It's really sad when you have a week where you made this awesome galette crust using a mixture of lard and butter which turns out even better than you were hoping and you are so busy that you don't have time to photograph any of it.  The silver lining is that I will be making it again this weekend because... damn.  You will all get a photo and a recipe.  I promise.
Additionally, due to the week mentioned above, we really didn't cook a whole lot else.  We most certainly did not bake... in fact, we didn't even think about baking.  What we did do though is survive the week and that's important because otherwise this blog would be difficult to continue.  Some of the things that helped 'us' survive the week are:

1.  The sun - The sun actually came out this past week.  It was one of the sunniest week's we've had in months.  It was also above 0° C for the better part of the week as well.  This means that I could continue biking to work each day resulting in a happier 'Work Wanda'.  On the flip side, I'm a little bitter that the sun decided coming out during the holiday break was a sucky idea.


2.  My Mom gave me an Amaryllis for Christmas and it's pretty much exploded.  It's impossible remain upset or seriously discontented when you look at the colour explosion.  It reminds you that there are some things that still grow into seriously beauty in the dead of winter.  There is no flip side to this point.

3.  This song has been on the tip of our collective 'family tongue' this week.  We've been humming it or singing it under our breath each one in turn.  Kid #1 burst through the door after school today.  She later started singing out loud when we were at our local bulk food store.  It's a great/creepy song - my tattoo artist agrees.  It's the only song on his playlist that I recognized.  The flip side here is that it's a bit creepy but really gets in your head and nothing else seems to stick.


4.  I've finally recommitted to coffee (there are a lot of double letters in those last 3 words).  It's a long story and I'm not sure I've ever delved into it here.  I'll give you the abridged version of my coffee saga and tell you that we had a torrid affair during my early twenties which left me shaky, feeling slightly nauseous and gave me a racing pulse (sounds just like true love, right).  I slowed us down quite a bit after that.  During my 'child-having' years (not saying 'thirties' - ok) we broke up.  I was done with coffee... until about 7 1/2 years later my BFF KT suggests that although our friendship isn't in jeopardy (because there is always red wine) it would definitely benefit from the addition of coffee as a third party.  Then I smell somebody's coffee at work (which I later, strangely, discovered was actually tea) and decid then and there that coffee and I are starting up again.  Love is like that sometimes, right?  It's not torrid anymore... it's just comfortable and nice.  I'm happy with that.  Flip side: now I'm all 'OMG Fair Trade Coffee...'

And just like that the holidays are over and it's back to normal and I for one am so happy to be going back.  In the winter we all get a little stir crazy being inside.   Oh I wish that I were more adventurous as a parent, sure.  I watch with awe and wonder at the parents schlepping their kids here, there and everywhere in pursuit of happiness and fun.  I'm not that parent.  I'm the parent letting their kid have a cookie at 10:30 a.m. because it's the holidays.  I'm the parent letting their kid stay in pyjamas all day and doing movie marathons.  I'm the parent who might not even say a word to her kids for 2 or 3 hours because your all off in a different room... maybe napping.  I'm not out snowshoeing.  I'm not out at the mall.  We are not skating.

Note: Them - Outside/Me - Inside... maybe napping

With that in mind, we've all had a ton of relaxation and down time and are ready to brave the rest of the winter and get back to a routine.  My Christmas ham is getting it's final send-off by going  bone and all into split-pea soup.  The wine is drunk.  The champagne bottles are empty.  Birthdays have been celebrated.  Mother-in-laws have been moved.  Gingerbread houses have been decimated.  We are having our last holiday visitors over today... the tree is gone (thank god - goodbye) and the alarm clock is set for tomorrow.
Things go back to normal.  Back to waking up before the sun gets up.  Back to listening to CBC 'Metro Morning' which ends at 8:30 a.m. so I don't think I need to explain why I didn't listen over the holidays.  Back to being the lessons and classes taxi service.  Back to really listening to news and reading the papers.  A return to my normal cynicism around the politics of change as opposed to the politics for theatre.  And hence, back to my regular frustration.  It's back to piano practice and homework after school and cleaning out lunch kits.
And finally, it's back to the comfort of the everyday and food that can be transported for lunches or work well as leftovers.  Enter: Squash.


Squash - that stuff I hated when I was a kid.  Squash - the stuff I only knew as a thing that you cut in half, de-seeded (never done by me mind you) and roasted with sugar and butter.  Sometimes it was bearable and other times it was the WORST.  Squash - the food that you tolerated for dinner and hoped that something better (like taco's or spaghetti from a can) was coming tomorrow.  Squash - the dinner guest that I discovered would come out of my brother's nose if I got him to laugh hard enough.  Squash - the stuff that I thought only came in dark green acorn and bright orange pumpkin.  Squash - the food that I would never in a million years have guessed could make a rather nice sweet loaf... seriously, who knew that one.
Now, squash has become synonymous with comfort food for me.  Roast that squash and it further transforms into amazing.  Put it with some sausage, greens and cream and you've got winter heaven in a bowl.  Honestly I don't need to eat this with anything else but it does go nicely with some pasta and would do well with rice or something like it as well.


Squash and Sausage Pasta Sauce
serves 6

3 cups butternut squash (or other winter squash), peeled, deseeded and cubed
1 cup onion
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cup mushrooms
3 cups curly Kale, diced
1 lb sausage, (I used Honey, Garlic) uncooked and thinly sliced
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 - 2 cups cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp salt
2 tsp italian seasoning
2 tbsp honey
4 - 5 cups rotini or penne pasta cooked to al dente, drained and set aside

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line a baking sheet.  Toss the butternut squash in melted lard or olive oil.  Place on the baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes (if it looks ready after 30 minutes in your oven take it out then).  Set aside.
Heat a large wok or dutch oven over medium heat.   Add 2 - 3 tbsp of lard or oil.  Add in the onion and cook for about 4 minutes.  Add in the sausage and garlic and cook together another 5 minutes.  Turn the heat down to med/low and add the mushrooms and kale.  Cook together for another 5 - 7 minutes (the kale should be fully wilted at that point).  Add in the roasted squash and mix.  Add in the paprika, nutmeg, salt, italian seasoning and honey.  Mix well.  Add in the broth, lemon juice and cream. Check the taste and adjust if necessary (I might add in a little heat for example).
At this point you can remove the sauce from the heat and add it to the pasta, mix well and serve OR plate the pasta and add the sauce over top on each plate.