The terrible two’s, a Blogiversary & a contest.

Two years ago I started this blog. I wasn’t totally sure why, I just knew it seemed like the right thing to do. Life was changing and that called for a new adventure. Ah, be careful what you wish for…. In two years life has changed a lot. I stopped personal training and left a job I had been doing for several years, I began volunteering with three different food based community organizations, I started tap classes (after almost 25 years!), and I got a greenhouse. Friends have gone to school, changed jobs, had children be born and move out (not the same child), divorces have happened and weddings are planned, I’ve made new friends and rediscovered old ones. And, I acknowledged that a lot of what has worked for me health and fitness wise for the past 40ish(cough) years really doesn’t work for me anymore. And while yes, this is a random selection of happenings, it highlights that life keeps moving on and I’m testing the waters.

Life lesson: when testing the water always wear a life jacket

In thanks to all of you who have been part of my journey I’m giving away some presents. Three lucky people will get a mostlynoodles gift pack containing some homemade goodies! Here’s how to get in on the celebration:

• Comment below telling me your favourite post or recipe in the last two years;
• If you’re on Facebook or twitter send me some love (I want to double my followers this year!);
• Don’t be related to me or live somewhere other than Canada (you actually have to do one of the first two to qualify… this is just a random rule).

Then on July 1st (I figured I’d choose another holiday to celebrate) I’ll put the name of everyone who qualified in a mixing bowl and have a draw. (Yes, I get that this might not play according to official lottery rules, but heck, how many lotteries give away jam and pickles?)

So please, let me know what you liked, what you didn’t like and what you want to see more of as the next year unfolds. I am honoured and humbled that you have joined me on this journey so far. You have all made the two’s not that terrible after all.

but always, mostlynoodles

UPDATE: Thanks so much to all of you beautiful and generous people who commented (not many), tweeted (lots) and posted (tons!) on Facebook about my blog. Sadly, at least as far as the giveaway was concerned, most of you weren’t Canadian (I find that odd). But, in a highly unofficial and random draw names have been chosen and winners will be contacted soon. Here’s to another year filled with food, friends and family.

Birthdays, Thanksgiving & Noodles with Zucchini.

There are certain dates and anniversaries that seem to split the year into different and distinct parts. Everyone has their own. It might be the first day of school, new years eve, a wedding anniversary, a religious holiday or a season. For me, it’s fall. Not only is it the season of my birthday, a (scary) time of reflection, but it is followed shortly after by the Thanksgiving weekend, a time of thanks.

Cook (those) books.

I love books.  Especially cook books (and cooking magazines, and cooking websites… ).  I can read a cookbook at any time of the day.  Cooking from them though, well, that’s another story.

I have a lot of cookbooks.  I read through them all the time, I use post it notes to mark recipes I want to cook and I make list after list of what I’d like to try.  But, when it comes time to cook dinner it never fails I open the fridge scan around, grab a few random things, close my eyes and start cooking.  When it works it seems impressive “you can make anything at the drop of a hat”, when it doesn’t… well let’s leave those comments out of this.

I come by it honestly. Even my mom collects cookbooks.

Being thankful.

This past weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving.  I’m still a little freaked by how early it was this year, but I think I’m kind of glad.  With the days getting shorter, the garden slowly going to sleep for the season and the Vancouver rains beginning I was starting to get a little cranky.  Cranky isn’t a good thing.  For me, cranky turns into eating too many wasted carbs, bad sleeps, a lack of any sort of activity and a proclivity to trashy “chick novels”. Not exactly the healthiest, most productive way to go about things.

Thanksgiving this year came at the perfect time.  It was about so much more than overeating and slipping into a turkey coma.  It was about life, about laughing,

about a wedding between two beautiful people….

… a surprise fun breakfast made for me

…. harvesting sprouts from the garden

… creating a new variation on pumpkin soup (recipe coming soon!)

… celebrating dinner with friends and family (and trying a new brussel sprout recipe with aforementioned sprouts!)

what the plate of a 19 yr old boy who lives on his own looks like!

…. a quiet nights dinner with some homemade pasta.

All simple things.

All a reminder of how lucky I am.  Thank you.

Comfort Noodles.

There are days the sun is shining and you bound out of bed ready to scale mountains (or whatever your equivalent).  There are other days when it is cold and gloomy out and it seems as if those mountains keep growing with every step you take.  On those sort of days most people have their go-to comfort food.  I am no exception.  Not so surprisingly, mine includes noodles (with french fries being a very close second).

As a trainer and nutrition coach I shouldn’t admit this, but my absolute down in the depths meal is spaghetti noodles, with butter and sea salt (or truffle salt if I feel like splurging).  I blame a high school friend with a ridiculously fast metabolism for introducing me to that.  As an adult who knows a bit better I still go to pasta, but try to clean it up a bit.

I’ll be honest, the last few weeks the so called mountains have felt quite large.  The butter and truffle salt are calling, but instead, this is what I had today.  Buckwheat soba noodles with oven roasted onion, tomatoes and anchovies.

Ingredients

Sauce (for 2 people)

• 1 small sweet onion (vidalia), finely chopped
• a handful of small sweet cherry tomatoes cut in half
• a few glugs of olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano or a few fresh sprigs
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 can oil packed anchovies, well drained and chopped (optional, but so tasty!)
• 2-3 tbsp white wine
• enough noodles (your choice) for 2
• shaved parmesan cheese and freshly torn basil leaves for garnish

happiness is a little fish!

Method

• Preheat oven to 350degrees.
• Spread onions onto a rimmed baking sheet.
• Spread tomatoes in a layer on top of onions.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and oregano.
• Place baking tray in oven for approximately 45minutes until tomatoes and onions are soft but not browned.
• While tomato and onion mixture is baking, place drained anchovies in a large bowl and add a glug of wine and some fresh cracked pepper.
• When tomato mixture is cooked, turn off and let rest in the oven.  Meanwhile boil some well salted water and cook pasta as per package instructions.
• When noodles are cooked, drain and add noodles, tomatoes and onions to anchovy mixture.
• Toss well.
• Serve with fresh parmesan cheese, freshly ground pepper and torn basil. (a glass of red wine doesn’t hurt either)

For the record, the mountain didn’t get smaller, but the meal sure seemed to help.

Coffee cravings.

I’m from Vancouver.  It is a fairly well established theory that people from the West Coast like their coffee.  The term coffee snob is frequently, and often justifiably, used.  I’ll be honest though I thought I had escaped the snobbery.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like a good coffee, and I will certainly forgo a cup rather than partake of the swill from certain big coffee chains (West Coast ones included).  But then I took a trip back to my hometown…. and I forgot to bring my own coffee.  I brought my travel mug, but no beans.

Ok, maybe a teeny bit snobby.

It started in the airport.  Do I grit my teeth and get a coffee from one of the overpriced, bitter chains? No, I would rather sleep on the plane anyway.  Do I accept one in styrofoam from the nice attendants walking down the aisle?  No, a “real” drink seemed like a better option (besides, it will help me sleep!).  Okay.  All good so far.  Then I woke up the next morning….  ugh.  Brown water masquerading as coffee.  Okay, tea it is.

After sending a few emails to friends and a plea to the tweetusphere I got a bit of help.  A quick hop in the car and I found a place that sold some beautiful italian espresso perfect for the stovetop espresso maker hidden at the back of a kitchen cupboard.  Pre ground and not even organic (sigh) – surely that cancels out the snobbery?

My first cup of americano in my Dad's favourite old coffee mug.

Mini-coffee crisis averted I sat down (with a cup of coffee) to write Fridays blog.  Yes, if you’re reading this you’ll know that Friday has come and gone.  I’m getting to that.  Not only did I forget to bring my own coffee but my laptop was on the other side of the country.  I seemed to have forgotten that a key to blog writing is pictures (isn’t that a bit of an oxymoron?).  Which not so surprisingly are on my computer.  So to my little phone I went to see what I might have some pictures of with which to create a blog.  I started scrolling through my fairly purged phone library of photo’s and realized the only thing I had more than one picture of were coffee cups.  Hmmm….are you starting to sense a theme to this trip?

Just to be clear - do NOT steal this mug!

It started me thinking about what a big role coffee plays in so many societies.  In many ways it brings people together.  On this trip alone I’ve made plans to meet at least three people “for coffee”, I’ve attempted to figure out (with the help of at least 2 other people)how you actually make one of those big urns that are ubiquitous at funerals and large family gatherings work, I’ve spiked one with scotch in memory of a dear friend (my mug, not the urn), and I’ve had steaming cups out in the garden with my mom while working in the beautiful fall weather.

Coffee out, with friends, tastes better.

I’ve also been thinking of some of the great memories I have that involve coffee – morning espresso in the Italian countryside with friends, at the gym prepping to do a workout with my gym buddies, my dad in the garden with a cup talking to the cat, following countless meals around many friends tables, settling in for morning skype conversations with friends over the globe and even just sitting quietly at home with a mug and a book.

Maybe I am a coffee snob.

But you know what?  I think I’m okay with that.

Just Me.

Thanks to the bananagirl for the dinner table drawing!

What I’m eating now.

Cherries.

Radishes.

Roasted vegetable salads.

.

And noodles.

With fresh peas.

Kitchen things I love

As I write this I have no kitchen.

Anyone who has ever done a renovation of their kitchen knows, big or small, it’s rather annoying.  The dirt, the mess, the chaos.  All the time spent planning the kitchen, barbequing, getting takeout and depending on the culinary skills of friends  (thanks friends – paybacks are guaranteed!) has provided me with plenty of time to think about what makes my dream kitchen.

Here is my list.

… Friends, new and old.

… Cookbooks.

… Condiments, spices, oils and vinegars.

… Cats underfoot.

… Music in the background.  Especially showtunes.

… Candles at night and flowers all the time.

… Open bottles of wine.

… Smelly cheese in the fridge.

… The simple little food spatula that means I don’t spill as much on the floor when cooking.

… The Le Creuset pot we were given as a gift many years ago.

… The funny old pot holders that my Great Aunt made for me.

… The weekend crossword sitting there waiting for the next brave soul.

… The smell of cooking garlic.

… Fresh herbs in pots.

… The doorbell ringing as more friends arrive.

Hmmm… Maybe I didn’t need to renovate after all….?  What is in your dream kitchen?

Ciao!

Day one.  No kitchen.  Big appetite.  Few writing skills.  There is no plan here other than to eat, drink and celebrate with friends and family.  If I can be healthy along the way.  So much the better.

To fine food, wine and friends.  Here’s to many joyful meals.  Thanks for joining me at my table.