Gone for a short while

I am not going to be blogging much if at all the next month and a half, I am starting up and going to be running a new kitchen soon and moving and finishing the last three weeks of my course on business, plus helping my mother unpack her stuff, attending my sons football and hopefully having some quiet time in there. Exciting and all at once, change is like a frothy, churning, rushing body of water that finds a way around any obstacle. I want to say how grateful, happy and blessed I feel at this moment on my journey. It was a tough two years and now I want to make it a great 50+ years, there's so much to look forward to but most importantly , to enjoy today. I read something wonderful that a business mentor said, ''Your first 25 years are for learning, the 25 years that follow after that are for building, and the last 25 years are for giving back. ''

I'd say this man was brilliant and still shines today although he is gone.

A week gone by already!

Wow! I can't believe how much can happen in a week to keep you from having time for yourself. New job and all the excitement and stress of opening a new kitchen, this week was menu items, equipment purchasing and receiving, as well as finding employees. How we will be open in the next 2 weeks is anybody's guess but we are all enjoying getting there and working super hard to make it a reality. We got some sexy new fridges and a gorgeous Bakers Pride convection oven that I am thinkin' would look great in my new apartment. Zoning might be a problem but is a convection oven-who could possibly complain? Hmmmm. I think it will do better where it is...for now.;P Above are pics of Mel and Steph setting up our new gear, I know it's boring for some but it floats my boat and that's a little bit of alright!

I have been cooking like crazy the last two hours, managed to make some slammin' ceviche, a classic dilly potato salad ( I had a craving), butter bean, rosemary lemony stoup, asparagus quiche and last but not least, a divine apple and blueberry pie with a cinnamon crumble topping. I am trying to gear up for the week ahead and prepared food is one less worry during the week for sure and mighty delish!:P

I will say my sweetheart treated me to a lovely birthday and I finally got my marble mortar and pestle I have been procrastinating on buying. What a wonderfully pleasant surprise! I also received all those fantastic kitchen extras that one seems to always lose during a move. I will admit, I can't wait to use my new Hello Kitty toaster in a few weeks. It even toasts Hello Kitty on your toast! Whoo hoo! Hey, I never said I grew up completely. Lol!

Scenery

Was doing my work out by the water front and for the first time in all my years I saw an animal on the opposite side of the rapids and across the bikepath. Mr. Goose was really big, these pics from my cel don't do him or his wonderful colouring justice, he looked regal and impressive. I was amazed that he was where he was, bikes were whizzing by but it didn't faze him one bit. You can see the houses right behind him, eating breakfast on an early Sunday morning. My mother is moving today so life is a tad bit chaotic, there's no time for food or blogging really, I am off to do what little I can with my crappy shoulder. It's really uncomfortable watching my mother and aunt do so much, all I can do is stand there like an ass helping where I can. Patience is a virtue.

Went to the local market today and got tons of berries, terribly tasty raspberries, beguiling blueberries and gigantor strawberries! My boyfriend and I were sure they would be watery and basically flavourless but we were proven wrong. Juicy, sweet, plump and eaten in no time. Somehow my NoNo was sure that I had two to his every one but I assured him he was mistaken-it was three! Hehheh, I think he knew though cuz we both giggled like silly teens and he pinched my cheek with love. Check out the size of those suckers in the pics, no, they were not organic. Yes, I know that strawberries are like sponges for toxins but at $6.00+ for organic, I had to pass, (for now). We were ok with it though, so you need not worry! =D

Birthday plans are in the works for the coming weekend, I, of course end up making dinner and the cupcakes because gluten-free is not in my best friends repetoire. We're talking about a woman who only made kraft dinner and nutella sandwiches when I first met her, I am happy to report, she has since upgraded to asparagus and the occasional calamari if cooked right. Praises, Lord, Praises! Oh! Yaya how I adore thee! LOL!

I will be making carrot cupcakes with mixed spices and cream cheese frosting, lemon burst cupcakes with lemon burst buttercream frosting. Dinner,(Yeah, I started with dessert cuz it's way more important than anything else we eat. In my book it's part of the fifth food group-sugar and chocolate!) shall be saltfish and bakes with plantain. I need to figure out the salad but I am thinkin' strawberry and avacado with a honey-balsamic reduction, or a crisp green bean and loquat with a sesame and white grape drizzle. Either or, I will have to see what looks fresh and tasty. I will have pics and recipes to post when it's all said and done. I am so looking forward to 33, it's a turning point. I really feel like it's gonna be the year when it all comes together, I am loving the opportunities and the blessings. Give thanks and keep on keepin' on! I think I need me some Jill Scott tunes while I head into the business plan fray.

Demain c'est toujours frais, sans erreur dedans. Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it.

What to do with myself?

This will sound petulant but when is this going to change? I AM BORED!!!!!!!

A wise one once said, ''You are only bored because you are boring.''

Well, I may be boring but I could be so very exciting if I could use my arm in the kitchen for more than a half hour, good God man, I have been reduced to 20 minute fritter quickies! AHHHHHHHHHHHH! LOL!

Ok, it's a little bit out of my system. I am getting desperate, accepting things I should not be accepting-don't ask, for Gods sake don' t ask. I could totally rock this opportunity, thing is, I don't seem to be having good juju with my shoulder yet but I gotta earn that cabbage to pay for life. I want to make something fancy or delightful and fun like in the pic I snagged from someone elses lucky baking moment. How pathetic am I when I am drooling over other people's kitchen time, wishing it were my own? Answer=VERY! :D I am laughing at myself as I write, so I still have perspective and that's a little bit of alright.

I need this to heal and I am mostly freaked out because this is about my passion, my love, happy times, my livelihood, meeting my sons needs, my dream being fulfilled and what I know I am good at being taken away. Yeah, that hurts the most.

It takes some people no time to figure out what they do well, others some time or alot of time and then there are those who never seem to figure it out. I am definitely in the second group and the biggest hurdle has always been confidence. I know things and have been trained but to this day, to my great shame, I still walk into kitchens and act like I know nothing when people are training me. Why? Well, one valid reason is because one should never act like a snot nosed know-it-all in another professionals kitchen and the second reason, I always get myself so nervous I screw things up. I am my own worst enemy when I am nervous, tests freak me out and I can't perform when I am being ''observed and scored''. I am totally capable and ready to pick up and fly but getting into my comfort zone is an agonizing process. Strange thing is, I feel able and happy in the kitchen, more so than anywhere else. All things in due time I suppose, childhood leaves it's mark and my experiences are not pleasant but I have found a place in the world of food which is most joyous. I need to rest my weary shoulder and dream up some new goodies, I may sneak in a new recipe and if it's not too much try to bake something this weekend-wrangling my son to help will be a good idea. Time to teach him how to make ackee and saltfish with fried plantain and bake some slammin goodies, I will be putting up recipes and pics when we finish this weekend just give it some time. I am off to dream of gas ovens, dough with lovely fillings and my hands piping on some cute cupcakes. Sweet dreams indeed!

Apple fritter recipe-Dessert

Okay, so I tried a new recipe with gluten-free flour. Please excuse the rather yucky plate in the pic, my mother is in the process of moving and most things are packed. We still did a mothers day dinner Sunday, albeit a humble one. It was originally apple fritters with a beer batter but beer is a gf no-no for obvious reasons and there was also wheat flour the original way I made them for others. For those of us wonderful gluten intolerant people, I give you a gf apple fritter recipe. They were a hit and I was so happy to have something so naughty(frying is never a good thing) yet nice in my belly, yup, they tasted just like I remember way back when.

Enjoy...

Gluten-free Apple Fritters Difficulty-Easy

Chef tip: Have your oil hot and ready to go in a cast iron skillet, you can tell it's ready when you drop a dot of batter in the oil and bubbles start to form around

it. Medium high heat, not on maximum- always keep a box of baking soda handy when frying anything with oil to toss baking soda on any flames that-Lord forbid, may flare up if you are not careful enough and oil lands on the burner. Do not throw water on an oil fire! Be responsible people, don't let yourself be distracted, keep your children out of harms way and be vigilant.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large apples (what ever you prefer, I used cortland)

1 cup Bob's Redmill all-purpose Gf flour blend for baking

1 1/2 teaspoon Gf baking powder

1/2 + cup Gf dairy replacement or milk if you tolerate it

4 Tablespoons raw cane sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon ground

2 scrapes of fresh whole nutmeg (yes, it makes a difference when it's whole vs ground)

pinch of sea salt

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups cold water

1/2+ cup of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet (add more depending on size of skillet)

1/4 cup GF sifted icing sugar (to coat apples when done cooking)

METHOD:

In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Reserve. what it is: keeping food aside til ready to use

Get a seperate bowl medium sized, fill with cold water and add lemon juice, begin slicing apples

to a medium thickness, (not too thin, not too fat, just right) making sure to leave the skins on. Place all sliced apples in lemony water to keep them from turning brown-this is where I sacrifice myself and snack on a few slices to be sure they taste good. I believe it really shows you care, hehheh.

Now grab your reserved flour mixture bowl and add milk that you are using to it, use a whisk to beat the milk into the dry ingredients. What should your batter look like? You want a

consistency that is runny but coats the back of a spoon thickly, add some extra milk if it's too thick and if you booboo add a little bit of flour. Be careful not too add too much otherwise you will not have enough baking powder to make it puff when it fries. Remember folks, baked goods (well, in this case fried goods) mean that this is chemistry.

Chef tip: Before you begin frying, have a platter with paper towels layed out on it so you can transfer the cooked fritters to it to absorb excess oil.

Now you will begin the fritter frying process (say that three times fast!) ;P

Drain your apples well, dump a handful in the batter, stir gently to coat and begin to gently drop your well coated apples in your hot oil. Don't overload the pan or else the oil temperature will drop too quickly, only one layer at a time. Fry about 1 1/2-2 minutes each side til a beautiful golden brown. Take them out using a sloted metal spoon or spatula and place single file on the paper towel platter that you clever people already have at the ready, continue this process til they are all fried. (Feel free to change the paper towel you are draining on if it gets too greasy) Turn off your oil when done and place it on a back burner to cool before trying to clean up, it will take a while.

Now you may sprinkle your snowy icing sugar gently over your still warm fritters.

Serve them while hot with ice cream or whipped cream that has been sweetened with a bit of icing sugar or serve them as is with a nice glass of your fav cold beverage.

Be warned, they won't last long.

Bonne appetite!

Natural is always better

I suffered through some of the worst stomach pains I have ever known, turns out all these meds these docs have me on have killed all my good intestinal flora and are wreaking havoc on my system. Dumped the chemicals and am on a strict cleanse for the next long while. Naturopath has me on baby mush, oddly enough, I am psyched! I am making all things healthy and really mild for my sad belly. Lotsa good bacteria and herbal teas to soothe.
I love that food can heal.
Big day tomorrow, hopefully all things go well.
Wish me luck and competence!