Pumpkin Pie Memories

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My main goal with this blog is to introduce people who have never tried international meals to them and how to make them.

Sure I get sidetracked on this most of the time, but today I’m going back to my roots and it includes a little story.

This is my friend Bobbie and that photo is around 5 years old. This day 5 years ago I spent my one and only Thanksgiving with her.

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Trying Cheesecake

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One thing I’ve learnt from this blog is that you shouldn’t be afraid to try something new.

I’ve lived my life in the most recent years with a sense of ‘you only get one chance at today.’

Which is true, but with real life comes real distraction.

You have to work late so miss catching up with a friend.

A cold strikes you down so you can’t take that drive to adventure you were planning.

Living life with a sense of trying something new, grabbing the bull by the balls (ahh Never Been Kissed, I still love you like I’m 12 years old) as such, can take real determined effort.

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Caramel Cloud

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In the almost ten months I’ve had this blog this will be my third time I make a different form of mousse.

I can assure you that I’m not fascinated nor do I seek out ways to make it, but rather that I find the texture something delightful.

You know, that ‘it’s so fluffy I could die’ line from Despicable Me.

If you dismiss cotton candy (which just dissolves instantly on the tongue anyhow) then mousseis the dessert equivalent in real life form – it’s so fluffy that it’s the closest thing one could ever have to tasting a cloud.

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Second Go

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I initially attempted this cake a week ago, and it was not a pretty sight, nor did it look like a cake.

What I wanted to create was a tiered cake, but what I was left with was crumbs – turns out my attempt in vegan and gluten free had veered down a path I didn’t want to go any further down. I wanted to throw the rest of the cake mixture out.

My dear second family where I currently stay are dead against throwing out food unless it no longer resembles the food it originally was or the expiry date has long since passed.

To my dismay they said, we can eat it on ice cream.

Eat coconut, almond crumbs on ice cream I thought.

That means I have to continue baking the remaining cake batter I thought.

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Dreaming Rhubarb

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Wow, I did a lot yesterday!

I left the house at 6 a.m. and didn’t return until 11 p.m.

The drive from my best friends place back to my own in the darkness felt like a weird dream involving the highway as sleep tapped at my shoulder.

Most of my day was spent traveling around to different locations with my boss and his ‘entourage’, me being one of those. A thought of being apart of a famous persons entourage and how that would differ from my present entourage experience ran through my mind on one occasion; the conclusion that I would definitely have to have better shoes was made.

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Canadian Omission

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I think this one ate too many!
I cannot believe I have not made one Canadian dish this entire time.

And to those that have been reading this for some time I am sorry.

Amongst the several recipes to be found on here from other countries, I have omitted to attempt anything from a country I was living in only two years ago.

I’m going to admit I wasn’t really sure of Canadian foods other then Poutine and Perogis, which I enjoyed during my stay in the Great North.

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Exceptions Result in Some Doughnuts

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Now please don’t be offended, but I’m not a lover of potatoes. I don’t love to eat them when you know and compare them to sweet potatoes, they are just not as satisfying.

I don’t buy potato chips because quite frankly the thin amount of self control I have with junk food goes out the window and it’s as though I haven’t eaten in a month when they are around.

Sometimes though I make an exception, when I’m craving my mother’s mashed potatoes and she just happens to make them when I visit. Or my friends have potato chips and fresh bread, I can’t ignore the call of chip sandwiches, that’s down right wrong. Or there is onion dip (a New Zealand tradition) sitting there, waiting to be scooped up.

Exceptions can be made and then I am done with potatoes again.

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Closing Dessert

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Over the past two weeks, I have reveled in the strength, flexibility and ability of the thousands of athletes taking part in the Olympic Games.

Today, they end, not to be seen for another four years in another specially chosen city.

While the athletes have been competing from the 204 nations involved, I have been in the kitchen making foods from a small variety of the many countries represented. I have not, however, made a single thing to represent the host country.

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German Discoveries

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My first trip overseas involved 27 hours of flying and layover time.

For an 8 and 6 year old who were used to running around all day doing their own thing, this was tiring and clearly something that would linger particularly in my life.

What could be so worth all that time?

Meeting new people. Seeing new sites. And the food.

German bakeries, lots of gifts and chocolate pudding.

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Mexican Sweet

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Dinner parties involve effort.

They also involves more then one course and, if you are the lone cook, they involve plenty of time.

Mexico, however, like most Spanish speaking countries love to party.

The love of life even in the morning Hola is something that doesn't entail difficulty or strenuous meals of food but rather full of flavor recipes that leave all with a satisfied smile.

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April Fool’s Minty Treat

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On April Fools, I went out with my childhood best friend or rather BFF, for the first time as two adults and I’m going to be honest here (I place high importance on honesty), out of anyone I’ve ever met she has had most probably the toughest road to walk and her strength and spirit give me a constant sense of awe.

Her difficult childhood, her child diagnosed with cancer at 3 and the fight for his life that followed, her smile and determination and strength have never disappeared.
Our friendship has not had an easy road either, yet we know, no matter how often we see each other, no matter how short a time we spend together, we are the same people with the same views, values and passions.

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Discounted Apricots and A Granola Crusted Pie

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How many times have you gone grocery shopping only to come home with something unexpected?

There are more times then I can count where a trip to buy fruit and vegetables results in buying a discounted item where time has to be put aside to do something with this. The item the other day was a bag of apricots.

 Immediately the mind turned to jam, a simple mixture of sugar, fruit and glass jars, but this has been something I’ve completed far too often recently so opted for a different approach.

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Fruit + Pastry = Tarte Tatin

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As I sit here eating the last piece of the Tarte Tatin (recipe below) for breakfast, my room is still a scattered mess awaiting tidy up.

I'm sorry, I couldn't wait as this simple recipe leaves the taste buds yearning, asking, wanting more.

And the bonus, it can be made whenever you want. This is a no rules recipe that doesn't require particular fruit to make it with.

It's also a quick little number to cook while you're eating with friend's or catching up on the latest episode of a show.

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