What in the World Has Penne Been Up To?

Wow, it’s been a few months since I last wrote a blog post – shame on me!  I am going to plead extreme busyness (wow, that IS a word…) over the summer both professionally and personally.  Obviously, summer is the craziest time of year for us at DQ Canada and with our annual Miracle Treat Day fundraiser and a Guinness World Records event in Calgary for world’s largestfruit sculpture, I barely had time to catch my breath and do the regular stuff.   

In my home life, we kept super busy this summer with day trips to places like Port Dover on Lake Erie and African Lion Safari for O's 2nd birthday. We mostly stayed local and enjoyed lounging in our back yard on warm summer days.   Jason and I also went on a one-night getaway to Fergus and Elora where we hiked, ate, drank and rode our bikes.  If you've never been to this little gem in Ontario, you must check it out! 

World's Largest Fruit Sculpture.  3.06 meters tall!

Brew House on the Grand, Fergus, ON

In the kitchen, I’ve been up to my usual antics.  I continue to meal plan religiously and try a couple of new recipes every week.  Boy, I love to cook.  Like, really, really love it.  Had I known this 20 (OMG) years ago, perhaps I would have went to culinary school.  Although, given that I am the furthest thing from a night owl there is, I probably would have had to specialize in breakfast.   And, given that I am not a fan of breakfast (eggs – no thanks, waffles – yuck, pancakes – oh no) I just don’t see it working out for me as a chef.  But I digress….

Here’s something super cool that I’ve been doing in the kitchen though!  It’s no secret that I love Chatelaine magazine and its recipes, so when I saw that I could apply to be a home recipe tester I filled out those forms at lightning speed.  And, guess who was chosen to be a tester?  Yes, that’s right – ME!  I have now tested recipes for both the November and December issues of the magazine.   I’m sworn to secrecy on those recipes until they are in print, but I will tell you this – the ones I tested were delicious, fast and easy, true to Chatelaine form.  I could potentially be quoted in the mags when the recipes are printed, so I’ll let you know if I’m now a famous home-recipe-tester when they show up in my mailbox. 

I’ve cooked several super delicious meals lately and I don’t have time to elaborate on all, but I will tell you about one from last weekend.  This. Chicken. Is. Unbelievable.

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Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Reduction

 

The original recipe is from this blog and I followed it pretty much to the letter.  I did buy one of those mozzarella balls which I think is much better than the brick mozzarella, although more expensive.  Fresh basil leaves are essential and I used Roma tomatoes as they tend to be less juicy and more firm.  One thing I did that the recipe did not call for was to marinate the chicken.  I threw it in a bowl with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, S and P and garlic powder for a few hours before BBQ-ing it.  I think it was a nice touch and added more flavour. 

On the side we had grilled asparagus and a very rich and delicious (read: full of butter, cheese and calories) Parmesan and garlic farfalle pasta.   It was a great meal shared with wonderful friends that I will most definitely make again.  

September always feels like the time for new beginnings for me, so I am going to make a concerted effort to blog at least once a week.  Mark my words!  

 

Southwest Turkey Meatballs turned Enchiladas turned Tacos. What?

Every Saturday morning I sit down and plan out a dinner menu for the upcoming week in advance of our weekly trip to the farmer’s market and grocery store.  As much as it pains me sometimes to put thought and effort into the menu, I never regret having done so when I get home from work and need (and want!) to get a home-cooked, delicious and fairly quick dinner on the table during the week.

Sometimes I find so many yummy recipes that I want to try and I start to make my grocery list before I’ve 100% confirmed what I’ll cook that week.  Then once I decide on the menu, I forget to edit my list.  Oops.  This was one of those weeks.  I had found three Mexican recipes I wanted to try, but after more thought I decided that all of these in one week might be a little much.

So, I scaled back on the fiesta week theme and settled on these Southwest Turkey Meatballs which were on the menu tonight.  While gathering everything for the recipe, I discovered I had a few extra ingredients on hand that were meant for those other meals that didn’t make the cut.  No problem, I love to improvise and create and wouldn't want these items to go to waste!

I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter (except for: using bread crumbs instead of panko, adding more cumin than it called for and no lime zest, just lime juice) and it was looking good.  

But then... instead of adding chicken broth, I added – wait for it – enchilada sauce.  Oh yesssss.  I let that simmer and cook down till the meatballs were cooked through.

 

I know one wouldn't normally associate turkey meatballs with corn tortillas, but I thought, why not!?  I heated up a stack and we built our meatball-tortilla-enchilada-taco-thingies on our plates with shredded Monterey Jack cheese (another item that wasn’t meant to be on this week’s list), salsa, sour cream and avocado. 

The hubs and I ate ours with a knife and fork, the teen rolled his up taco style, and the toddler, well he just went at it with his hands.  It was definitely a winner and I will make it again. 

Do you like to improvise and create in the kitchen or are you a stick-to-the-recipe kinda cook? 

Book Review: Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke - An Essential Summer Read

Once in a while a book comes along that captures my heart and really sticks with me.  This hasn't happened in a very long time, until I recently read Swimming at Night.  I was very grateful to receive a copy of Lucy Clarke's debut novel from Simon and Schuster Canada via the Yummy Mummy Book Club and I devoured it.

Swimming at Night tells the story of sisters Katie and Mia and their complicated relationship.  The book opens with Katie being notified that Mia has committed suicide by jumping off a cliff while traveling in Bali.  Katie is unconvinced that her sister killed herself and when she finds Mia's travel journal she decides to retrace her sister's steps to try to understand what really happened.

Swimming at Night takes you on a whirlwind of exotic locations and is cleverly written with the chapters alternating between the perspective of each sister; Katie reads a part of the journal and then Mia lives it out.  It is a very unique style and very well done.

The characters are well-developed and relatable. I felt like I really got to know them and was emotionally invested in their lives.  I was very sad when this book ended and it left me wanting to know more about these sisters.  I do hope Lucy Clarke keeps these characters alive in upcoming books.

Swimming at Night took me on an emotional rollercoaster and it really got to me, but in a good way. I think about this story often and it is one that I will re-read.  I truly admire Clarke's writing style and her story-telling abilities.  If you're looking for a great summer read - or anytime read for that matter - pick this one up.  You won't be disappointed.


Note:  The book is also called Sea Sisters in other parts of the world (I'm in Canada!).

Countdown

Twelve days to go. Twelve days until the anniversary of the day when grief struck like I never knew it could.  Twelve days until I relive that day and what I felt.

April 16, 2012 was a very sunny, unusually warm day; shorts and sandals weather.  I was at home with Oliver because I was on maternity leave.  At about 3:00 p.m. my cell phone rang and on the display was a recruiting firm from Kitchener.  I didn’t answer because I initially thought it was a wrong number. 

After I thought about it for a bit, I realized my cousin, Kevin, worked for a recruiter and that maybe it was him calling. We had been exchanging emails about some baby furniture he was looking to pass on. I checked my voice mail and Kevin had left a message to urgently call him.  My heart raced and a sense of panic overwhelmed me. I called him back and he told me he had a message for me to call Dr. Blank (can’t remember his name) at St. Mary’s hospital in Kitchener.  He said, “Jen, I’m sorry, but expect the worst”. 

I frantically dialed my sister, Bev’s number and all I can remember asking is, “Did he die? Did he die?” to which she responded, yes.  She had received the same call from Kevin and had spoken to the doctor already.  From there it’s a bit of a blur.  I know that Brayden had come home from school at some point and I started to cry out for him.  I needed him to take Oliver while I crouched on the floor crying and shouting, “No, No, No!”  I also somehow called my husband and my mom and shortly after Bev and Luigi arrived at my house. 

Luigi drove Bev and I and Brayden to the hospital in Kitchener so that we could see Dad one last time and make arrangements.  I’ll never forget walking into the room where he lay.  I relive that moment almost daily. It looked like he was sleeping, but he wasn’t.  He was lifeless.  His skin was grey.  He was cold to the touch.  But he was my Dad so I hugged him and kissed his cold forehead and sobbed.  From there, this happened.

That was a Monday.  The rest of the week was a blur and was very overwhelming.   Time flew by and stood still all at once.  Funeral arrangements, phone calls, emails, etc. filled my days.  My sleep was filled with dreams of Dad.  My waking hours were filled with thoughts of Dad. 

And then it was my birthday that Thursday, April 19th.  I received sympathy cards instead of birthday cards.  I shopped for an outfit to wear to a funeral instead of to wear to a birthday celebration.  I was angry at Dad for ruining my birthday, but at the same time grateful that he had sent a card and gift ahead of time that I had already received.  That was so unlike him; he usually had to ask Bev when my birthday was and was rarely on time with wishes and cards.  Maybe he knew…

This year as the first anniversary of Dad’s passing approaches I’m feeling anxious, sad and, I don’t know, weird, I guess.  I am determined, however, to have a good birthday. I am taking the day off and treating myself to a pedicure and a great big cupcake.  I’m going to do what I want to do and thoroughly enjoy the day.  I know Dad would want it that way. 

Flour-Less Blueberry Oat Muffins

Who doesn’t love a good muffin?  After all, most muffins are really just cupcakes without the icing, right?  Knowing this, I’m not comfortable baking a standard white flour and sugar-based “cupcake” for my toddler, so I went in search of a healthier muffin recipe for the little guy and came across this fantastic one for Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins.

This quickly became my favourite quick and easy muffin recipe and I have whipped up several batches in the last couple of months.  I have modified the recipe a bit by reducing the sugar (each time I put less and less in) and increasing the bananas – I use three instead of two.  While they can’t be called gluten-free unless made with certified gluten-free oats, they are flour-free and include the goodness of Greek yogurt (yes, that’s right!). 

Last weekend when the hubs came home from the market with a ton of blueberries, the wheels quickly started turning in my head about how to modify the muffin recipe to make them blueberry.  It was a precarious experiment, as an expert baker I am not, but I’m happy to say it worked!  

I like to make minis and regular-sized muffins so this recipe made 12 minis (cups full) and 6 very large regulars.  Here’s my recipe:

Flour-Less Blueberry Oat Muffins

The Ingredients:
2.5 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (you choose the fat content!)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (or less!)
1 ½  teaspoon baking powder
½  teaspoon baking soda
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

The Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (the original recipe says 400 degrees but my gas oven gets super hot, so 375 is plenty hot enough). 

Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with muffin cups.  I make a combination of mini and regular muffins.
   
Place yogurt, eggs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, apple sauce and ½ cup oats in a blender or food processor, and blend until oats are smooth.  Add the oats half a cup at a time and continue blending.

Add blueberries after blending is complete and stir until just mixed.

Pour batter into muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Bubbly blueberries fresh out of the oven!

Let me know how these turn out and if you have any other variations you’d like me to try!

ENJOY!