2010 November | Guilty Kitchen

Back to Basic: Culinary Fundamentals (Brown Sugar)

This week has been hectic with the bad weather and the not having a car to be able to escape from the house. We only bought winter tires for one vehicle, being the stringent adherers to a budget that we are. Alas it makes for some pretty boring days trapped in the house with two kids and only so many rounds of puzzles, books, fort building and baking.

What I did earn was a break. And I got it this weekend when Mr. Guilty himself booked me a lovely surprise haircut (complete with relaxing neck and scalp massage) in the big city. We traipsed the two kids and a set of grandparents for help all the way (45 minutes) into the city so I could have that glorious 45 minutes of time to myself. And oh what glorious minutes they were.

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Celery Root Salad

It’s a little late but, Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers!

Seeing as we had our Thanksgiving almost a full month ago, and I already shared my recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert!) I thought I would instead, share some photos from a Thanksgiving a few years ago. Before my sister and I had children and before my parents up and sold the family home to move into an RV and head to Mexico for the winters. It seems like so long ago, it’s amazing what can change in five years.

I feel like I was just a kid then, though I still try to act like a kid once in a while, but responsibilities usually get the better of me. Funny how our lives take such steep inclines in so few years. It seems like not long ago, sitting in my Psychology 9 class, that I felt like nothing would ever change. Must have been all that teenage angst right?

If only I could go back and tell my teenage/young child self not to worry….to cherish every moment spent with those we love. They won’t always be around you know.

“Love you Uncle Richard, wish you were here to share a glass of wine with. But I’ll raise one for you tonight and hope that you are somewhere tropical and warm, a computer by your side and a glass of Merlot in your hand. Cheers!”

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Wordless Wednesday

Back to Basics: Culinary Fundamentals (Nut Butters)

It’s been a rough couple of days out here at the lake. Over a foot of snow and it’s still coming down. On Saturday night we had the misfortune of living on the only street that lost power.

Gee, how could that have happened?

No one came out to fix it until about 24 hours later. Priorities people. There are only five or six houses in our neighbourhood that are occupied at this time of the year. I guess cottage country is the lowest on the totem pole, as it were. We made it into a good day though, playing in the snow with the little ones and heading into town (where only 1cm fell) to have breakfast at the in-laws (thanks guys!). It’s a good thing our compact SUV fit under that tree!

We had dinner (cheese, crackers, veggies, winter ale…perfection) by candlelight as we sat in front of our woodstove and read books. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a snowy evening.

What it did make me think of was my Back to Basics series. Lack of power in this day and age, for any length of time is a pain in the behind, a big one. The fridge gone, the stove gone, the heat, the television, music, computer, lights, everything. It really makes you wonder how people got along without it!

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