hope

Easter is about new beginnings, new life and new hope.

I've been thinking a lot about the word, hope.  As a parent, it's one of the biggest drivers to be "successful".  It's our motivation.  Our raison d'être.  It is the one common denominator that ALL parents have, no matter what background, financial situation or country we live in...we all have hope for our children's future.  When my kids were born, not only were we in awe of the miracle of their birth, our new found hope and dreams for their future was immeasurable.

With the word hope, I've also been thinking a lot lately, about two little girls with a lot in common.  Both are sweet and bright, who brings light and a smile to anyone that meets them.  This light in their eyes also brings hope to their parents, who have worked tirelessly to help their daughters live through very difficult medical situations.

Just before our son was born, good friends of ours had a little girl named Makaylah, who was born with spina bifida, and has had more surgeries than any human being should ever endure.  Recently she had 12 hours of surgery and her Mom posted on Facebook about her difficult recovery.   A true testament to her parent's strength is the overwhelming obstacles they've had to overcome in order for Makaylah to get the proper treatment, therapy and surgeries so she can have the best possible life.  We've watched their journey throughout Makaylah's life, and we hope and pray for her speedy recovery so she can come home to be with her family this Easter weekend.

A few weeks ago a dear friend of mine told me about little girl in her neighbourhood who was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), a serious form of leukemia.

Sarah is a bright little five year old girl who is desperately looking for a bone marrow/blood cell match. You can read about her journey on Facebook (Sarah's Drive for  Hope).  Sarah's family is working with onematch.ca, an organization that helps find blood cell/bone marrow matches.  An amazing organization that we learned about when a friend of ours also had to use their services a few years ago. (I wrote about him, here).

I can not begin to imagine what these parents must be feeling right now.  How many prayers they've had, especially during these past few weeks.  How Makaylah's parents spend weekends driving through snow to get to the hospital, instead of playing in the snow with their kids.  How Sarah's parents have to do media interviews to raise awareness so she can once again, lie on the gymnastic mat instead of in a hospital bed. How they all must yearn to one day spend the holidays again with family instead of nurses and doctors.

Hope is a very strong and powerful word.  It gives you the courage to fight.  It gives you the motivation to accomplish anything, and I smiled when I read "Sarah will pull through this, I know it", because it shows that her family will never give up hope.

During Easter this weekend, we will be thinking of and praying for these two little girls.  Whether it is donating blood, donating your time to see if you're a bone marrow match, or even words of prayer, support or encouragement, we need to help Sarah, Makaylah and many other families who deal with life threatening medical issues like these.

With all our hopes and prayers, these girls WILL pull through this.  We know it too.

Please Give Hope

Sarah's Drive for Hope Facebook page (click here): Sarah's Drive for Hope

To learn more about spina bifida, visit:
www.sbhac.ca (in Canada)
www.spinabifidaassociation.org (in the US).

Donate

In Canada:

To donate bone marrow (and check if you're a match):

onematch.ca

To donate blood:

blood.ca

Donations in the USA:

giftoflife.org

go fish

When I was in elementary school, we would often write a short story or essay on what we did during March Break upon our return.  Depending on where we went, it felt like I had to remember every little detail in order to fill the page.

After our family travel getaway, I often wonder what my kids would find most memorable enough to write about.

On the eve before the kids headed back to school from March Break, I asked them what they enjoyed most about our time off.  I will admit...this conversation was partially self serving.  I guess I wanted to know...Was there anything we should have done differently?  Were there things on our list that we didn't get to check off?  Are there things they'd love to do again?

A pelican visited the beach one day and it was amazing to watch it circle above
the water, then dive right in to catch the fish.

Both kids said they loved snorkelling with sting rays.  They enjoyed the beach and splashing around without a care in the "private pool" (our suite surrounded a small but quiet pool where for the most part, we were the only family swimming there).  But oddly enough, my son said one of his favourite things about our holiday was the food.  "It's not every day we get to eat all the bacon you want for breakfast, BBQ pineapples on chicken burgers at lunch and try different variations of blue marlin, swordfish and fish fritters for dinner!"

While in Antigua, I was reading the book "The End of Overeating", and my son's comment about the food reminded me of this particularly striking quote from the book.

"Given the sensory power of sugar, fat and salt, we might expect everyone to be drawn to much 

the same foods.  But we're not, in part because our preferences are strongly influenced by 

what has happened to us in the past.  A history of personal experience gives particular 

foods an emotional charge, and those emotions become lodged in our memory"

 {quoted from  "The End of Overeating", by David A. Kessler}

It made me think of our food choices, not just the ones we make every day, but how much we associate food with special occasions...particularly the ones that would be associated with positive memories, like a beach vacation.  Although the kids enjoyed indulging in the hamburgers, pizza and nachos at lunch, I'm glad they were keen on trying the different flavours of the Caribbean.  Grilled fish.  Guava.  Pineapple juice.

Just as our previous beach vacations (I wrote about our trip to Prince Edward Island, here), some of the greatest memories have always been water related.  And we were either catching, watching or eating something from the sea.

I'm hoping that when the kids get older they will always have fond memories of all of our ocean explorations, but will also associate those great childhood memories with healthy culinary explorations as well.

Given our history of seaside vacations and their love for seafood...I think we'll be smooth sailing.  

Pan Seared Swordfish

(serves 4)

Since today is the first day of spring, this dish is a perfectly light dish for the season. This recipe is also amazing when grilled on the BBQ.  Unfortunately it was still too snowy on the day I made this, so I pan seared then cooked it in the oven.  It still tasted great.

Ingredients

• 4  swordfish filets
• olive oil for searing/grilling
• garlic cloves, minced (I used 1 tsp. or 2 garlic cloves)
• 1/2  cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4  cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• black pepper to taste

Directions

• Lightly coat a cast iron skillet with olive oil and heat on high.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Lightly rub the fish with oil, then add garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat the skillet on a stovetop.  Once the skillet is very hot, add the fish and sear on both sides. (do not flip the fish for the first few minutes so it can sear nicely).
• Place the skillet with the fish in the oven for about 10 minutes (usually fish cook for approximately 10 minutes per 1 inch of thickness...cook according to size).
• In the meantime, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and black pepper.
• Once fish is cooked, remove from oven and pour the olive oil mix on top of the fish.  Let rest.
• Serve.

paradise

After record breaking snowstorms this past winter, we took refuge and reconnected as a family during our winter vacation in Antigua.  It's an island that my husband and I visited before having children, and have always wanted to return to this beautiful, quaint island that boasts 365 beaches (yes, you can visit a new one every day of the year).  With our child-centric vacation last year to Disney, we wanted to go to a more sophisticated (but still kid-friendly) destination, where we could really take in the natural beauty of sand and water. No slides, no rides, no digital distractions.

At first, I think it was an obstacle for everyone to adjust to a slower pace.  WiFi was limited, so our digital devices also had to take a break.  I have to admit it, but I think we were all a little agitated at first.  It felt like our connections to the outside world was broken.  And as much as we were very grateful that we were able to fly to a beautiful resort in the Caribbean while it was cold and wintery back at home, it took a few days to remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of on-line "life", and go...off-line.

Once we lured everyone away from the digital devices, down at the beach my daughter spent quality time with her Dad wading in the water and building sand volcanos, while I coerced our son to take a private sailing trip with me around the cove at our resort. After he reluctantly agreed, we were taken to the deeper parts of the ocean on our sailboat, as we quietly chit-chatted with our sailor about life in Antigua.

I asked about the weather and if they were lucky enough to enjoy 30+ degree weather all year.  He smiled yes and said the previous guests he sailed with actually complained about the heat, but he told them it was nothing compared to the heat in June and July, when it can reach to upwards of 40 degrees!

He couldn't understand why those visitors complained so much.  They complained about the heat.  They complained about how quiet it was.  They complained about the lack of internet access.  "We're in PARADISE...how can anyone complain?" he exclaimed.  No gadget, game or "all that internet stuff" (his words) can compete with the real-world interaction with such beauty and nature that surrounds us.  I felt a little guilty.  Although I didn't voice those complaints (out loud), I realized that we too, were not seeing the bigger picture of our "first world problems", and we weren't seizing the opportunity and appreciate what many people in this world would never have the opportunity to do as we were doing...travelling to paradise.

My son was quiet for most of the trip, and part way through our excursion, I could see that he was starting to go "off-line", as he started to really take in his surroundings.   It was so peaceful and quiet.  The water was glistening in the sun, and I watched my son close his eyes as he enjoyed feeling the cool breeze on his face, as we heard the gentle waves underneath us.  As we went further into the depths of the ocean, we saw grouper fish, angel fish and even manta rays swimming in the clear turquoise sea.

After our sailboat ride, my son and I headed back to the beach.  His iPod was on the beach lounger, and as he reached for it, I thought he would go back to all those digital distractions that I so painfully wanted all of us to stop, even for just one day, and I momentarily felt disappointed that he wasn't going to take advantage of the beach lying in front him.  Instead though, he reached for his iPod and packed it away, and headed towards his sister who was playing in the water.  I overheard him tell her about the fish and sea creatures that he saw while quietly floating with her.  She asked him if he liked the sailboat, and he said it was amazing.

When I went back into the water to rinse off the sand, my son came up to me and asked me to join them as he held my hand briefly.  My daughter then asked me what I thought of the sailboat ride.  I smiled at her as I watched them both peacefully enjoy the sand and water.

I told her it was paradise.

Pina Colada

(serves 4)

I had my fill of Pina Coladas during our stay in Antigua...it was my own little paradise in a glass!  I asked the bartender what he used to make the drink...the "virgin" ones for the kids just omitted the alcohol (they called it Pineapple Coconut "crush" for after the crushed ice).

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh or canned pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez (or add coconut extract to canned sweetened condensed milk if you don't have cream of coconut on hand)
• 1 cup light rum
• 3 cups crushed ice

Directions

• Combine all ingredients except garnish in a blender. 
• Pour into tumblers, garnish with pineapple spears, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

it's all about perspective

One of our goals as a family, is to visit as many places in the world as possible.  Before having kids, my husband and I travelled around Europe, the Caribbean as well as locally in North America.  Our love for travel has definitely rubbed off on our kids.

As much as I am a strong believer that solid academics are important for children to learn at school, it's what they learn outside of school that also makes a great impact.  I am a huge advocate of the whole child approach...building the mind, body and soul.  And the "soul" part is learned through experience...seeing first hand how other people around the world live and prosper.  

There is so much to learn about the world that just can't be learned by watching documentaries or reading books. (although that helps!)  It's the experience, the senses that you get when you visit a foreign land...the smell, the taste, the feel.  This is why I believe travelling provides children with a different perspective of cultures...sometimes it's that understanding, the empathy of witnessing how others live that can help you empathize with new people that you meet here at home.  

I often like taking the kids "sightseeing" in our own city.  Trying to experience our city again as if it's for the first time.  Often, we'd meet real visitors who are vacationing in our city, and it often provides an eye-opening experience...like looking at yourself through their eyes!

Another great way to view things for the first time is to re-imagine what is in front of you as part of "perspective photography"...creating a visual perception of the way objects appear based on how close it is to the camera relative to the object of your photographs.  It makes you stop and really look at a place, time or just a statue in a different, creative way.  And photographing the kids in different scenarios is a great way to spend fun, creative time with each other....you'd be surprised how quickly the time passes when they are looking for ways to ham it up for the camera!

And that is what travelling, whether it is abroad or in your own city means to me.  Looking at things with a different perspective and understanding, being creative with what you see, and having really being present in the moment.

When my kids explore, whether it's here or abroad, being in front or behind the camera, it's as if the world is in their hands.

Hope you enjoy your March Break!

a sweet deal

As parents, sometimes I'm not quite sure whether the every day things we do for our kids are appreciated or taken for granted.  The little things that sometimes even adults don't notice. Clean, folded clothes.  Warm healthy meals.  A long ride in the snow to a friends house.  Helping with homework.  And sometimes in the midst of folding five baskets of laundry, I often ask...what kind of deal did I make?

Well, this past weekend, after a long (and somewhat frustrating) afternoon helping my daughter assemble her animal project for her class presentation, she disappeared into the kitchen.  When she came back she said:

"Thanks Mom.  You worked hard. I want you to have this".  It was a butterscotch lollipop.

For most people, this would be thought of as a sweet, fair exchange coming from a little girl.  But I thought it was even sweeter given the circumstances surrounding that lollipop.  You see, earlier that morning, her brother wanted to borrow her game console to bring to a friends house to play, and negotiated a deal to go to the store with her and BUY her any candy she wanted with his allowance that week.  Because we don't allow candy except for special occasions (and we just had Valentine's Day a few weeks ago!), she jumped at the opportunity, and he bought her a special variety pack of Laura Secord lollipops.

When we brought those lollipops home, I briefly mentioned to her that I used to love that particular kind of candy when I was a little girl, and I had to work hard and save my allowance to go to the candy store to get one.  And just like my daughter, butterscotch was one of my favourites.  We put the lollipops on the kitchen counter, and she was instructed that she was only allowed to have one on the condition that she complete the assembly of her animal project.  Five hours of typing, cutting, pasting, printing, gluing...we were both getting tired and frustrated.  With the lollipops sitting on the counter, her tempted and anxious glances towards those coveted treats were often times a distraction with the task at hand ("just ONE lollipop now, Mom?).  Much to my dismay.

When her brother came home, he thanked her again for letting him use her game console.  He told her that he wanted to make his "deal" even sweeter for her, and earned extra points on one of her games on her behalf (sorry, I'm not up to game lingo...something about diamonds?),  and she smiled with glee.  Both kids were happy and it was a very sweet moment between them.

So after she finally completed her presentation, she ran into the kitchen and I could hear her tearing the wrapper apart to get at the sweet prize.  Finally!  But before getting a lollipop for herself, she came up to me and gave me the one and only butterscotch flavour from the pack.  And I could see the sweetest look in her eyes...she was grateful for my help.  It made the five hours of cutting, pasting and glue in my hair all worthwhile.

If you were to ask me...are those fleeting, brief moments of pure joy from our kids...that smile, a hug or just "that look" worth the daily parenting struggles, frustrations and cumbersome tasks of managing a household?

Yes.  Yes it is.  I think parents have the sweetest deal ever.

Chocolate Caramel Trifle with Almond Whipped Cream

(serves 8-12)

I usually like to bake brownies in mini muffin tins so they look like those two-bite brownies that you buy at the market, and is easier to pack in lunches (instead of trying to cut them into squares...which can be a little messy!).  Unfortunately I baked the brownies too long, and they became hard as rock.  Instead of throwing them out, I used them in this trifle recipe instead.  What started as a sweet treat became an even sweeter treat!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1- 8x8 pan of brownies (or about 20 two-bite brownies)

Pudding layer:

• 2 cups of chocolate pudding (I used the Belsoy Organic pudding, but any pudding would do).
• 1/4 cup of milk or sweetened condensed milk.

Whipping cream layer

• 1 (8 ounce) container of heavy cream (for whipping)
• 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. of almond extract

Caramel sauce layer

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar (you can use icing or brown...I had icing on hand)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used homogenized milk...which works too!).

DIRECTIONS:

• Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. 
• While the brownies are cooling, make the other layers.

For the Caramel sauce:

• Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat.
• Stir in sugar until it is melted and turns to a caramel colour.  Slowly stir in the cream or milk (it will bubble up!) and continuing stirring until it's has a sauce-like consistency.
• Remove from heat.

For the pudding:

• Mix the chocolate pudding in a bowl with 1/4 cup of milk or sweetened condensed milk until slightly runny in texture.

For the almond whipping cream:

• In a mixing bowl, mix the cream, sugar and the almond extract, on high until fluffy.

Now for the layers:

• Cut the brownies into 1 inch chunks, and layer half of the amount at the bottom of a trifle or glass serving bowl.
• Pour half of the caramel sauce on top of the brownies.
• Pour half of the pudding mixture on top of the caramel covered brownies.
• Top with half of the almond whipping cream.
• Repeat layers.

If desired, shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.  Enjoy this decadent and oh so sweet treat!

being reliable

Sometimes I struggle with the notion that as a Mom, my world revolves around my kids.  So of course, my world gets rocked when something either positive or negative is done or said towards my kids, like teasing or bullying, or comments on how beautiful and happy they look.

Last Sunday, I was listening to someone speak about how our world views are sometimes shaped based on experiences and impressions at a young age.

He then asked, when you do something that's either out of the ordinary or out of your comfort zone, what voices do you hear in your heads?  Do you hear your parents tell you to "proceed with caution"?  Do you hear your friends say "go for it"?  Or do you imagine that judgemental person in your life shaking their head in disapproval?  When we hear these voices, do we rebel against it like stubborn warriors with a purpose and something to prove?  Or do we come to a realization that sometimes maybe the truth does hurt a little.

It then struck me.   When my kids grow up...what voices will they hear?  What will we say or do that will contribute to their own paranoias, fears or even joy and happiness?  Will they always hear their nagging mother tell them to go to bed early because"the early bird gets the worm"?  Will they resent the story told to them that "eating past 8pm will give you nightmares at night"?  Or will they always know that no matter what, even if it's their mother's favourite chocolate, that when there are only three chocolates left, each of them get exactly one...and a half.  Or that no matter what time it is in the night (like 2am!), I will answer that phone call, get dressed and drive 30 minutes in the cold weather because you didn't feel comfortable at that sleepover party.

I'm not sure what kind of impression we as parents will have on our kids.  I guess all I can hope is that they will always feel secure and happy knowing that their parents love them both very much, and can always rely on us to always be there for them, no matter what.

Herb Roasted Pork

This roast is as reliable as it is tasty. It can be altered with more or less spices to taste, and is often a family staple especially on cold winter nights.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 (5 pound) boneless pork loin

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F 
• In a bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub thoroughly all over pork. Place pork in an uncovered roasting pan on the middle oven rack.
• Bake in the preheated oven approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), depending upon your desired doneness.
• Meanwhile, place sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. 
• Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly. 
• Brush roast with glaze 3 or 4 times during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. 
• Pour remaining glaze over roast, and serve.

Enjoy this comforting dish.

traditional love

As I watch my children grow and mature into precarious individuals with thought provoking questions about people and history, I start to appreciate more and more, the various traditions we had growing up.  The traditions which shaped the history and memories of our family.

My childhood was filled with celebrations of both Chinese and Western traditions....on New Year's Eve, we would dress up and go to parties with friends, enjoying the spirits while counting down the clock to midnight.  A few months later (depending on the lunar calendar), we would celebrate Chinese New Year, enjoying a traditional feast of fish, vegetables and noodles.

My parents were very good at balancing both the traditions they grew up with, along with new ones they adapted when they moved to this country, so my brother and I would have a great understanding of both cultures.  It was their way of keeping a tie to the past while creating new traditions for the future.

This past Sunday, we celebrated Chinese New Year with my brother and parents, and I love that my children get to experience some of the same traditions I had growing up.  I often wonder if their love for seafood stems from being introduced to fish, lobster and crab at an early age during Chinese New Year. And with tomorrow being Valentine's Day, the kids will equally enjoy all the love notes, classroom cards and chocolate that go with that tradition (and I wonder if their love for chocolate stemmed from this tradition!).

While thinking of a dessert to bring for Chinese New Year, I wanted to ensure that it met the requirements of being sweet, round and/or gold (bringing something sweet is often viewed as a wish that someone will have a sweet future, round in shape symbolizes giving someone a fulfilling and complete life and gold is the colour of luck and lavishness).  However, with Valentine's Day shortly thereafter, I didn't necessarily want to bake again, so I wanted something that could potentially work double duty (if we had any left over!) as a Valentine's Day treat.

These Chinese egg tarts were not only the dessert to bring on Sunday (Sweet, check! Round, check! Somewhat golden in colour, check!), ironically, it is also a dessert that crosses over to many cultures (it's similar to the English custard tart and the Portuguese egg tart ), which is similar to what we are doing in our household this week...celebrating two very different cultural traditions.

And although these egg tarts aren't exactly the most traditional food when it comes to Chinese New Year or Valentine's Day celebrations, this might be my little way of starting a new tradition.  And at the heart of all these celebrations which helped define who I am is the love and spending time with family.  And it's that celebration of love that I hope my children will grow up and one day, recollect as the most important part of their own family tradition.

Chinese Egg Tarts

Adapted from Allrecipes:

(Makes 24 tarts)

I adapted and used my pie crust recipe for the tart shells (instead of making a sugar cookie/phyllo pastry that the original recipe calls for).  I also varied the egg custard to make it more creamy and sweet.  This recipe is easily adaptable, and the almond extract in the egg custard gives this a special taste.

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter (or 1/2 vegetable shortening, 1/2 butter)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Egg Custard

• 1/2-1 cup white sugar (depending on how sweet you like your custard)
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract or almond extract
• 1 cup evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and flour. Cut in the butter/vegetable shortening with a pastry cutter until it is in small crumbs. 
• Slowly add the vanilla and water until the mixture forms a dough. 
• Roll out and cut into circle shapes (I used a cookie cutter...you can just make into balls and press into circle shapes).
• Line a muffin tin with liners, and gently press circles of dough into the liners, so that it covers the the liner and goes up fairly high on the sides.
• Bake the tart shells for about 8 minutes.

In the meantime, make the egg custard.

• Beat the eggs, then add vanilla and milk.  
• Warm the water in a microwavable cup and dissolve sugar into the water.  Add the sugar syrup to the egg mixture.
• Remove partially baked tart shells, and pour 2-4 tbsp. of egg mixture in each tart until filled.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, and the filling is firm (but not too puffy)
• Serve.

Love to all!

stuffed up

We're definitely in the middle of the winter blues.  For the past little while, our family has enjoyed giving each other the common cold.  And since I'm at the end of the chain, through teary eyes, runny noses and raw throats, I am particularly dreaming of warmer temperatures...and beaches.

It's been commonly joked that women can handle pain and illnesses much better than their male counterparts. Sometimes no matter how we feel, we suffer through it as we have to "keep the machine" moving.  Make sure everyone is fed, cleaned, happy.  It doesn't matter if you can't breathe...keep moving, keep working!

The other day, I stumbled upon a funny video of two male television hosts who, for an experiment, decided to find out if giving birth is as painful as women say it is.

{source}

I don't have an answer to the debate of who really handles pain better, but I think the most important thing is to have support around you to help you get through it.  What I found most interesting about the video was, in lieu of having spouses, the two hosts had the nurses to help them work through the pain.  I think we all need that "pain coach"...the one that is there to help, support or just be there to pick up a few chores while you're resting.

And while I may be feeling a little stuffed up right now, with my own "pain coach" (or three), along with a little comfort food, it won't be as difficult to keep moving, keep working.  And I'll also keep dreaming of warmer temperatures...and the beach.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

(Serves 6)

Inspired by a sushi roll.  By rolling the ground meat around  layer of goat cheese like a jelly roll, the cheese is layered into the centre of the meatloaf.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef (500g)
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 pkg. (100g) goat cheese round, plain (I used herbed)
• 1 tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 tbsp. ketchup or tomato paste

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350degrees.  Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan (I used my stoneware pan).
• Mix all the ingredients except for the last three above, and pat the meat mixture into a rectangle (about 10” square) on a piece of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
• One the side, prepare goat cheese.  Put into a small bowl and mix with 1 tbsp of butter until a smooth paste. 
• Spread the coat cheese mixture across the top of the meat in a neat stripe. (about 3” from the top.
• Roll like a giant sushi roll .  Gently place in loaf pan.  Mix butter and ketchup or tomato paste together and spread a thin layer on the top of the loaf. 
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until done

Enjoy.

being rich

I've been thinking a lot lately, about what it means to be rich.  It is an age old question...does money buy happiness?

As adults, we connect wealth with social status.  I believe that having money to pay the bills to maintain a balanced, quality of life equates more to peace of mind, not "being rich".  This in turn, alleviates any financial burden which then potentially leads to happiness.  And I stress the word, potentially.

Although children in general have a skewed idea of exactly what "rich" is ("Mom, I got $10 for my birthday...I'm rich!"), I love that purely innocent look they have when they begin to realize the potential of what that money can bring...not just to themselves, but to others as well.

Unlike adults, to kids, money is not about control.  It's not about being part of the "haves" and "have-nots".  It's really about the potential of all the sugary (or battery operated) glory of consuming candy or playing with new toys.  It's that pure feeling of anticipation of revealing what's inside the wrapper.  Sometimes it's that feeling of being able to share that jackpot with friends, as I witnessed during a recent school field trip when my son's classmate, with the biggest smile I've ever seen, bought candy to share with all the kids in our small group.  I think that child felt richer than any other kid that day.

Maybe being "rich" is not about the dollar value of money, but the emotional value it brings, when it is used unselfishly.  I stumbled upon Alfred Nobel's will, and was absolutely astonished with the kind of inspiration it instills. A very wealthy man himself (it was estimated that he would be worth $265 million today), he used his money for the betterment of society.

"...my executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually 

distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, 

shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind."  {source}

I guess it doesn't take a lot of dough to be happy...as long as it's just treated as an ingredient to make even one person feel better.  And like this shortbread, sometimes all you really need are a few ingredients to be rich.  

Simple Shortbread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

Directions:

• Preheat the oven at 300 degrees.
• Mix all three ingredients in a bowl until it resembles a crumb mixture.
• Form a ball and then press firmly into an ungreased 8x8 inch pan
• Score the entire surface into squares then pierce each square with a fork (through to the bottom of the pan).
• Bake for 50 minutes or until the edges start to golden.
• Cut along scored edges, while warm into 25 squares.

Enjoy this rich tasting shortbread!

get moving. be still. eat cake.

Last week, as we enjoyed above seasonal temperatures, that magical feeling of giving (and receiving) that we enjoyed during the holidays seems to have melted away with the snow.  It is now that time of year to get going...get in shape, make good with all the resolutions...just get moving.

I guess all this busyness helps us fight the winter blues as we settle into another year of promises, hope and dreams.  I actioned on my list of things to do, and began the year reorganizing closets.  Purged all the old to make room for the new. I know many people who have taken action on their resolutions of getting fit.  Fitness gyms have been bustling with business in the past few weeks. Get active!  Get exercising! Get moving!

There has been a lot of talk lately about how we sit still for too long during the day, as noted in the Harvard Business Review's article,"Sitting Is the Smoking of Our Generation".  It's true...I often wonder if we are raising a generation of children who spend more time behind screens than participating in active physical activity.

As much as I agree that our bodies need more physical activity, conversely I also think our minds need to be more still.  Although we may not be physically moving, our minds are always racing...juggling the balance of our personal and work life, while multitasking both lives on our mobile phones.  And while we may be communicating with various people at the same time, are we really connecting?

As much as we're getting more active and enjoying the winter activities, I also think we need to balance that by teaching our kids how to sit still and resist all the "i-distractions".  In the long run, it will help them stay connected to what, and more importantly, who is in front of them. To actually have a conversation beyond 140 characters.

To me, nothing invites conversation more than sitting together for a good meal or even just a coffee/hot cocoa (and maybe a small slice of cake). And yes, I know this cake may seem to defeat the purpose of exercise, it isn't too sweet and it is dense enough to allow even just a small slice to satisfy.  But it's real purpose is to gather together and savour each bite while enjoying each other's company. And with our devices put away, we can have our cake...and eat it too.

Cherry Almond Pound Cake with White Chocolate Ganache Icing

(adapted from: Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter 
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour 
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped cherries

White Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp. butter or shortening

Gently melt and stir in microwave for about 1 minute, intermittently stirring to not burn.

Directions:

• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
• Grease bundt pan with shortening/flour.
• Cream butter with the sugar until it is light.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.
• Slowly add flour, salt and baking soda
• Add sour cream.
• Add almond extract.
• Gently fold in the chopped cherries.
• Place in bundt pan, and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until done.
• Cool for about 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.
• Top with White Chocolate ganache

Enjoy your cake.