the meat browns.
Add in the bouillon cube and mix well.
Add in the pesto, chèvre and milk.  Mix well and let everything come back up to temperature.
Add in the worcestershire, honey and balsamic vinegar.
Add in the spinach, parmesan and 1/2 of the mozzarella.  Mix well and cook just until the spinach has wilted and the cheese has melted.
Check tastes and add salt and pepper as necessary.
Add in the cooked pasta.  Mix and add enough of the pasta water to make the mixture reasonably thin (I used probably about a half a cup)
Pour everything into a large baking dish and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top of the pasta.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until the mozzarella on top is bubbling and golden brown.
Cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Things that 13yr olds do quickly (this will be short)
1.  Eat
2.  Brush teeth
3.  Prepare lunch for school (doesn't really matter... refer to #1)
4.  Washing dishes (or any other chore that you've asked them to do... and you will probably have to redo it once they are 'done')

Things that take 13yr olds and excruciatingly long time to accomplish
1.  Getting out of bed
2.  Showering
3.  Getting dressed
4.  School projects
5.  Collecting clothes for laundry
6.  Getting information to a friend (now called texting and apparently it takes about 50 texts to get some simple homework information)
7.  Making themselves understood - because apparently that string of words (I'm pretty sure it was english but not positive) you just pelted towards me was supposed to have some meaning for me personally but it's going to take another 15 minutes of painstaking effort to break it down so that it becomes fully understood.
8.  Cleaning their room
I will end here because this list could go ad infinitum.

Kid #2 has been cleaning her room for a total of 1 1/2 weeks now.  She has thrown out as much garbage in that week and a half as our entire household would in 3 months.  The house reno has  included some work in her room and we decided to paint while we were at it (why not, right?)  This has upset her entire universe.  It meant cleaning up first and foremost.  Who would think that cleaning up a small room could take so long.  The books still have not make their way back to their shelf.  She has no room for anything (her words) but doesn't seem to understand that a closet could potentially be used to hang clothing in and not just piling things on the floor - this would help create more room elsewhere, right?  'Things fall off when I put them on the hanger'.  Yeah - probably because you are not using a hanger properly.
I don't understand why you still need to keep the broken (yes - broken) snow globe from 8 years ago.  Take a picture.
I don't understand why you are keeping the packaging from something you received as a gift 5 years ago.  It's packaging.
At the end of the day, I've decided that I really don't understand the 13yr old brain at all.  


Some things are simply not for me to understand.  What made total sense to me however was that I needed to get food into this 13 yr old belly very quickly because a low blood sugar meltdown was about to ensue.  This recipe comes together fast, tastes good and they don't have to chew it very much (refer to #1 in the 'quickly' list - digestion can be an issue).


Asparagus, red pepper and ground meat strata adapted from 'Pretty Yummy Foods'
serves 6 - 8

1/2 cup onion, diced
two bunches of asparagus, ends removed and cut into about 1 1/2 inch strips
1 cup red pepper, medium slices
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb ground meat (I used a mix of beef, pork and lamb)
1 1/2 boullion cubes
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp marjoram
1 tbsp chives
1 1/2 tsp salt
water
4 thick slices of bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups cheddar (I used old cheddar) shredded
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Butter a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
Turn the heat down to medium/low and add about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the onion.  Cook for a couple of minutes and add the red pepper, garlic and ground meat.  Cook together for about 8 minutes or until the ground meat is almost cooked through (you will need to stir regularly to break up the ground meat).
Add in the asparagus strips and mix well.  Cook for another 4 minutes.
Add in the bouillon cubes, worcestershire sauce, honey, oregano, marjoram, chives and salt.  Mix well and add just enough water (about 3 - 4 tbsp) to keep everything from sticking and pull anything off of the bottom of the pot.  Check for taste and adjust if necessary then turn the heat off under the pot and set aside.
In the baking dish add the cubed bread and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  Toss to mix.
In another bowl whisk together the eggs and milk.
Add the egg mixture to the bread.  Mix well.
Add the asparagus mixture to the egg/bread stuff.  Mix well.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the middle of the pan isn't liquid and the edges and top are golden brown.

Yay Me.  I think that this may be the first week in many many many where I have managed to get two posts out.  I'm feeling a little self congratulatory about it and may even make up some kind of award for myself.  On second thought, maybe I will wait until my track record starts to become consistently better before going the award route.  And with that, off we go on what promises to be one of my most scattered posts to date.
 For mother's day/anniversary (which happened on the same day this year) D gave me a new camera lense which I love and am getting used to whenever I have time to play around with it.  I'm looking forward to some hikes, portraits and lots of food shots with this lens.  I have gotten a little time to play though and done a couple of head shots for D who was doing a show this week that required such things.
In other news:
1.  Our house is all over the place right now.  We have finally organized ourselves enough to fund a reno and fix project and have taken the plunge.  What this means is that I have 50% of a kitchen (which will probably become 0% very soon), that our front stairs have no flooring on them and that our backyard space is a combination of rotting deck (that is soon to get ripped out), drywall and dead cabinets.  We are purging like crazy (easy to do) and trying not to get frustrated (hard to do).


2.  Our kids have applied, auditioned, gotten letters, been put on waiting lists and finally have both gotten into schools of their first choice.  The relief I feel about this is palpable and when they were on waiting lists for one reason or another I felt a real sense of failure as a parent.  My reaction surprised me and I haven't taken time to pull it apart yet.
3.  D is having a crazy May.  I am having a crazy May and it just fuels my i-hate-december-and-may thing.  The problem is that this crazy that's been going on doesn't exactly look like it's letting up any time soon.  TIRED.  Silver lining - refer to #, sentence 2.  $$$

This has to be my worst photo on this blog... and who would do this to a cake BTW?  A seven year old apparently.

4.  I haven't baked in a long time - except for today when I was asked by kid #2 for a cake to celebrate his school acceptance (please refer to item #1).  I haven't calculated how long exactly but it's a long time for me - over a month for sure.  Feels weird... when I have time to think about it.  I also haven't gotten my bike out yet.  This is very very weird and it has to end.  I took my bike in for the annual tune up today.
5.  I had an interesting conversation with a colleague about how I am doing (or not doing) and what some strategies might be to feel better about myself.  My non-work life is angst ridden and changing all the time which is guess is normal and healthy.  Parenting is stressing me out... I'm learning to deal with it.
6.  It's a good thing that I remembered to pull this out of the fridge, heat a bowl up and take some pictures of it the day after I made it because very very shortly after that it was gone.  Of course that's a good thing because it means that it tasted good.  Even better is that this is good for you (I'm going to studiously avoid using 'healthy').  There is meat in here but you could definitely leave it out and add in more beans without losing much.  I get more buy in with kids when the meat is present.  If the meat doesn't buy you anything then go for a meatless version.

Playing with the new lens and nailing the background focus totally.

7.  You may be wondering why you haven't seen these wonderful, life changing pictures of the fiddlehead ragu.  Turns out, after all of my self congratulation, that my sd card got compromised.  So I have some lovely reno shots, a shot of basil and some of the cake that kid #2 asked for (refer to item #2).  Well that's funny.  After going back to bed and crying into my pillow for a while, D suggested I post the recipe anyway because it was so good.  The flattery worked and even though you are seeing tools, basil and a cake this is a really good recipe that you should try and if you think to take pictures send them to me please.

Fiddleheads, Sausage and Bean ragu
serves 6 - 8

1/2 cup onion, diced
2 med carrots, coarsely sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb sausage, uncooked and cut into slices
1 1/2 boullion cubes
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 1/2 (approx) cups fiddleheads, stem tips removed
2 - 3 cups spinach, stems remove and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
400 ml (1 small can) cannellini beans, half drained
1/3 cup water (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper sauce (optional)

Heat a heavy bottomed dutch oven or pot (I used a caste iron thing) over medium heat.
Once heated, turn the heat down to med/low and add about 2 tbsp of oil or fat.
Add in the onion and carrot.  Cook for about 7 min or until the onion is starting to caramelize.
Add in the garlic and sausage and cook together for another 5 minutes.
Add in the bouillon cubes, oregano, basil, soy sauce, ketchup and worcestershire sauce.  Mix and cook together for another 5 minutes to let the flavours mingle.
Add in the fiddleheads, cumin and salt.  Mix well
Add the half drained cannellini beans and the spinach.  Mix well and cover, turning down the heat to low.  Uncover after about 20 minutes.  If it looks a little dry add in some of the water.
Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes more.
Check the tastes and adjust if necessary.  Add a little pepper sauce.

Serve with mashed potato or rice.

It's taken me so long to get this post out that I've forgotten what I took pictures of.  After having checked the pictures I'll be honest with you, I'm still not a hundred percent.  Nevertheless, I'm not one to let a little thing like bad memory get in my way, so I forge ahead.  The pictures look good.  I think that this was vegetarian.  Not super sure but pretty sure and since vegetarian is a thing that most of us are happy to have more of I'm gonna run with it.  If you see something that looks suspiciously like meat don't worry, it's just large chunks of mushrooms (or something).

As I look back over my last few posts I'm a little distressed at the lack of savoury food and also simply the small number of posts.  Yikes - where have the last two months gone?  I'm home today with a sick 7 year old.  Since he is running around and playing energetically with lego, I'm wondering if I wasn't conned.  However, heavy eyes, a slight fever and some whimpering this morning convinced me that staying home was a good idea.  This has given me time to get a post out.  It has also given me time to catch up on work emails, have a pleasant morning coffee at home and sift through the photos for this post... and find these photos as well.


I guess that kid #2 enjoys not just watching the stuff on the computer but feels compelled to document the occasion with pictures as well.  I should just be happy that he is doing it all in french and shut up.

It's amazing how full your brain can be and yet you can have absolutely nothing to say.  That is how I've been feeling lately.  Quiet.  Possibly even uninspired.  I am working on inspiration but it can be a hard thing to drum up.  I've been scouring pinterest for ideas (it's not really working though), pouring over some of my tried and true cookbooks (nothing yet) and... well that's it really.  Maybe inspiration will come with better weather.  Maybe my paradigm is changing.  Who knows.  The thought of subsisting on beer (craft beer though - come on) and chips for the rest of my life doesn't sound to me like the worst fate.   That should give you some idea of where I am at the moment.
Fortunately this malaise hasn't affected my cooking ability.  In fact, when I do cook everybody tells me it's amazingly delicious, etc.  Even better than usual (that's what you call a back handed compliment I think).  I churned these suckers out because I had feta cheese in the fridge that was going to start giving way to the bacteria that was threatening to turn it fuzzy and blue.  I'm told that the suckers were good.


Now I am going to do something with bananas (my freezer has gifted me with a lifetime supply) and possibly make some soup for the sick conman(kid) who says he is craving see-through soup.  Wish me luck.


Veggie Pinwheels
makes about 9 medium sized pinwheels

Dough:
2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1/3 cup shortening (I think that I used half lard and half cold butter, cubed)
3/4 cup milk

Filling:
3/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lg bunch (about 4 - 5 cups) greens (kale, collard, chard - I used chard) finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
2 tsp salt
1 boullion cube (I used a low salt, veggie one)
1 tbsp each, basil, oregano, parsley
dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp dijon
dash of pepper sauce (optional)
2 tbsp water if needed
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup cheddar (havarti or brick would also do), shredded

Dough:
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and turmeric.  Mix together. Cut in the shortening (or lard and/or butter) with a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture looks crumbly.  Add enough milk to the mixture for it to form a ball but not be too wet.
Set aside.

Filling:
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
Add in about 3 tbsp of oil.
Add in the onion and celery and turn the heat down to med/low.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onion is wilted and beginning to caramelize.
Add in the garlic and bouillon cube (crumble it with your fingers).  Cook together for about 2 more minutes.
Add in all of the other ingredients except for the feta and cheddar.
Cook together until the greens are wilted (add a little extra water if the mixture gets too dry).
Add in the feta and mix well.
Set aside to cool slightly.

Putting it together:
Preheat the oven to 400°F
Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicon liner and set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough in a rectangular shape about 1/2 an inch thick.
Spoon the filling onto the dough and spread it out evenly.
Sprinkle the cheddar over the filling and roll everything up along the long side of the rectangle.  Cut the tube into pieces of about two fingers thickness and place flat side down on the cookie sheet - leave some room in between each one for expansion.
THIS WILL GET MESSY.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges of each roll are turning golden.
Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

I'm all in.  It's been one week.  I am 1/6th through and I'm all in - I've bought the farm so to speak.  Jumped into the deep end.  I've decided to stop thinking about how hard it will be and just do it.  However, that gets difficult when there is no beer at home to dull the senses.  I've learned my lesson and am working to correct the situation.

A friend put some comic thing from bitstrips on FB about me.  I hate bitstrips.  I don't feel the need to be in my own personal comic strip.  I don't find them entertaining.  In this case, it's fine.  I swallowed my hate.  I smiled.  I left a nice, if slightly strange, comment and have moved on.  I love my friend.  She's a real friend and not just a FB friend.

Our Mayor is still the Mayor which is weird because nothing else seems to be happening in this city but figuring out what to do with the Mayor.  I wish that we all got this upset about his governing (or lack thereof) and not just the crack smoking, constant inebriation, domestic issues and alleged criminal connections - although all of those things add up to quite an impressive resume to discuss.  All of this has come out over the last two weeks.  Imagine where we'll be by the end of November.  I was going to link you all to some Rob Ford article or other but there are so many.  Just google him and you can check out all of the tawdry details yourself.

I am conducting one of our choirs at Mass tomorrow.  I don't really know what I'm doing.  I'm not really a conductor.  I fake it.  The boys do this every Sunday from September through June.  They know what to do.  If I forget to tell them to stand it's ok - they remember and do it themselves.  If I forget which way the go to line up for the Eucharist, it's ok - they line up on their own.  Tomorrow happens to be the one Sunday when we are being taped by a tv station.  The Sunday I am subbing and trying not to look like I don't know what I'm doing.  Oh.

I forget that this time of year sucks.  I forget that it's really hard to get out of bed.  I totally forget that I always feel like I can't move out into that dark space outside of my door past 7pm.  I went for a long run today and remembered that when I don't run it's ten times worse.  Biking is great.  Biking gets me to work and it helps me feel like I've accomplished something good.  However, running is my happy drug.  Especially in the winter.  There is no replacement for it and I need it like I need medication.  I cannot go for five days without my medication.  I started to feel like a human being again.


This recipe leaves me with one 3 lb bag of turkey left in my freezer.  I will pull that bag out week after next.  I don't yet know what I will do with that turkey.  The second to last bag in the freezer turned into Turkey Paprikash - which turned out well and I wish that I had written the recipe down so that I could share it - and this orzo thing with butternut squash.  I guess the Paprikash thing really makes this 'Leftover Turkey #6'  The squash really needs to be roasted.  It just does.  The recipe is tasty and although it didn't get gobbled, it did get mostly eaten entirely.  A month of turkey later that is saying something.



Turkey and Roasted Butternut Squash Orzo
serves 6

1 med butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
4 tbsp oil or grease
1 small onion, sliced thin
2 1/2 cups leftover turkey or chicken, cut into big chunks
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups chard, thickly sliced
3 cups turkey or chicken broth
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mixed herbs (parsley, oregano, rosemary, marjoram is a nice mix)
pinch of cayenne, chipotle powder or pepper sauce
pinch of saffron
pinch of cumin
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp honey
3/4 cup orzo (cooked for 3 minutes in boiling water, drained and set aside)
1/2 - 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup cream

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine the butternut squash chunks and the oil or grease of your choice.  Mix to coat and place the chunks onto a baking sheet in 1 layer.  Bake for 45 minutes, tossing half way through.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat a large dutch oven over low heat.
Add a little oil and add the sliced onion.  Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
Add the garlic and turkey or chicken.  Cook for about 2 minutes.
Add the Worcestershire, soy sauce and herbs.  Mix to combine.
Add the turkey or chicken broth.
Bring to a simmer and add the saffron, cumin, salt and honey.  Stir to mix and add in the orzo.
Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the chard and mix.
Cook for another 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and add the roasted butternut squash and the parmesan cheese.  Mix to melt the cheese.
Add the cream and stir to mix.  Check the taste and adjust if necessary.
Serve

Trust me, we are not even close to the end of our turkey leftover adventures but from here on out I'm going to have to space things out a bit because we're all getting a little edgy about it.  There's more grumbling and whining happening for sure and now that there is also hallowe'en candy to sneak attack, we're eating more of that than the healthy stuff.  Who can blame all of us really.  I cringe a little every time I look at those bags in the freezer.  My brain hurts when I try to think of some new and wonderful thing to make with the stuff.  I made cauliflower, broccoli soup with some of the turkey broth but held myself back from throwing in some shredded turkey as well.  I feared absolute mutiny.


Last weekend I made these meatballs because I thought - Who is going to turn their nose up at meatballs.  Nobody did.  They gobbled - I had to hold them back... until I put them in the sauce.  The sauce for me was the best part but for the rest (especially Kid#1 and #2) these meatballs were much more enjoyable on their own.  What would that make them?  Appetizer.  How do you make plain meatballs part of a meal?  I'm not sure if that even registers for me.  I don't understand it.  I need sauce to feel like a whole person.  Without the sauce each kid ate at least 5 meatballs as soon as they were cool enough not to burn their mouths.  They didn't eat any dinner after that.  I guess that you could try these without the sauce and see if you like it enough to eat them all (it makes a lot) without any help OR you could also make the sauce and add only if necessary.  The sauce was nice enough for me to eat on it's own but whatever, kids have a weird sense of taste... or else I do.

The Meatballs free of any 'icky' sauce

In other news, I tried curling yesterday.  Curling is weird.  A weird Canadian sporting activity that originated in Scotland.  Not as weird as Cricket however.  Considering you have to slide a 40 lb granite ball along pebbly ice and hope to god that it lands somewhere in the vicinity of the bulls-eye at the other end of the rink and doesn't hit someone's foot or make it's way into someone else's game along the way, it's a pretty uptight sport.  Again, embarrassment has never phased me much so a couple of full on face plants on the ice didn't deter me.  After figuring out that my butt needs to stick up in the air more things generally got a whole lot better.  Any game that requires such vigorous butt raising can't be all bad.  I would do it again but only if there was the promise of an evening of alcohol in a very warm place afterwards... and I could play with some interesting butts.
I'm trying very very hard not to get all out of joint with our current Mayoral Bull*&%t but I'm finding it hard not to feel a little depressed about it.  If you haven't heard about it then count yourself lucky and I'm not going to fill you in on the details.  Besides, you can get the basics here.  Have a Happy Weekend.



Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
serves 6

Meatballs:
3 - 4 cup cooked turkey, diced small (I used the giblets too)
3 small cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced small
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp italian seasoning
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp pepper sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 veggie bouillon cube
3/4 cup ricotta
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 lg egg
2 tbsp oil

Tomato Sauce
1 med leek, sliced
2 red or green peppers, thinly sliced
2 med cloves garlic
5 - 6 leaves lacinato kale (or any green really)
3 cups tomato, diced
2 tbsp worcestershire
1/2 cup red wine or water
1 tbsp italian seasoning (or a mix of dried herbs)
1 heaping tbsp brown sugar or honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup tomato paste
dash of pepper
dash of pepper sauce (optional)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Meatballs:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon liner and set aside.
Use a blender or a food processor (much easier - I had to stop the blender every few seconds, stir everything and pulse again.  Stop. Repeat. Bored) pulse the turkey until it resembles the texture of mush.  Add the garlic, onion, salt, italian seasoning, worcestershire, pepper sauce, soy sauce, dijon mustard and bouillon cube to the mixture and pulse again and again until it's all mixed in.
Pour into a bowl.
Add the ricotta, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, egg and oil.
Get your fingers in there and finger it all together, through your fingers and mix it all together.  Mix until everything is well blended.
Shape a large spoonful into a meatball and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Once all of the meatballs are ready, bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and the bottoms are brown.
Remove the oven and set aside.

Tomato Sauce:
Heat a heavy bottomed pot over med heat.
Add about 3 tbsp of grease or oil.  Heat it for a minute.
Add the leeks, peppers and garlic.  Turn the heat down to med/low and let it sweat together for about 12 minutes or so.
Add in the diced tomato, worcestershire, wine, brown sugar, salt and tomato paste.
Simmer over med/low heat for another 15 minutes.  It will cook down quite a bit.
Add the kale, pepper, pepper sauce and parmesan.
Let it cook for about 5 minutes or until the kale is wilted.
Add in the meatballs and remove from heat.

Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes or regular pasta.