October

October is a busy month around here. Two of my daughters have their birthdays, there's Thanksgiving and then the ever entertaining Halloween. What is also awesome is Lindsey. She is a local baker in my neighbourhood who makes fantastic cakes like the one above. She's affordable and she delivers right to your door. Plus she's got the cutest little voice. You'd think she just inhaled some helium but really she sounds like that all the time. Maybe it's from all that flour and icing sugar she's consumed. What I like most about her is that I don't have to bake to have a great looking cake for my kid's birthday.
So happy birthday my Ruby and kudos to Lindsey and her fantastic blue ballerina birthday cake!

When I am forced to bake I always use the following fail safe icing recipe.

Chocolate Icing
from Marilyn Smith's ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health

2 tbsp unsalted non hydrogenated margarine
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 tbsp chocolate soy milk
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder

Heat margarine, chocolate, and soy milk over stove at low heat. Pour melted mixture into medium bowl. Add icing sugar and cocoa powder and beat until smooth. If it's too thick, add some more soy milk until desired consistency is reached. Spread over baked good or eat straight from the bowl.

The C Word

Yes, it's true, I haven't posted in a while. I have good reason. My mom's Lymphoma has morphed into Leukemia. Her doctor has advised her to get her will in order and gave her a life expectancy of less than two years. She consistently amazes me with her optimism and general perspective on life. She walked into the doctor's office expecting to be given months to live but instead has potential years. It's not good news but better than she'd hoped. As she put it, she's "had a good run of it".
I lost my dad suddenly almost a year ago. He was perky and over for dinner on Friday and dead by Monday. There was no chance to say goodbye.
Now the clock is ticking. I have one parent left and only for a short while. I really can't imagine a world without my mom, and it makes me cry every time I think about it. This whole death thing really sucks.
Through all the tears there are glimmers of joy. I am enjoying my husband, my mom and my kids more than ever. We all went out for dinner on Friday night and we laughed so hard I almost peed my pants and drooled ice cream at the same time.
My mom has taught me that life can always be harder. Recognize and enjoy the positives of your situation. Right now, at this minute, my mom is alive and well, and I'm going to see her tomorrow. I won't always get to say that, so I guess I'm having a pretty good day.

It's hard to know what pairs well with Leukemia. Pork chops seemed like a tasty option. I made these for my mom last week.

Pork Chops with Spiced Apples and Raisins
Tyler Florence Real Kitchen

Pork Chops
1 gallon of water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sea salt
1 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 fresh sprigs of thyme or rosemary
4 bone in pork chops
sea salt and fresh pepper
olive oil

Spiced Apples and Raisins
2 tbsp butter
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme or rosemary
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of cardamon
pinch dry mustard
sea salt and fresh pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine water, sugar, salt, apple juice, peppercorns, and thyme in a large pot. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Submerge chops and put pot in fridge to tenderize the meat. Do not brine longer than 2 hours or your meat will get mushy.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sear pork chop in heavy skillet. Brown 4 minutes per side. Place in large baking pan and roast chops for 30 minutes or until done.

While the chops cook, melt butter in clean skillet over medium high heat. Add apples, and thyme, and coat in butter. Cook and stir for about 8 minutes. Throw the rest of the ingredients in the pan and stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the apples soften. Spoon spiced apples over pork chops and serve.

Haikus of My Summer So Far

Crap, it's summer break
Too many kids, too much time
September please come now

Crafts, parks, bikes, splash pads
I can do this, it won't beat me
Am I Supermom?

Burgers on the grill
Ketchup, mustard, relish, bun
Cold beer, I need some

Water and sunscreen
Cheese sticks, crackers, apples, lunch
Ferries, Centreville

Summer is fleeting
Precious time with my wee kids
It all goes too fast

Buttery Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
1/3 cup butter
2 tbsp fresh minced rosemary
sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until 3/4 cooked. Drain and set aside. On stove top, melt butter and add rosemary. Heat gently for 3-5 minutes. Toss potatoes with butter mixture and wrap in foil. Place on BBQ on medium/high heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Miss Chatelaine

I just subscribed to a year of Chatelaine magazine. Well, truth be told, it is on my To Do List. I have been intending to subscribe for at least 6 months now. It seems to take me a little while to
get my chores done. I'm good at reading mags, just not subscribing to them in a timely fashion. We can't all be perfect now can we?

My Chatelaine love has been my dirty little secret for some time now. I always thought it was a fairly lame magazine. Too boring and too mainstream for me. I was always an avid reader of Bitch and Bust magazine, but since kids I haven't had the brain power to get through an article without losing track of what they are talking about. Of course, it's possible that's due to my early onset of Alzheimer's. It's not an official diagnosis but I'm expecting one any day now, I just keep forgetting to call my doctor.

One of my best friends was over the other day. She's a very hip lady. I was passing on some of my books and magazines to her. She very politely declined the Chatelaine. She was surprised by my love and as an awkward amends she told me she had just gotten her 70 year old mother a subscription. It didn't make me feel like a very cool cat. It was either that or my lame use of forties jazz slang.

These are the things I love about Chateleine magazine and am not afraid to admit; 1) the recipes that I will never try 2) the workouts that I love to plan for but never do 3) the book suggestions that I will never remember when I'm at a bookstore. So in summary, it is plainly obvious to me and all my readers that the boring and mainstream Chatelaine magazine is a perfect match for me.

I am thinking of legally changing my name from Alysa to Miss Chatelaine. Please address me as such when I see you next.

Gluten and Dairy Free Quiche with my friend Bacon and my acquaintance Broccoli
(I was unable to come up with a catchier name)

8 eggs, beaten
1 cup of plain soy milk
5-7 new potatoes
3 or more slices of bacon, diced and fried until slightly crispy
1 head of broccoli, cut into fine pieces
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl combine eggs and soy milk. Set aside. Slice potatoes an 1/8 thick and boil until 3/4 cooked. Grease an 8"x 8" pan, and throw all the ingredients in it. Bake at 375 F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Backyard Pesto

I've been feeling a little uninspired lately with my cooking. This whole dairy, gluten, and sugar free world I'm catering to has cooked me into a corner. I'm not feeling the love in the kitchen. I need the love if I am meant to cook the love. I don't even like shopping for food right now, and that is usually the only kind of shopping I like.

So I hunkered down for a solid 3 minutes to peruse a few cookbooks. Due to time constraints, I didn't get through many but I did get slightly inspired. I decided not to go shopping and use the food I have at home. I kept it simple, and who knows it may work out. Tonight we are eating sweet potato fries, edamame with sea salt and sesame oil, white beans with corn and backyard pesto, and salmon salad served on romaine lettuce leaves. I'm sure my kids will recoil in disgust, but at least I'm excited about having dinner. It's been a long time.

Backyard Pesto

1 big handful of basil
1 small handful of chives
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Throw it all in a cup and blend with a hand blender. I opened a can of white beans, and after rinsing them, tossed them with two tablespoons of pesto. Then add cooked corn from half a cob.

Candied Bacon

Yet another post about bacon. There are some peanuts in there for a little variation. I had some friends over the other weekend for dinner and my friend Joel brought candied bacon and peanuts. It was delicious. I know I've said it before but is there anything bacon can't do?

As a complete aside, I need to brag about my afternoon. I haven't had much babysitting lately so I've been feeling a little burned out on the parenting side. Nothing to worry about, it's just that I haven't been as fresh as I could be in that department. My mom took my girls and the dog out, and Jess was downtown. I had a list of chores to do but decided to first lie down on my couch and enjoy a silent house for a few minutes. I think you know where this is going...I had a nap! Holy cow it's been a long time. It was awesome!

Perhaps even better than the candied bacon.

Candied Bacon and Peanuts

When I asked Joel how he pulled off his bacon delight, this was his response. It was concise and to the point, kind of like bacon itself. Rumour has it that Joel is part man, part bacon.

Just kinda winged it.

THICK (old fashioned) bacon from Loblaws in toaster oven for about 20 minutes at 350 meanwhile melted brown sugar in a pot and added some maple syrup. Finished the bacon in the pot - just a minute. Took em out and threw a bunch of peanuts on lower heat for about 3 minutes. Chop bacon, mix and cool in fridge.

Employment

I have not been gainfully employed for some time now. I know, I know I've been doing very important work here at home. That ain't gonna buy me a new pair of shoes now is it? It's coming up to 7 years at home. What skills could I possibly have left? Well I do rock at multitasking and have excellent customer service skills. What more do I need? That should get me several high paying gigs. Oh I forgot to mention I am very good at slack-assing, dog walking, choosing fun over chores, and jumping in the car with the kids for impromptu road trips.

I wish I was one of those people who honed a skill for a decade before staying home. Then I'd at least have something to fall back on. I'll be starting from scratch. So if you know the perfect job for me, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you. And if you are hiring, please replace slack-assing with ass slapping when you read above. I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me.

Lemon Rosemary Potatoes

In this gluten free world I'm living in, I am trying to find some love for the potato. I think I've found a little here.

20 new potatoes
1/4 cup of butter (or more if you love your butter)
the juice of two lemons
2 sprigs of rosemary
sea salt and fresh pepper

Boil your potatoes until tender. While potatoes are cooking, melt your butter in a pan. Add rosemary until it softens a little. This should only take a few minutes. When potatoes are cooked, drain them and toss them in a bowl with the rosemary butter. Add salt and pepper and pour on lemon juice. Toss again and serve warm.

Please Accept my Ravioli

It's been pointed out to me that I've been, well, a little absent as of late. I'm still interested, but it's complicated. It's not you, it's me. Maybe we should just be friends. Oh forget everything I've just said. I could never break up with you. I've got a long list of of perfectly good reasons why my blog has been on the back burner. If you have had a good amount of whining in your day, you may want to skip this post.

Here we go and it's not in order of importance. Jess is on a dairy, sugar, gluten and booze free diet (a.k.a. the no fun diet) that has put a dent in my love of cooking; we got a dog; the laundry keeps piling up; I had to paint my toenails; Easter; I hosted my mom's birthday; I'm always tired and I don't have Mono; I discovered Boardwalk Empire; I haven't talked to Heather in like forever; chocolate comas; I am now watching Shameless; I'm trying to start a new business; Jess was away for two weekends in a row; I still have three kids.

Really it's a wonder I get anything done. So please change your inner voice from saying "Holy cow she hasn't posted in so long" to "Gee that was worth waiting for", then we will all get along better. We don't need to break up, we can still be part time lovers. That last sentence must be read to the tune of "Part Time Lover" by Stevie Wonder.

Butternut and Apple Ravioli

1 butternut squash, roasted
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and grated
Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups of all purpose flour
5 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
juice of 2 lemons
4 - 8 slices of cooked bacon, diced
fresh basil, chopped (optional)

Put flour in a bowl, beat eggs and add to bowl along with salt. Use your hands to mix and form dough. If the dough isn't smooth enough add a little water, only a teaspoon at a time. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes and then let rest covered in the bowl for 20 minutes.
Take about a golf ball size of dough from the mound. Flatten it and roll it out with as little flour as possible. Try and roll it as thin as possible. Repeat until all your dough is rolled out. Use a cookie cutter or a water glass to cut out your pasta shapes. Place a teaspoon of squash, salt and pepper, and a dab of apple in the center of half your pasta shapes.
In a separate bowl, beat an egg. With your finger, spread a little of this egg on the outside of of each filled pasta. Place the top pasta on the filled pasta and press gently but firmly on the edge to seal the ravioli.
Sauce
Heat oil in pan and add garlic. Add lemon juice, bacon and salt and pepper.

Place ravioli in boiling water for 4-5 minutes before tossing in sauce. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.

Deep Fried.

Yes, that's me. It was Saturday night and we had just finished a delicious dinner at our friend's house. Then out came the deep fried Snicker's bars. They were good. It was hard to deny that fact. I hear they were all the rage in the States a few years ago. That doesn't surprise me. Americans aren't known for their highly nutritious diets.

Jess has been negotiating with me for years to get a deep fryer. Although we'd be able to produce tasty nuggets of greasy goodness for our friends, in my heart of hearts, I know we are not the type that should own such an appliance. Oh sure, we'd promise to to treat him right but it would just be empty words. We would feed him all the right foods, clean him regularly and make him feel as worthy as our other appliances. He'd even feel as good as our self righteous juicer. He would stand proud next to our toaster over and hand blender, convinced that his job was as important as theirs. He would be like our adoptive son that never knew he had another set of parents out in the world.

The abuse would begin slowly. At first it would be just small bits of food that we'd experiment with, just to see how they would sizzle. Maybe move up to frying a whole carrot. Then we'd start stealing the kid's candy from Halloween to fry up for a treat. You all know how this is going to end. Let's say it together. "Deep Fried Turkey For Christmas". I can't live like this.

But for now we are safe. But the weather is warming and and you know what that means. Jess will start asking for an ice cream maker.

Deep Fried Snicker's Bars

8 Snicker's bars
8-12 cups of vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of milk
2 tbsp of white vinegar
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Place Snicker's bars in freezer for at least two hours or until frozen solid. Heat oil in heavy saucepan until it is 3 inches deep over medium high heat. Use an oil thermometer to ensure the oil reaches a temperature of 375.
Place 1/2 cup of flour aside. In a bowl combine the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, mix together the remaining wet ingredients. Combine both bowls to make the batter.
Once Snicker's bars are frozen dredge in flour and then immerse in batter. Gently place bar in heated oil. Once it has reached a golden brown colour, remove with slotted spoon and place on a plate with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Let them cool slightly before serving.

Moderation

Moderation is not my strong point. I'm a true believer that if you buy pint of ice cream, you should eat that pint. Why delay the inevitable? It's all going to the same place. You are simply being more efficient if you eat it all now. Am I right here or what?

I remember listening to Howard Stern one morning talking about how much he loves almonds. Each day he would count out 12 almonds to eat for that day. He never ate more that than. How can a man so lacking in boundaries be able to tame his love of almonds everyday? I'll telling you, the world is a baffling place.

My weekend consisted of not enough moderation. This seems to seep into my daily life as well. I feel the need to curb some of my indulgences. I know I'm worth it, but I'm not sure my body and mind are thanking me for my lack of discipline. Perhaps April is my month to restrict such loves as cheese, chocolate and dare I say, wine. I need more sleep, so maybe less outings and more early bedtimes. I also need more exercise. April sure is starting to sound like a drag.

I recently got introduced to a very tasty kale salad. I'm not claiming that this is exciting news, it's simply a fact. I have no problem eating kale in moderation. Why is that? April is my month to change such discrepancies, and I'm starting with the recipe below.

Kale Salad with Pecorino Cheese and Lemon

1 large bunch of kale, washed and trimmed of stems
4 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated
2 lemons juiced
Handful of tamari almonds, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste

Slice deveined kale into thin ribbons. Toss the shaved kale with teh cheese in large bowl.
Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together and pour over salad. Season with salt and pepper. Let salad sit at room temperature for an hour before serving. Sprinkle with almonds before eating.

Unpretentious

Jesse and I found ourselves without plans last Saturday night. I was suppose to be away at a resort in Ontario. Every winter my friend and I book a place and take off for the week with the kids. It's usually affordable and it allows us to have a week away from the grind and some good friend time. It is also lovely to have a destination that doesn't make us feel left behind by all those who are flying South for some sunshine.

This vacation didn't work out so well. Within the first 3 days three of us had thrown up. The flu was upon us and I hightailed it out of there before my kids were bedridden with the worst.

So we found ourselves with a free Saturday night. We were all in good health so it only made sense that we should entertain. Jess had one stipulation. He would cook and it wouldn't be anything fancy. I tend to get excited at the prospect of cooking something interesting for friends and sometimes I go a little overboard. Luckily Jess is a good cook so I let him take over. Phone calls were made and guests arrived. It was meatloaf and mash potatoes for everyone and we all loved it. I didn't even get a chance to take a proper photograph before it was all gone.

There is something to be said about a simple meal. There is more to be said about sharing it with friends. It's one of my favorite things to do and I plan to do it with more simplicity in the future. Unless I'm feeling a little fancy.

Jesse has gone gluten free so most of our recipes are modified to accommodate this. This one is more moist than the breadcrumb version and is now our new standard. I hope you like it.

Gluten Free Meatloaf

2 lbs ground steak or lean ground beef
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cooked rice
2 tsp salt
2 onions, finely chopped and sauteed
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer and press into a loaf pan. Bake at 400 C for 30 minutes.

Hamtastic

Last weekend the whole family went up to our friend's place for the weekend. They have a beautiful log cabin on 100 acres. It was a winter wonderland. We spent the weekend tobogganing, hiking, and cross country skiing. We also managed to get in some good wine and fantastic food. We simply had an awesome time hanging out with our good friends and the kids. It was lovely to not feel rushed and know that you had several days to get in all the good conversations and laughs without time constraints.

For as long as I can remember I've always wanted a cottage or country home. That desire isn't as materialistic as it sounds. I'm not looking for an accumulation of wealth or to outdo my neighbour. I just love the idea of having uninterrupted time with friends and family to just hang out. The older I get, the more busy everyone is. It seems idyllic to have a space where the main goal is to play board games, get outside in nature and be together.

I know it's not all fun and games. It's a huge cost, and a lot of work. Even though I love to host, I realize that not everyone is a perfect guest. But I'm going to keep dreaming knowing that it probably will only ever be a dream. I'm okay with that too. I'm happy to just be a guest.

Up at the cabin I ate the best ham I have ever had in my life. My host outdid himself. Here are all the details. Enjoy!

Pineapple Ham
a.k.a. Rocking with my Ham Out

8 lb bone in ham
1/2 pineapple, sliced 1/4 " thick

Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp all spice
1/2 cup minced pineapple
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup white wine

Preheat oven to 325 F. Score ham liberally 1" all around with a sharp knife. Melt butter in pan and add all glaze ingredients except wine. Whisk on low-medium heat until glaze thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Place ham cut side down in glass pan and fill bottom of pan with 3/4 " of water. Cover ham with 1/3 of glaze, stuff flaps with sliced pineapple and cover with extra pineapple. Place in oven for 40 minutes. Remove ham from oven and glaze again with 1/3 of the glaze. If necessary, empty out some water until there is only 1/4" in pan. Replace in oven for another 10 minutes. Take ham out of oven and cover with foil. Deglaze the glaze pan with white wine and drizzle over ham before serving. Try not to lick your plate.

I Swear.

I love swearing. Really it's one of my favorite things to do. It may not be my most productive hobby but I enjoy it quite regularly. It makes me sound unintelligent, unlady like, and crude. So some may say it's not really working for me. Maybe as a mother of three I should be aiming for a persona more in tune with my current role in life. But this is the thing, I love that swearing is inappropriate, vulgar and crass. To me, those are the positives.

This has really been a lifelong pursuit. When I was a teenager my ex step father (ya you read right) use to say I sounded like a truck driver's girlfriend. Now maybe he meant I wasn't swearing enough since I didn't qualify as a truck driver but simply the girlfriend. Perhaps I should of been swearing more at the time. Maybe that would of launched me into a whole new career.

I'm sad to say that since kids I've toned it down a bit. With kids present I am apt to say "oh darners" and "darn it all to heck". I'm embarrassed to say I've even uttered a "frig" here and there. But don't worry, there is still a whole lot of swearing in me waiting to burst out. As soon as those kiddies go to bed you'll get an ear full.

Marinated Beets

6 beets, peeled and cubed
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 part red wine vinegar
1 part water

Boil beets until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Remove beets from water and place in a container with a lid. Put garlic in container and partially cover beets with water from pot. Cover completely with red wine vinegar. I try to aim for a solution of half water and half vinegar. Place lid on container and refrigerate. Beets will be ready to eat within 24 hours, and can be kept in fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Million Dollar Chicken

So the holiday ills are never ending with my family this season. I thought we were out of the woods but I was so wrong. Wini developed pneumonia and now that she's better my little Ruby seems to have caught the flu again. Our only outings have been to the hospital so I guess that's where we are picking up our new bugs. Damn those sick people! Not my sick people just the ones that are passing along the ickyness. If you see my posse on the street, give us a wide berth. You don't want what we have.

I did manage to get out last night. A couple glass of wine and some good friends sure can make three weeks of sick kids seem like a distant past. I am constantly amazed at how varied and interesting people's lives are. There are so many choices out there. Sometimes it's hard to figure out which ones to choose. I'm in the process of making some decisions myself and I'll fill you in when I know more. I am now officially ending the cryptic babbling.

Even with all the sickness, we still had a wonderful Christmas. Everyone got along and we were all in good cheer. We missed you dad. I have high hopes for 2011. 2010 was a little rocky in it's latter half and I'm looking forward to good friends, lots of family and new choices in the new year. I hope it's a good one for you too.

Million Dollar Chicken

My adorable friend Heather made this for my family the other week and we all loved it. It's easy, quick and tasty. Thanks for the recipe Heath!

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup almonds, slivered
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 boneless chicken thighs (around 2 lbs)
1 cup bottled salsa
2 tbsp currants (Heather likes to add more)
1 tbsp honey
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Heat pan and add almonds until toasted. Remove almonds and set aside. Add oil to pan and allow it to heat up. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Mix the salsa, currants, honey , cumin and cinnamon in a bowl. Add mixture to chicken, reduce heat to medium low, and cover and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with rice and garnish with almonds.

Shortbread

I'm back. At least mostly back. I was down and out with the flu for a week, and then the rest of the family got it. We were in isolation for almost two weeks. That does not do my soul any good. I was getting all bummed out and bored from being coop up inside. I would make an awful hermit. All the other hermits would laugh at me for trying to talk to them. No one would show up for my hermit parties. I'm in a much better mood now and just in time for Christmas.

Every year I give my neighbours a little bag of treats. I'm not sure if it's wanted or appreciated. Regardless, I still want to give them a token of appreciation. I am grateful that they all seem fairly normal and they cause me very little stress. We do our obligatory chit chat across our lawns, and don't get too personal. I'm happy to bear it all with my friends but I am a little more reserved with my immediate residents.

We started a new tradition this year. The tradition is that Jess bakes the cookies for our neighbour gifts. He may not realize that this is the new tradition but I'm going to fly with it. He's perfected his shortbread recipe. And for a girl who doesn't really like shortbread, I've sure eaten a few.

Sea Salt and Pepper Shortbread

1 part sugar
2 parts butter
3 parts flour

All ratios are by weight. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in flour. Form dough into a log, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from fridge and cut log into discs. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and pepper. Place on a greased cookie tray and bake for 10 minutes at 350 F.

tried and true.

Have you decided what you are cooking for Christmas dinner?

If you haven't, might I recommend this ham?

I really can't say enough good things about it, so I will leave it at this:

It's perfect.

I made it for our Christmas dinner last year, and it was so good that I made it again this past Easter. I would have been quite happy to make it again for Thanksgiving, had my husband not observed mildly, "You know, I don't actually LOVE ham."

A shocking statement, to be sure, but I rallied in October and made a luscious leg of lamb instead.

I had grand plans for a different sort of beast this Christmas as well (crown roast of pork? Filet de boeuf?), because we are having some extra special guests and I do still sometimes, albeit very occasionally, feel the urge to put my hard-earned flashy cooking skills to good use and make something complicated and impressive for a festive occasion.

But as the big day draws alarmingly near, and I continue to hobble through my days encumbered by crutches and a cast (funny story...), this tried-and-true and utterly delectable ham is starting to look like the winner.

I am thinking of this for one of my sides, and my daughter, who has lately become a bit of a francophile thanks to her infatuation with the Madeline stories, has requested buche de noel for dessert.

But that's as far as I've got. I am stymied, as ever, by vegetables. I feel I need at least two to make this dinner into a veritable feast.

What about you? What will you be eating for the big day, and (equally importantly) the manic week that precedes it? Any snappy sides to recommend?

Do tell!

Thyme and Honey Glazed Ham
from Gourmet, April 2009

I use a ham about half this size, and reduce the cooking time roughly by half as well. Other than that, I follow the recipe to the letter (can you believe it?)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 (12-to 14-pounds) boneless or semiboneless fully cooked ham at room temperature 1 hour
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup mild honey
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Melt butter with thyme and let stand until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in lower third.

Peel off and discard any rind or skin from ham, leaving 1/4 inch of fat on ham. Score fat on top of ham in a crosshatch pattern without cutting into meat. Put ham on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover ham with parchment paper, then cover roasting pan with foil. Bake 1 3/4 hours.

Meanwhile, boil vinegar in a small saucepan until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat and whisk in honey, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme butter. Let honey glaze stand until ham has baked 1 3/4 hours.

Discard foil and parchment from ham. If there is no liquid in roasting pan, add 1 cup water (liquid will prevent glaze from burning in pan). Brush ham with half of honey glaze, then bake, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Brush with remaining glaze and bake until glaze is deep golden-brown and ham is heated through, about 30 minutes more.

sailor jerry (christmas fuitcake, part 1).

I have a friend who recently decided to stop colouring her hair.

We've been friends for years and we remain close, despite that fact that she is still single and fabulous and I am married with children, and that colouring my hair is the only (tenuous) thread that remains to connect me to my former glamourous self.

She is a massage therapist, an excellent bartender, and a world traveler. She used to live in the Caribbean, and she is planning an ambitious solo adventure to celebrate her 40th birthday next year.

She also flew in to town to spend the weekend with me not long ago, at a time when I very much needed the support.

So that should tell you everything you need to know about this friend of mine: she is brave, kind, and awesome.

She didn't even grimace with distaste (which would have been appropriate) when I tried to serve her the spiced rum I bought because I liked its name (Sailor Jerry) and its label (vintage tattoos) but neglected to check its provenance (umm...New Jersey?).

Instead, she whipped up some champagne cocktails to get us through our afternoon.

And Sailor Jerry is destined for this Christmas cake, which I plan to make later today.

Christmas Cake, Version 1

You'll have to start making this as soon as you finish reading the recipe, pretty much, in order for it to be well-aged in time for Christmas - I will be posting a more procrastinator-friendly version soon. But if you like fruitcake, this is a classic. The recipe comes from the Laura Secord Canadian Cookbook, via my mom.


For Fruit Mixture:
(Note that you can vary the amounts here as much as you wish, as long as your total volume comes up roughly equivalent. You should also not hesitate to substitute ingredients you like for the ones you don't, eg. chopped dried pears for currants, etc.)

250g slivered almonds
1 kg candied cherries
450g chopped mixed peel
2c raisins
1c currants
1c chopped pitted dates
1/2c spiced rum

For Cake:

2 1/2c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1c butter
2c lightly packed brown sugar
6 eggs
3/4c molasses
3/4c apple juice

I would get started on the fruit mixture the night before you are planning to bake your cake. All you have to do is combine all of the ingredients in a large pyrex mixing bowl, stir well, and cover lightly with plastic wrap.

The next morning, add 1/2c flour to the fruit mixture and stir well. Set aside.

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease, line with parchment, and then grease again an approximately 8"x8"x3" loaf pan.

Sift together remaining 2c flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter. Gradually add sugar, then eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.

Combine molasses and apple juice in a glass measuring jug, whisking to mix.

Reduce mixer speed to medium-low, and add sifted dry ingredients alternately with molasses mixture, mixing lightly after each addition, and finishing with the flour mixture.

Fold in fruit mixture, and turn out into prepared pan.

Bake 3 to 3 1/2 hopurs, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from pan and remove parchment. Cool cake completely on a rack.

When cake has cooled, feed with a little rum (2-3 tbsp) then wrap in a layer of parchment, then a layer of foil. Continue to feed the cake with rum every few days, rewrapping well each time. The cake should age a minimum of around 2 weeks, so if you're motivated, there is still time!

of sweethearts and stars.

Well, hello there!

I can scarcely believe that, in effect, an entire season has just passed without my contributing a thing around here.

I have been trying to figure out how to address this last epic silence from my end; as these things go, the longer I thought about it, the more ambivalent I was about addressing it at all, and then the silence itself started to feel so insurmountable that I nearly gave up on the idea of blogging altogether.

But then, December arrived, and my husband returned home after months of (more and less) lengthy absences.

And, just like that, the festive season began around here.

My children woke up this morning to the first real snow of the season, and I woke up to the promise of a long bath, a new magazine, and coffee drunk while it is still hot.

Friends, we have so much to catch up on!


Sunday Stars
Even while single-parenting, I can't resist the outlook-changing lure of a fresh-baked breakfast. I have been using spelt or light spelt flour of late, but for these I tried a combination of light spelt, coconut, and whole wheat flours, because that is all I had on hand!

1c large flake oats
3/4c buttermilk
1 1/2c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 stick (1/2c) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4c brown sugar
1 large ripe banana, mashed
1/4c chocolate chips
1/4c craisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Combine oats and buttermilk in a glass measuring cup, stir well, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and a pinch of salt, if desired. Cut in butter and brown sugar until mixture is fairly uniform and resembles small peas.

Add oat mixture, banana, chocolate chips and craisins to bowl and stir just to combine into a sloppy dough. Turn out onto a well-floured piece of parchment and knead 3-4 times to help the dough come together a bit.

Roll (using a well-floured rolling pin) or pat dough into a round about an inch thick. Cut out shapes using an approximately 3" cookie or biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet; re-roll or pat the dough and cut out more shapes, until you've filled the baking sheet - I usually get somewhere in the neighbourhood of 16-18 biscuits.

Bake 18-10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Cool a few minutes on pan, then transfer to a rack and serve very warm, while the chocolate is still gooey.

Treats

I can't believe it's almost Christmas. I do realize December just arrived but it still feels as if the holidays are right on my doorstep. I guess I've fallen for all the marketing pressure. They start pumping it out right after Halloween. I try to ignore it but somehow it seeps in.

I'd love it if Christmas wasn't about the presents. Or if everyone stuck to the rule of only handmade gifts. That's a hard rule if you suck at making gifts. Not everyone wants a popsicle stick ashtray, or underwear made from macaroni.

I know a family who does secret Santa every year. Ya, I know, big deal. What they do differently is that they pull for names the day after Christmas so they have a whole year to make something great. That's the catch, they have to make their gifts. You can perfect a lots of false starts when you have 365 days to work with. I'm making Jess a scarf since the one I made for myself is fabulous. This is only my second knitting project so who knows how it will turn out. Unfortunately, Jess will be getting it for Christmas whether it works out or not since I won't have time to knit another one. If I had the whole year to knit I'd be able to crank out several crappy scarves before I hit the jackpot.

To buck consumerism, I try to think of inexpensive gifts for my girls since I think they have enough stuff. Reya is getting some yarn and knitting needles, and I am going to teach her how to knit. Wini wants to bake a cake, so she is getting a new cake pan, the dry ingredients in a jar and a recipe. Ruby may get a lump of coal since she is still young enough to be convinced that that is a great gift. And I can say I made it myself.

Happy holidays everyone.

Butter Tarts

Pastry
2 cup white flour
1 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp cold water

Filling
1/2 cup of raisins
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1tsp lemon juice

Blend shortening and flour with a pastry cutter until crumbly. In separate bowl combine salt egg, vinegar and cold water. Add to flour and shortening and mix until just combined and no more. The key to dough is to handle it as little as possible. Form dough into a ball and wrap in cellophane. Place in freezer for 10 minutes. Roll dough out on a floured surface to about 1/8" thick. Cut out circles and press into a greased muffin tin.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Pour boiling water over raisins and let sit for 5 minutes and then drain. Stir together butter and sugar. Blend in corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. Stir in drained raisins but don't stir so much that the mixture bubbles. Fill pastry 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 or until pastry is golden.

Eat Your Greens

I'm always trying to eat more greens. I love my greens but they are not all made equally. Let's face it the ones that taste the worst are usually the best for you. Why did Nature do that? Was she trying to hog all the nutritious ones for herself? Was it her way to feel physically superior to us? Let me give you a hint Nature, throw a quick hurricane at us and we soon realize who's boss.

As adults, it's fairly easy to convince ourselves why we should eat kale, swiss chard and the other gross tasting vegetables but try telling that to my kids. So far I've only been able to convince my 3 year old. She'll happily eat a bowl of kale chips, or steamed bok choy. My other kids are harder to fool. When faced with a plate of stinky greens, a common statement from my four year old is "It smells like poo". This is a hard argument to debate. I'm not sure she'll believe that a plate of feces is going to make her strong and healthy. Maybe I should present them with a real plate of feces and then give them the option of eating brussel sprouts instead. Isn't good parenting all about giving kids choices?

The other night I made a great side dish of brussel sprouts. The adults at the table loved them but the kids wouldn't eat them. There was no references to poo so maybe I'm making some progress.

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Maple Syrup

15 brussel sprouts
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
4 slices of bacon, diced
1/4 cup of walnuts
salt and pepper to taste

Steam brussel sprouts until tender. Drain and cut lengthwise. Heat oil in a pan on medium high heat, and add sprouts and bacon. Stir occasionally until bacon begins to crisp. Add balsamic vinegar stir well. Let brussel sprouts sit until they caramelize slightly. Add syrup and walnuts, toss and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.