Now, since Canadian Thanksgiving occurred a month ago, many of you have already encountered my own list of favorite Thanksgiving recipes that I posted here (and please do feel free to use them for your American Thanksgiving, too!). Personally, I’m not averse to celebrating twice. So let’s get to it!
I was chatting yesterday with some online buddies about Canadian-vs-American Thanksgiving (I’d say the tacit consensus was that Americans make more of a fuss about it) and I admitted that, in the home of my childhood, we never actually celebrated T-Day. My memory about it is fuzzy (who am I kidding? My memory about everything is fuzzy these days), but I think the first traditional Thanksgiving celebration I attended was at the home of my first boyfriend’s mum.
I was madly in love with Spaghetti Ears and adored his mother, an Irishwoman who had been widowed at a young age and lived on her own in a little bungalow across town from the university. She was a pixieish woman, perpertually smiling, her dancing blue eyes flitting about the dinner table as she regaled us with stories of her Irish relatives and friends. Her cheeks were permanently flushed pink and her bobbed gray hair, normally hugging her head like a shawl, would swing back and forth as she reached across the table to pass bread or pat my hand. She also made the most delicious curried beef I had ever tasted (okay, so it was the only curried beef I had ever tasted). And I still possess–and use–the hand-knit tea cozy she gave me for Christmas almost 30 years ago, its red and green woolen stripes just as vibrant today as they were back then. I was honored to be invited to her holiday celebration!
Although I loved the idea behind the Thanksgiving feast (and the feast itself) from the first time I experienced it, the cranberry sauce was one aspect I just couldn’t rally behind. I always found it far too sweet for my taste; in fact, canned cranberry sauce is the reason I thought I didn’t like cranberries for many years. Last year, I decided to combine the crimson berries with some stewed apples for a stellar Cranberry Apple Compote, which I was happy to eat alongside nut roast or on toast, and the HH was delighted to enjoy with his turkey. This year, I opted for something a little different:
Today’s recipe comes courtesy of our organic produce delivery, which arrives like clockwork every week ,whether or not I’ve finished up the previous week’s fruits and veggies. As has happened in the past, I left some plums in their paper bag to languish on the counter, unnoticed until it was almost too late to save them.
I decided to combine the soft, squishy plums with their hardier, tarter cousins, and cooked up a quick Plumberry Compote. It offered up the perfect mix of tangy, sweet, and spreadable, with a deep magenta hue and gemlike brilliance.
[How I freeze my plumberry sauce. . . no, the color in the photo isn't off--this pic is frozen apricot spread.]
I hope you give this unconventional cranberry sauce a try. The flavors work beautifully in tandem to offer up a thick sauce that is nearly sweet enough even on its own, without added stevia. It’s also tasty enough to use as jam on toast–something traditional cranberry sauce can’t quite match, which means that leftovers will actually get used! It’s quickly become a favorite condiment here, as it can be used by the HH on his Thanksgiving turkey (that is, if he had had turkey this year), can be spread on some savory nut roast, can double as a chutney with a nice Indian curry, or can be used in lieu of maple syrup on a stack of pancakes or a breakfast bake (as in the photo above).
Yep–it’s time to forge a new tradition, I say!
And don’t forget about the fabulous giveaway this week!
Kim is giving away a copy of Laura Russell’s Gluten Free Asian Kitchen. Just head over to her blog to enter! Here’s a list of the other bloggers who are participating in the event as well:
And my post on Dateless Date Squares from last week, click here.
[A new favorite--breakfast bake topped with Plumberry Sauce and chocolate almond butter.]
Plumberry Sauce or Jam (Suitable for ACD Stage 2 and Beyond)
This sauce is so easy to make, it’s almost embarassing to write it out as a recipe. Freeze any leftovers in silicone muffin tins, then pop out and store in plastic bags in the freezer, for up to 3 months.
6-7 small, ripe black plums, pitted (leave the skins on)
20-30 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to your taste
In a small food processor or blender, purée the plums. Transfer to a medium pot and add the remaining ingredients except stevia.
Cook, stirring frequently, until desired thickness is reached and most of the cranberries have popped (if you have a splatter screen, this is a good time to use it. Otherwise, place a lid on the pot with just a crack open to let the steam escape. That way, you’ll avoid speckling your stovetop and any other surface within sight).
Once the desired thickness is achieved, add the stevia and stir well. Pour into a clean glass jar or container and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Alternately, freeze in silicone muffin cups, then pop out of the cups and keep frozen in a plastic bag or freezer container for up to 3 months. Makes about 2 cups (480 ml).
Have you been keeping up with Vegan MoFo? Now that I've backed out of the festivities because I knew I couldn't keep up--well, here I am, posting virtually every day in October thus far! With our Ontario elections today (go out and vote, people!) and our Thanksgiving coming up (stay home and eat, people!), I'm pretty sure this bombarding-you-with-a-blog-post-a-day foolishness will come to an end asap (though don't forget to come back tonight for this week's Wellness Weekend, of course!)
In any case, I couldn't let the weekend arrive without offering my picks for Thanksgiving-appropriate recipes for the big weekend. My own feast menu is almost crystallized, but sadly, I won't get the recipes posted until after the holiday--but hey, you can always use those for the next celebration (and believe me, you will want to save that dessert recipe for just that purpose. Swoon.).
For those of you who haven't yet finalized all your dishes, welcome to my world here are some suggestions for what might work at your Thanksgiving table. And don't forget there are more anti-candida friendly recipes in my Anti-Candida Feast ebook (specifically holiday-themed), Desserts without Compromise and Good Morning! Breakfasts.
And to all my Canadian brethren, hope you have a fantastic long weekend. And if you've got a favorite Thanksgiving recipe to share, please leave a link in the comments section!
Happy Thanksgiving, all!
[NOTE: Not all recipes below are anti-candida friendly and/or gluten free. Where I've added "A," it indicates ACD-friendly; "GF" indicates gluten free. Other recipes contain spelt or barley flour, or other natural sweeteners (maple syrup, Sucanat, etc.). You can replace Sucanat with coconut sugar to render many of these ACD-friendly. ]
In other news. . . my Meaty Vegan Lasagna recipe is one of eleven featured today on The Huffington Post Canada–yahoo! Hope you’ll check it out (and click on the “Rate It!” button to the right of the recipe to vote for me!)
“Happy Thanksgiving! To us that just means more time to play with our humans! (And more treat, of course!).”
[As promised, here's the other recipe from our Thanksgiving dinner last weekend. Who says you can't have a delicious feast that's vegan, gluten free and anti-candida friendly? This meal is from leftovers night on day two: vegan tortière, roasted zucchini and savory steel cut oat-stuffed squash (for those who are interested, I've posted the squash recipe on the DDD Facebook page, here.)]
Answer: Alex Trebek.
Question: Who first taught Ricki how to make classic tortière?
Yes, you may know him as “Mr. Jeopardy,” that dapper, affable host with a voice as smooth as a duckless pond on a clear, sunny day. The navy-suited, oft-mustachioed supplier of answers in advance of questions, for $200, $400, $600 or Super-Jeopardy please, Alex. The slick, handsome, game-show staple–Alex Trebek.
Okay, so maybe he didn’t actually teach me how to make tortièrein person, but he was, indirectly, responsible for my learning all about the classic Quebeçois meat pie. You see, it’s a little-known fact that Mr. Trebek hails from Sudbury, Ontario, one of the very few cities in Canada where people actually speak French,** and he grew up with a Francophone mom (which would explain why his accent is always spot on when he announces those answers from the “Heroes of the French Revolution” and “Movies Starring Brigitte Bardot” categories).
Well, when I first moved to Toronto as a fresh-faced PhD student back in the 80s, I was (like most students) too cash-strapped to afford much in the way of extra-curricular books and magazines, far too impecunious (or was it just cheap?) to pay for my own copy of TV Guide each week. There was a free guide inserted every Saturday in The Toronto Star (the only day I purchased the paper), called the TV Times. And the last page of said TV Times was always devoted to a recipe contributed by some famous person: one week, it might be apple pie from Wanda’s Pie in the Sky (a popular Toronto bakery); another, it could be Caesar Salad from Jeannie Beker (host of Fashion Television, the seminal “let’s watch those barely-clad sticks on stillettoes trundle down the runway” show). And then, one fateful week in winter, it featured tortière, courtesy of Alex Trebek.
Apparently, tortière was a favorite dish from Trebek’s childhood back in Sudbury. (Answer: only after many years of trial and error. Question: did a famous game-show host really make tortière all on his own?). I tore the recipe from the booklet and slipped it into my “recipes to try” collection, a beige cardboard file folder that was by then already straining with countless slips of paper, clipped magazine pages and newspaper columns. (Answer: only my current “recipes to try” folder on my computer’s “Favorites” list. Question: is there anything even bigger than that original recipes file folder?). Having been born in Quebec myself (land of “‘Mon pays, ce n’est pas un pays, c’est l’hiver,” Celine Dion, real ski hills, sugar pie and the Habs), I felt it was my civic duty to some day try out the recipe. Even though it contained pork, and ground beef, and probably suet, I figured I’d give it a try at some dinner party and serve it to all the guys, just so I could say I did.
[No, I didn't pre-slice the crust; that crack is due to my less-than-stellar crust skills. Still tasted great, though!]
Well, the poor recipe languished there for years–nay, decades–until finally, after adopting a vegan diet and switching to the ACD 1-1/2 years ago, in a rare fit of organizing, I finally threw it away. (Answer: just this type of impulsive purging of old papers, bills, income tax returns or recipes. Question: What is one activity that Ricki inevitably regrets weeks, months, or even years, later?)
For some reason, this Thanksgiving, I really wanted to make a vegan version of tortière. Along with poutine, sugar pie, and that Chez Cora’s-inspired Quebeçois classic, cretons (mmm! Couldn’t you go for some right now?), tortière is certainly one of the quintessentially “Canadian” foods. How could I pass up the opportunity? And though I’ve never actually had a ”real” tortière, the HH assured me it’s delicious and that he’d love to have it as well. (Answer: Yours truly. Question: Who in her right mind would attempt tortière when a) she doesn’t eat meat and b) she’s never made a successful pie crust of any kind before, gluten free or otherwise?).
It took all of 8 seconds to decide that my latest veg-based faux meat (the one I used in this lasagna) would be the perfect base for this tortière. I mean, doesn’t it look just like ground meat? And wouldn’t it work beautifully with the spectrum of spices that were called for in the original pie? I even had a big container just waiting in the freezer! So I pulled it out, gathered my newly-printed tortière recipes from around the Internet, and began to plot how I’d reproduce it.
The first hurdle was the crust. I was browsing through Maggie’s yummy blog a few weeks back and had tried out her pie crust for the first time with great success. So, with a few of my own little changes (I just can’t resist), I used her recipe here. It worked perfectly! The filling, too, came together easily; basically, it’s just sautéed onions and garlic, spices, and the faux meat. Couldn’t be simpler!
Answer: This vegan tortière. Question: What will you want to rush out and try as soon as you finish reading this blog post–maybe sooner?
[I know: that filling really looks like meat. Eerie, isn't it?]
The final product is dense without being solid, the spice-warmed bits of the meat mixture offering a moist, savory chew lightly sandwiched between a perfectly flaky crust. Like a piece of really good shepherd’s pie, it fills you up without being too heavy; it felt as if we were spooning up authentically-prepared comfort food at a local French bistro. As we sat eating out meals, the HH seemed to be enjoying his immensely, savoring his pie between bites of gravy-laden mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and stuffed squash.
“Does it taste like real tortière ?” I asked. He paused. He inhaled the wafting scent of cloves, thyme and cinnamon and took another bite. He cocked his head and glanced across the room as he chewed contemplatively.
“Well, I think you’d eat it and you might know it wasn’t meat, but you wouldn’t be sure what it was instead. . . it just tastes really, really delicious. I’d say this was one of your more successful dishes. I’d definitely eat this again.” Wow. Coming from the usually-reticent HH, that was praise enough for me.
My answer? ”You can have it any time you like, sweetheart.” And the question? Well, sorry, that’s personal.
**I know that statement was a shock to many of you. But even though Canada does have two “official” languages, 90% of the country doesn’t speak one of them. (Answer: Um, it doesn’t make sense to me, either. Question: Then why is every single product produced or sold in our country required to display labeling in both English and French?) Quel bêtises!
Vegan Tortière (suitable for ACD Stage 2 and beyond)
Although it takes time to make the faux meat for the filling, I tend to mix up two or three batches at a time and then freeze them for later use. If you have frozen “meat” available, the recipe is actually very quick to prepare. Don’t tell people what’s in this and have fun listening to their guesses!
Dough for an unbaked, double pie crust (I used this recipe)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1 to 1/4 cups (240-300 ml) vegetable broth or stock, depending on how moist you want the filling
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) dried thyme
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
1 tsp (5 ml) herbs de provence (see here to make your own)
heaping 1/4 tsp (1.5 ml) ground cloves
ground pepper, to taste (see note)
1 batch (about 4 cups/1 liter) faux meat from this recipe
Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare the crust: Fill the bottom and sides of a 9″ (22.5 cm) pie plate with crust and dock the crust by poking with a fork 6-8 times across the bottom. Roll out the top crust on waxed paper, into a circle about 1/2 inch (1 cm) larger than the pie plate all around and set aside.
Make the filling: Heat the oil in a large frypan (I used a cast iron pan). Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil over medium-high heat until onion is translucent, 7-10 minutes. Add the broth, herbs and spices and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the faux meat and stir everything together to blend.
Turn the filling into the unbaked crust and spread to fill the crust entirely (do not pack). Fold the top crust into quarters and transfer over the filling; unfold and pinch the edges to join with the bottom crust, crimping or using a fork to seal the edges if desired. Cut small holes in the top of the crust to allow steam to escape. Brush with unflavored soy or almond milk, if desired (this will help the crust brown as it bakes).
Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes to one hour, rotating the pan about halfway through, until the crust is lightly browned. Allow to cool 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6-8 servings. May be frozen.
Note: I didn’t need to add any extra salt because the “meat” was salted, as was the vegetable broth I used. However, if you used unsalted broth or like your food salty, feel free to add salt to taste.
This post is linked to Amy’s weekly event, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. which collects dishes that are made a little bit healthier. Check it out–or post your own recipe!
“I know I’m sure looking forward to some play time this weekend. . . ball, anyone?”
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! (And Happy Weekend to everyone else!)
Even if you’re not in Canada, you can still join in the festive spirit this weekend! We’re going to have enviable weather (21C/70F and sunny on Sunday) and I’m determined to set the work aside for at least an afternoon and spend it with the HH and the Girls. (“Yes, Mum, some time at the trail would be much appreciated.”)
The HH and I will be spending the holiday here at home rather than in Montrreal with my family, so it will be a fairly low key affair. I do have something special planned for our dinner, though, which I will share after the weekend (and once I know the recipe works!).
For those of you celebrating this weekend, Happy Thanksgiving! I wasn’t going to post a list of Thanksgiving recipes this year since there are so many I wouldn’t be able to enjoy (never-ending ACD, and all)–but then I thought, why should the REST of you sufferstarve miss out?
And so, I’m re-posting my recipe list from last year, plus a few extras I’ve accumulated since then, just in case you’re still on the lookout for some great holiday recipes.
Hope you all have a wonderful time with family and friends–human or otherwise!
“Aww, Mum, this is such a tease. . . our Thanksgiving was over a month ago. Which means no leftovers for me or Elsie. . . *sigh*.”
Okay, in reality, Thanksgiving means that, like it or not, the holiday season is already upon us. Orange and black streamers hanging from gift shop ceilings, Hallmark stores overflowing with turkey cards and placemats, Christmas muzak on every elevator and wafting through every shopping mall, heart-shaped chocolate and chocolate eggs at every checkout. . . yep, the holiday season is already upon us, and will continue pretty much unabated until somewhere around May 1st.
Okay, then: let’s party!
Before I get to today’s recipe, however, I’d like to wish all my Canadian compatriots a very Happy Thanksgiving! And in honor of the onset of the holiday festivities, I’m happy to offer a very special sale of Sweet Freedom.
I found myself with some extra stock of books and think these would make excellent holiday gifts, whether for a friend, family member, or even yourself! Until December 1st, 2009, you can purchase a signed copy (dedicated to the name of your choice) of Sweet Freedom that I will ship directly to you, for just $25.00 US (a 35% discount). There are no extra charges to this price–no shipping, no taxes!
If you’d like to purchase a copy of Sweet Freedom at this special sale price or would like to learn more about the book, simply click on the “Cookbook” tab above or the book icon to the left. Choose the first (sale) option. There! You’ve just completed your holiday gift shopping–more time to have fun!
* * * * * * * * * *
As much as I appreciate living in the 21st century, in some ways I am decidedly old-fashioned. In fact, in many ways, I tend to cleave to the archaic (and not just because I use words like, “cleave,” either). For instance, I don’t care how convenient bread machines may be; to me, it’s not really bread unless it’s mixed, kneaded and shaped by hand. When I was younger, I used to carry handkerchiefs with me rather than tissues (but had to stop the practice because too many people just got grossed out. Even though I washed them after only one use–I swear!). Ever since living with Mr. Audiophile (aka the HH), I’ve come to prefer LPs to CDs (they really do sound better!), though I suppose both will become antiques in the very near future.
And while I’m comfortable using a computer (sure comes in handy when one keeps a food blog) and I participate (nominally) in Facebook and twitter, I have never really warmed up to the concept of a PDA. I don’t own a Blackberry, iPhone, or any other similar electronic device. What I use is an old-fashioned, faux-leather bound, paper daytimer.
I love my daytimer and couldn’t imagine giving it up for any reason. I mean, it’s 100% portable (slips easily into my purse); it’s easy to use (only basic language skills required); and it never requires recharging (which means I can use it anywhere, any time, even during power failures or while in a root cellar during a tornado). When I want to know what’s planned on December 17, for instance, I simply flip the pages to that date and–voilà!–”dental cleaning” (ugh! has it been six months already??). If the HH sidles up to me and murmurs, ”Ric, sweetie, honey, um, can you drive me to my follow up eye surgery appointment next Wednesday at 10:45?” all I need do is flip, flip, flip, and the answer is immediately forthcoming (yes, HH honey sweetie, I will drive you.).
The other day, I realized that I’d soon need to acquire a new, 2010 version of my book. While flipping through the last few pages of 2009 (where a few blank sheets are reserved for “Notes”), I happened upon a recipe that had been hastily scribbled on the last page. Well, what do you know–it was in my own handwriting!
I do remember, vaguely, copying a recipe from a magazine in my doctor’s waiting room one day. Which doctor? Can’t remember. How long ago was this appointment? I have no idea. Which magazine? Hmmm, my mind’s a blank. Was the dish something I’d still like to make? You betcha!
In fact, the recipe–a roasted plum and baby spinach salad topped with bacon–sounded perfect for the upcoming Thanksgiving table. A novel departure from cranberries or pumpkin, the salad still featured a seasonal fruit, as well as pure maple syrup, one of Canada’s most beloved domestic products. As a bonus, I happened to have a bag of organic plums from our organic box waiting patiently on the kitchen counter and had been looking for a way to use them (since my all-too-frequent tendency is to wait until they’re on the verge of spoilage before sussing out a recipe). I made a quick switch to tempeh bacon–and had a great recipe to try out this long weekend!
The salad came together very easily as the kitchen was flooded with the dual sweetness of warming plums and crackling bacon. The crisp, young spinach is the perfect foundation for the slightly softened plums and smoky tempeh. When roasted, the plums just begin to caramelize; tossed in maple syrup, they offer a lovely contrast of sweet, crusty exterior and tart, juicy inner flesh. Punctuated by thin slices of red onion and the sharp piquancy of dijon dressing, the salad offers a pastiche of flavors that was–well, plum delicious. (Sorry, couldn’t resist).
In this second phase of the ACD, I’m allowed one (non-sweet) fruit a day, so I decided to revamp the original recipe so I could eat it, too. I prepared the original version for the HH, set aside a few plum slices for me, and whipped up a separate dressing for each of us. I’m including both recipes here for those of you on restricted diets so that you can enjoy a little sweetness of your own at Thanksgiving. One serving of this, and I guarantee you’ll be ready for party season.
“Um, Mum, you forgot to mention that Thanksgiving weekend also means one more extra long walk for us Girls. . . we love the holidays!”
Tempeh Bacon-Topped, Roasted Plum and Baby Spinach Salad
adapted from a magazine in my doctor’s waiting room (ACD version below)
A perfect first course to a holiday dinner, the salad is substantial without being overly filling. To make a meal of it, increase the amount of tempeh per serving, and add a side of rice pilaf or quinoa.
1 batch (about 12 slices) tempeh bacon, homemade or store bought (I used the recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance, with the ACD-friendly alterations listed below)
8 plums (not black prune type), cut in half and stone removed
8-10 fresh sage leaves
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) dijon mustard
1/3 cup (80 ml) red wine vinegar
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp (30 ml) pure maple syrup
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 pkg (20 oz or 570 g) baby spinach
Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place the plums cut side down on the cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil. Scatter the sage leaves onto the sheet around the plums. Bake for about 12 minutes, until plums are softened and cut side is beginning to caramelize, but plums still hold their shape. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature, then slice into half-moon shaped slices. (If you are using homemade tempeh bacon, you can keep it warm on a heatproof platter; cover with foil and reduce oven temperature to 250F (120C) before placing in oven to keep warm.)
Meanwhile, mix the dressing: In a small jar or bowl, combine the minced garlic, red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Either whisk the mixture or shake the (closed) jar vigorously until well combined.
To assemble, place spinach leaves on a platter and scatter the onion slices over it. Toss the plums with the maple syrup and place over the spinach. Top with the warm tempeh. Drizzle with dressing, then crumble baked sage leaves over all. Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.
ACD-Friendly Variation:
Set aside 1 serving of plums before tossing them in the maple syrup; have yours without syrup.
Instead of the dressing above, mix (per serving): 2 Tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 tsp (1 ml) mustard powder, and salt and pepper to taste with 1-2 drops stevia liquid.
Make these changes to the tempeh bacon recipe: omit apple cider, tomato paste, and liquid smoke (unless it’s sugar and alcohol free). Instead of apple cider, use 1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with enough water to make 1/3 cup (80 ml); add 5 drops liquid stevia. Use tomato paste that is free of sugar and wheat (or use puréed tomato). Instead of liquid smoke, use smoked paprika. Otherwise, follow the recipe as written.
I had intended a lovely post today, in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving long weekend to the south of us. But time constraints (read: massive, unwieldly pile of essays and assignments to mark) have prevented me from following through. So I’ll just have to wait till the next batch of holidays in December to post about some new, frost-and-snow inspired, treats.
Instead, I thought I’d pull together a few recipes from previous posts that are suitably festive for a holiday table, or the breakfast table the following day (I’ve also got a few detox recipes on the blog–I’ll let you seek those out yourselves, as required). Most of these are fairly quick to make as well, as long as you’ve got the ingredients on hand.
Hope everyone enjoys some togetherness with friends and family, great food, and a bit of time to relax and play.
See you after the holiday!
“Mum, will Elsie be able to play again after the holiday? I mean, it’s just so boring with her out of commission. . . ”
I do enjoy memes (and love reading about others through their memes), but I must admit that I am finding it more and more difficult to come up with new facts about myself. That, and I suspect some of you are growing a little weary of reading about me and my various eccentricities, when what you’re really here for is the food!
“Um, Mum, your readers may be a bit overloaded on YOUR memes, but what about us? There are still plenty of random facts we could tell you about the two of us. . . .”
“Yeah, right! Hey, Elsie, how about that we love to play! And that the yellow ball is my favorite! Oh, oh, and that we LOVE to jump up on people! And what about that we bark at cars that drive by outside! Or that we love Greenies! Or how about the way I pull on your ear every 30 seconds–”
“Zip it, Chaser. I am sure they get the idea. But there will be no ear-pulling for the next ten days, at least.”
Ah, yes, that reminds me: before I get to the meme, I should also mention the “Injury” referred to in the post title. Once again, our accident-prone Elsie Girl has had a brush with the lawmortality a metal post. While frolicking with her sister the other day, sweet Elsie ran too close to a steel goal post at the park and whacked her side against it, ripping off a chunk of her haunch. Poor baby! And so the HH and I (and Chaser, who, after all, couldn’t be left all alone at home) spent our Saturday evening at the Vet Emergency clinic, where Elsie was treated to a bit of a shave, a cleansing of the wound, some staples to reconnect the skin, and a lovely cone on her head, which she absolutely abhors, poor thing.
Here she is, in all her misery:
["Help. . . . me. . . . . "]
The worst part is that Chaser is terrified of the cone and won’t go near Elsie right now. No more ear-biting, indeed.
And now, on to the meme, and seven random facts about me. I won’t tag anyone else (it seems many of you have already done this one), but please do feel free to participate if you’d like.
1) I didn’t learn to drive a car until I was about 30. Well, I first acquired my license at 16 like the rest of my friends, but then moved away to university and didn’t have the opportunity to drive again until I was married. I’d taken lessons for about a week when my husband and I decided to separate, which meant I was driving myself to work (about an hour each way) along busy provincial highways long before I felt ready to do so. Talk about baptism by fire! (In this case, by ice, actually, as it was mid-winter when all this transpired). A couple of dents to the fender and more than a decade later, and I’m finally comfortable behind the wheel.
2) I collect odd cups and saucers, and champagne flutes. When I was a kid, my mom had a collection of odd cups and saucers that seemed to exist just outside our awareness in a glass cabinet in the kitchen. When I moved out on my own, however, my sisters starting giving me similar items as gifts, and I began to really appreciate them. I love the varying patterns one finds on the older designs, the delicate structure of the cup and saucer, the nearly transparent quality of the fine china, and the elegance they exude (I always feel I should raise my pinkie when I sip out of one of them).
A few years after I began to collect the cups and saucers, I was introduced to champagne (or, at least, sparkling wine) when a friend served me a glass of Segura Viudas. Well, I was so impressed that shortly thereafter, I began to collect champagne flutes, too. I’ll often buy them on sale at the end of the season–who wants to buy just one flute, right?–and have amassed about 3 dozen so far.
My favorites are a couple I received for birthdays, the voluptuous pewter-stemmed one the HH gave me the first year we were together (see left), and the Waterford crystal pair the HH and I purchased for the turn of the century.
3) I memorized every word of Beowulf in the original Old English during my PhD. For our final exam, we were given a random passage in Old English and had to translate it. Not wanting to take any chances, I decided to memorize the entire poem. How much do I remember today? This much: “Hwat! we, Gar-dena, in yeor dayum. . .” Yep, the first five words. Well, it got me an “A” on the exam, anyway.
4) I was asked to be Valedictorian at my high school graduation, but I was too shy and said no. Decades later, I’m still shy, but when I was given the opportunity again for my graduation from nutrition school in 2003, I decided I couldn’t pass it up twice, and said yes. Very happy that I did!
5) When I was a teen, some of my friends and I worked as cashiers at the local drugstore (called a “pharmacy” in Montreal, even though the actual pharmacy dispensary was a small space at the back of the store). We used to call it “The Phunny Pharm.” My friends Babe, Sterlin, Phil and Angel also all worked there, so on any given day, it was guaranteed that I’d be working alongside one of my best friends. We often created code words to alert each other when a cute guy came in the store. The names were connected to various cigarette brands (which, in those days, were sold out in the open from shelves behind the cash). The cuter the guy, the stronger the brand we chose for his nickname. When we saw a REALLY cute guy, we’d call across the aisle to each other, “Hey, Ric, do you have any packs of Rothmans at your cash?” or, “Um, Sterlin, I think I’ve run out of Du Maurier over here. . . ” The men never twigged in to it, even though sometimes three of us would come running to the counter at the same time, all ostensibly “looking for a pack of Rothmans.”
6) I started smoking in my 20s and didn’t quit until I met the HH in 1997 (at which point I was smoking about 1/2 pack a day–though nothing as strong as Rothman’s, of course). Now, don’t go thinking that he was such a great influence on me, or anything. . . I quit because of my various health issues, not for love (how very unromantic of me, I know). When I revamped my diet, I figured I should give my lungs a break, too. The only smoke I’ve inhaled since then is second-hand.
7) I once got to meet Chris de Burgh in person (true, not very exciting to all of you out there too young to recognize the name!). At the height of his popularity, some friends and I went to one of his concerts in Montreal. Because my friend Angel had met him while traveling in Ireland and they’d become correspondents (in the days before email, folks), he arranged backstage passes for her and five of her friends. Somewhere in a box in my basement is a wine-stained scrap of paper on which is scrawled something to the effect of, ”For Ricki, With all best wishes, Chris de Burgh.” (Hey–maybe I can sell it and become one of those mansion-people I wrote about in the last post?)
So there you go, seven random facts. I know I mentioned yet another meme to post, but I think I’ll save that for another day and avert a real Meme Overload. And on the subject of overloading, I’ve got a nice, light and not-too-filling post-Thanksgiving recipe for you next time round.
To those of you in the U.S., hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
["I bet all those people outside are having a great holiday weekend. . . and all I can do is stare out this window. . . *sigh*."]
Today is moving day! We are likely en route right now, between houses, stressing about whether the movers will break our fragile glassware, or whether all the boxes will arrive at their destination, or whether the stove will fit in the space that’s been left for it.
In any case, I thought I’d leave a little Thanksgiving-based recipe on the site–no photo, but I’ll post one as soon as I have it. This is for those of you who’ll be celebrating on the 22nd and are looking for a delicious side dish or veggie dish that’s not too heavy, not too sweet, yet festive and delicious. It’s a perfect way to use sweet potatoes for the holidays, and can take the role of side dish or dessert (great with a dollop of cashew cream on top), or, as I’ve been known to have it in the past, as a speedy breakfast (just re-heat and dig in).
We used to call this kugel (“Ki’-gul,” but can also be pronounced “koo’-gul) in our house. The word is derived from the German word Gugelhupf, and it’s often translated as pudding or casserole. I use “casserole” because it seems to me the most versatile–a kugel is usually a side dish, a pudding is usually a dessert, but a casserole can be anything you like.
I’ve adapted this from a recipe my friend B. gave me a few years ago. As a very lazy cook, I’ve altered the recipe so there’s no grating involved, only processing in a food processor (even using an entire lemon–whole!), which is where the bulk of the ingredients end up. Processing also helps hold the casserole together by grinding up the raw veggies and allowing the juices to meld more with the rest of the ingredients. Flax and oats also act as binders, as this vegan version is sans eggs, of course.
It’s a moist, tart/sweet, subtly spiced dish that’s rather addictive. I love eating it, knowing that I’m getting all the goodness of sweet potatoes (could there BE a more delicious root?), along with the traditional carrots and other goodies in here. Hope you enjoy this one.
Sweet Potato and Carrot Casserole
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
1/4 cup Sucanat or coconut sugar
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (not instant)
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
4 medium carrots, trimmed and washed, cut into chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Preheat oven to 375 F.Spray a 9 x 13” pan with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper.
In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, measure the applesauce, then add the water to make a total of one cup liquid.Add the agave to the cup (for a total of 1-1/4 cups), then add the Sucanat.Stir the mixture in the cup to blend and allow the Sucanat to begin to dissolve.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, blend together the oats and flax seeds until mixture is ground and resembles a coarse meal.Transfer the dry mixture to a clean, large bowl.
Without washing the processor bowl, add the carrots and sweet potato and whir until chopped into fine pieces.Add the lemon and coconut butter, and blend again until the mixture is fairly smooth and almost pureed (there should be no pieces larger than a grain of barley). Sprinkle all the spices on top and pulse once or twice to combine well.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to the bowl with the oats, and pour the applesauce-water mixture on top of it all.Stir well until everything is evenly combined.Last, stir in the nuts and raisins. Turn into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for about an hour, until golden and slightly puffed on top, and a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares.Makes eight side dish or 6 main course servings.May be frozen.
My favorites are a couple I received for birthdays, the voluptuous pewter-stemmed one 
