As I write this I am listening to “Q” on CBC Radio and enjoying some left overs for my solitary lunch.  I am alone but not in the least bit lonely.  I have Whitesox always at my side and in fact I wish he would depart for the front deck so that I could get my dirty floor washed at the beach house.  My plans to get my spring cleaning done before the May long weekend went a muck and so when three car loads depart from “Life is Good” (the name of our little beach house) I decided to stay back and tackle a couple of projects.

Last night I wiped down the cedar ceiling and walls, cleaned the grimy oven and painted a couple of pieces of furniture. My windows are now cobweb free and I can see the view of the birch and pines without obstruction.  Then I rewarded myself with a spicy dip and a bowl of whole wheat taco chips for my dinner in front of the Amazing Race Finale streamed on my computer. I snuggled into bed early with my book and in spite of not thinking that I would sleep very well without D by my side, I slept a full nine hours without moving.

The weekend had been as the Frenchman declared “absolutely perfect” with one exception.  Daughter #1 had decided to stay put in her downtown apartment and we missed her.  With this late spring there was still a table of ice and snow on the shore of the beach when I arrived Thursday evening but by Sunday there were folks enjoying the warmth of the sun and a stretch of open water.  We were undeterred by the lack of beach and our flooded front yard.  We made the most of our time together as a family with my extended family, by accumulating on the deck and pulling our lawn chairs with us to follow the sun around the higher areas of the yard.  Games of darts were frequently played with a dart board mounted on the door of the shed.  That same building held another reason for accumulation-D had hauled a slushy machine out from the city.  We enjoyed iced coffees (with Kahlua and banana liquer), lemonade and beer shanty’s, pina coladas and strawberry  margaritas.

Suppers are a “take turns” occurrence and first up were J1 and J2 who invented an appetizer of cauliflower roasted in Frank’s Hot Sauce which tasted like a feed of hot wings (without the fat and calories!).

For our main J1 had rolled enormous meatballs and placed them in a rustic veggie sauce of asparagus, zucchini, red and orange peppers. This was accompanied by Caesar salad.  That night, the first of three family bonfires was held three doors away.

The next morning and every morning of the weekend, we got to sped time with the Wee One.  On this day we hadn’t unearthed her toys so we got out the measuring spoons and cups for her to create a ruckus with.  The other newly established routine was when D and J1 went off to play tennis, I would get the Wee One bundled up for a walk in her “Chariot”.  D took a turn yesterday and was amazed at how peaceful it was to walk in the bush for an hour with no noise but the birds.

The Belair Forrest which we can access from the beach house is a gorgeous part of the province.

After I had successful wheeled the Wee One around for her hour nap, I made up a copy cat version of McMuffins but with real cheese slices and just baked Canadian bacon.

We are so delighted that another chair has been pulled up to our family table.

That evening the Frenchman was the chef and he prepared the ingredients for a wonderful “make your own” taco salad.  Of course this lead to much discussion about the “true” way to assemble this salad: with the taco chips on the bottom so that you can scoop up the bites nacho style, or with them crushed over the top so that every forkful includes plenty of crunch.

That evening was the inaugural bonfire at Sister #2 and SYM’s (Sexy Uncle Michael).  We have co-inhabited with them for 15 years at “Life is Good” so we dubbed their place (for the time being) “Life is Good Too”.

The next morning we were invited back over to Sister #2’s “work in progress” home that is four doors away.  She is famous for her eggs benedict using béarnaise sauce in place of hollandaise.  Since she actually doesn’t have a kitchen yet, she made the poached eggs on the side element of their barbeque.

Later that day, her brood joined us to celebrate J2’s birthday.

The only hint J2 had given me on what I could prepare on her behalf was anything grilled…so we enjoyed grilled purple, yellow, red and sweet potatoes, grilled broccoli and Brussel sprouts with maple syrup, grilled peppers, onions and mushrooms and grilled pork tenderloin (with a zucchini artichoke salad).

I also had what I thought was a brilliant idea (much to D’s chagrin who is our BBQ operator) to make a grilled dessert recipe that I had found on line. First D grilled slices of homemade pound cake which I soaked in coffee and Frangelico.  Then these grilled pineapple slices and strawberries went on top.

On top of everything went a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup!  It must have been a hit as the birthday girl had two helpings.

Just as the sun was setting we ventured over to a third family cottage for another bonfire.

Last meal of the weekend was roasted sausages and pancakes topped with our family favourite of cottage cheese (and left over grilled pineapple).  Shortly thereafter the gang packed up and headed home and left me blissfully alone to tackle the clean up.

Kath’s quote: “Cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education.”-Mark Twain

Love-that is all.

I sometimes get a call from one of my sister-in-laws asking me about  particular restaurant because they have a coupon that they are thinking of using.  If you have to trek across town and the restaurant is not clean or in an unsafe neighbourhood, even a good deal is not a good deal.  So when D purchased a Show & Save Book to support the fund-raising efforts of one of our nephews, I thought that I would thumb through it and share the reviews that I have of the restaurants listed.

So here goes:

Bellisimo Restaurant & Lounge

Bernstein’s Delicatessen

Beaujena’s French Table

Casa Grande

Clay Oven

Dim Sum Garden

Eat On Samosa

Los Chicos Restaurant Y Cantina

Mona Lisa Ristorante Italiano

Papa Murphy’s

Oakwood Café-coming soon

Southdale Village Family Restaurant

Vientiane Thai Restaurant

Wok Box

Kath’s quote: “Contrary to popular notion, truck drivers know nothing about good restaurants.  If you want a reliable tip, drive into a town, go to the nearest appliance store and seek out the dishwasher repair man. He spends a lot of time in restaurant kitchens and usually has strong opinions about them”.-Bryan Miller (NY Times Restaurant Critic)

Love-that is all.

We were delighted to host a potluck in conjunction with Sobey’s Potluck Challenge.  When we invite this particular group of friends over, I am not sure who is the most excited: the parents because they get a breather from their kids (we take the kids off their hands for the evening) or the kids who are anxious to see each other and head down to our play area in the family room.

But we always start the evening off with a family dinner.  The contributions to our “Tastes from Home” potluck were homemade chicken noodle soup, green bean casserole (a classic modified to be made without cream of mushroom soup) to accompany the macaroni and cheese that I had prepared,

a make-it-yourself spinach salad and watermelon and brownies for dessert.  The hit in the dining room where D, myself and Sister #3 were supervising the little ones was the chicken noodle soup.  The noodles were lovely and fine and the broth had a hint of what we guessed was fennel in it.  We couldn’t confirm because the home cook that contributed it had to attend another event, but she sent a stock pot full of soup over with her husband and girls. We grown ups in the room loved the green beans and the spinach salad.

My contribution of Mac and Cheese was modified from an old family favourite.  We have been preparing Best of Bridge’s Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese for years.  But recently, we had been saving the dish for special occasions because it was anything but low fat and low calorie.  I performed a test run of the recipe for Daughter #2’s birthday dinner.  When the original recipe and my version were tasted side by side, no one could tell the difference.

The moist, dense brownies for dessert were perfection.  One bite could truly satisfy a chocolate yearning.

Now, who wouldn’t want to cook for these adorable kids? They are well mannered, taste everything and have sophisticated palettes for children their age. This is, I am quite sure, because of the example and encouragement of their parents.  All the parents in our circle, simply place wholesome, home prepared foods in front of their families and let the kids take it from there. Soon there will be another little guy around the table, as they have a brand new baby brother!

In the foreground are three sisters.  They all help their parents in the kitchen and one of their favourite pastimes is flipping through pages of cookbooks.  I kid you not.  When we were invited there for dinner recently, all three of them were on the floor by the cookbook shelf in the kitchen, oohing and awing over various recipe photos, sharing them with each other and then requesting of their Mom that they make the most popular items.

The Wee One (our Granddaughter) is also a part of this group.  This weekend she tried grilled eggplant for the first time!

After our successful potluck, the kids donned t-shirts which served as painting smocks and made painted terra-cotta pots for their Moms for Mother’s Day.  These children are truly blessed with amazing Moms who know that time invested in the nurturing of these little ones is their most important work.

So as far as a Food Revolution is concerned, the need is not great amongst our particular circle.  But please do not misunderstand me; we know that we are a privileged group.  We have the luxury of time and can afford a variety of wholesome ingredients to prepare for our families.  Such is not the case the world over and indeed not even throughout our own neighbourhoods and communities.  We try not to take our blessings for granted and know that our responsibility is to share our knowledge with other families by example, with hospitality and with contributions of money and time to organizations that help feed families nutritious food.

I applaud Jamie Oliver and his efforts through Food Revolution Day-a global day of action celebrating the importance of cooking good food and inspiring in children a love of healthy food that will last a lifetime.  Sobeys wanted all Canadians to get involved and show off their cooking skills and that is why they created the national potluck challenge.  I encourage you to host your own potluck but also to tweet and/or post to Instagram about your potluck event with the #PotluckChallenge hashtag.  Sobeys will be donating $1 to the Cooking Towards Independence Project-a joint initiative between Sobeys and the Children’s Aid Foundation that will set up cooking workshops with children across Canada.

Kath’s quote: “As soon as I was old enough to peer over the worktops, I remember being fascinated by what went on in the kitchen. It just
seemed such a cool place, everyone working together to make this lovely stuff and having a laugh doing it.”-Jamie Oliver

Love-that is all.

To say there are lots of dining options on Isla Mujeres would be a huge understatement. Trying to narrow down your selection is a challenge when you only have a two week stay. How do you try out the latest hot spot, that tiny little loncheria you have been wanting to try for years, and at the same time, visit your favourites?  There are places I love because of the atmosphere, places I love because of the staff, and places I love because of the food. Bring all three of those things together and you have Limón. 

Located in the home of Sergio Cortreras Martinez and Charrissa Gillingham, going to dinner at Limón feels much like being invited to the home of friends for an elegant back yard barbeque.  We have always been fortunate to get a table in the courtyard and being we are often a party of 10 or more that is quite an accomplishment.  I always look forward to getting caught up with Sergio.  His hosting skills are not just about providing you with a lovely setting, great drinks and delicious food, but with fascinating stories of life in Mexico.  So great atmosphere, check, great people, check… now on to the food. 

Our gang started the evening with a round of hibiscus margaritas.  Yes, that’s right, hibiscus is used in food and beverages in Mexico and adds a delightful floral note to everything it touches.

On this visit I knew I had to try the tortilla soup.  My niece had it the previous year and spent the entire time between visits dreaming of this soup. Because our reservation at Limón was to take place after she left the island, we made a special trip to pick up a bowl to go that she and another niece enjoyed on their last day.  A base of tomato and juajillo chilli, this bowl of yumminess is chuck full of fried tortilla strips, cheese, chunks of avocado and ancho chilli rings. Creamy and hearty with just the right amount of heat.  I also had the vegetable tempura served with tartar sauce and wasabi.  Because Charrissa is a vegetarian, Limón has lots of meat free options to choose from.

Another in our party looking for a lighter dinner selection had the tuna lettuce wraps followed by the impressive caprese tower.

The meat lovers in the gang enjoyed the apricot and pineapple glazed pork tenderloin, cilantro chicken, and the rosemary kababs; a trio including skewers of beef, chicken and shrimp. The oohs and aahs around the table were a sure sign that no one was disappointed with their selection. 

The seafood options we tried this visit included the coconut shrimp and the marinera, a perfect plate of pasta with shrimp, octopus, mussels and squid rings.  Definitely on my wish list for next year.

Every plate was as beautiful to look at as it was to eat.  Little touches like the addition of a spring roll here and a bacon-wrapped chilli there bring the food to that next level.   It’s also fun to visit with Serg as he is preparing your meal on his grill just across the courtyard from our table. 

We were all stuffed at the end of the meal but a few members of our table insisted we indulge in the grilled pineapple with banana ice cream for dessert.  So two orders and 9nine spoons were soon delivered to our table.  It was the perfect ending to the perfect evening.  Needless to say Limón is top of the list for every year to come. 

Kath’s quote: “To invite someone is to take charge of his happiness during the time he spends under your roof.”-Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin

Love-that is all.

I have written here before about my dinner club GLEE (girls laughing, eating and entertaining).  Over the years these women have become very dear to my heart.  Recently two sisters who are members of the GLEE club lost their mom. So it felt a bit strange planning a GLEE celebration scheduled to take place shortly after their loss.  It was decided that our theme would be celebrating our moms by bringing a dish that reminded us of our moms.  I am the only GLEE member fortunate enough to still have her mom. 

Our evening always starts with a cocktail to match our theme so in keeping with her mom’s tradition, K provided a fully stocked bar that was prepared to make any kind of cocktail your heart could desire. 

Her sister H provided the shrimp cocktail and cheese and crackers to enjoy with our cocktails. Their mom Ruth was a hard working nurse and farm wife whose entertainment style was warm and simple. 

B was on salad duty and brought a delicious beet salad served on romaine. B’s mom was a sweet and elegant lady who died this year, just days before her 100^th birthday.  

Our main course was roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and gravy, another of Ruth’s staples.  It was accompanied by L’s mom’s vegetable casserole and I provided cabbage rolls in honour of my mom. 

For dessert we enjoyed K’s mom’s chocolate chip snack cake.

So happy mother’s day everyone. Regardless of if your mom is here on earth or in heaven, be sure to take time to remember her today.

Kath’s quote: “Every year the number of new cookbooks increases, but in spite of them the progress made in this most useful of the arts is not ever overpowering. On the contrary, we must regretfully admit that nowadays people no longer prepare the fine and nourishing dishes that our mothers used to make.”-Anna Dorn, Cookbook Author (1834)

Love-that is all.