Hello lovely readers.  How far back does memory go?  I can distinctly remember being four years old.  That is because I started kindergarten that year.  Now a days it is called junior kindergarten or nursery school but back in the late 50’s (yes I am THAT old), there was no such thing as these or of day care, for that matter.  Most Moms were of the “stay at home” variety, unless there were extenuating circumstances, such as my Auntie who was a school teacher because, my uncle passed away suddenly at the age of 27.  I was also familiar with a couple of Moms who were nurses and there was my Mom’s best friend who lived (and still does) across the street, who had a kindergarten classroom in her basement.  As a favour to my Mom, she invited me to join this class when I was four years old.

When I was three, my Mom give birth to my twin brother and sister and so the gesture was to give my Mom a bit of a break, as there was a distinct possibility that I was a tad precocious.  I still remember many of the resources that were in the classroom that assisted us in learning our colours, numbers and letters.  I also remember how the room was set up with long tables in a “u” formation and where the teacher’s desk was placed, in addition to the shelves that held extra fat crayons and pencils for little hands.

I love exercising my brain in  this way because as is often the case as your grow older, my long range memory seems sharper than my more immediate.  I am forever running downstairs to our basement pantry and then yelling back upstairs “Does anyone know why I came down here?”

I suppose that I remember my fourth year so distinctly because I loved every single minute of school.  Does it make sense that the most vivid memories are of things that you love?  My love of food brings clear images to me as well, but in even greater detail, including aromas and tastes.  My first memory of an authentic Canadian food experience was when my Mom and Dad purchased a 1/4 bushel of corn on the cob.  I don’t even know how much that is, but I clearly remember that a pick up truck arrived in our back lane and we were rallied around to unload, what seemed to me, an endless supply of cobs.  The truck had come from a farm in Morden, Manitoba where the long, warm growing season produces bumper crops of corn and apples.

At this particular time, there were seven people in my family, as Sister #3 was not born until I was eight years old.  Feeding seven people is no easy task on one income and my Mom and Dad were very resourceful.  My Mom canned and pickled and my Dad had connections in the food-service business so that he could buy “wholesale”.  My Dad was an agrologist and knew many local farmers and so it must have come to pass that he got a deal on this bulk corn.

I also remember that we were all enlisted to shuck the corn.  The twins were too young to help and so my hands were the youngest and not the strongest, therefore instead of the muscular task of removing the husks and snapping off the stock, I was in charge of pulling out the fine strands that sometimes remain between the kernels.  When the corn was “bare naked”, I recall that my Mom blanched batches of it in her “pressure cooker” pot and then after they were patted dry, she lined six cobs into each freezer bag.  The day was a hot one and in those days there were very few homes with air conditioning.  The continual process of blanching the corn, produced a very steamy kitchen, indeed.  By the time supper came around we were all “dying” to taste the fruits of our labour.  I also think that my Mom must have been pooped, because what did we have for supper that night?  Corn on the cob, of course.  Just…corn on the cob.

There was always a pound of butter sitting on the kitchen table as well as the salt and pepper shaker and I was allowed to dress up my own cob.  Perhaps this is one of the sources for my love of sweet and salty tastes.  The corn was super-sweet-in fact, I think that was the name of the variety that we had ordered.  When slathered with creamy butter and liberally dosed with a glistening of salt, well, I don’t know if there is a taste in the world that would compare.  I was allowed to have seconds.  In fact, I was permitted to eat until my heart’s content.  I don’t recall the exact count, but it was the greatest number of cobs that I have eaten in one sitting, to this day.

Morden corn-my first authentic Canadian food experience. Here’s a bonus.  Sister #3 is preparing a cookbook of all of our family and friend favourites.  She has tested our Mom’s recipe for wild blueberry pie.  I told you that my Mom and Dad were resourceful and this included yearly family foraging trips for enough wild blueberries to freeze for the winter.  One year our car got stuck and we were almost stranded in the woods, but I leave that tale for another day.

Love-that is all.

Most of my readers will know by now that Daughter #3 is carrying our first Grandchild.  Yes, I am going to be a Glamma!  J2 is also a blogger and if you are a young Mom or Mom to be, you will really enjoy her posts: Baby Lady of the Prairies

“In my first trimester of pregnancy I had zero energy, zero motivation to get anything done, my house was a mess and the thought of cooking or even being near my kitchen made me queasy. Then, like clockwork, at 15 weeks life started to gain its color back. I started getting antsy to start and finish projects, I once again gained the satisfaction of having a clean house and best of all I loved food again!

Loving food again is helpful as baby is growing and developing in the second and third trimesters – especially loving foods rich in protein. The amino acids that make up protein are the building blocks of your body’s cells. Pregnant women are advised to consume around 70-100 grams of protein every day. I don’t track the specific number of grams that I take in, but I am always aware of how I can add more protein to every meal.

Since I don’t have any dietary restrictions (by choice or otherwise) I usually eat at least one good-sized portion of meat every day which generally contains about 20-35 grams of my daily protein intake. Lately I have been trying to be creative with other sources of protein besides meat.

Here is a yummy recipe I have made including the beloved quinoa. Just 1 cup of cooked quinoa contains over 8 grams of protein.”

J2 searched and found her recipe on this blog site.

Kath’s quote: “Being pregnant was the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. Except for the cupcakes.” Ashlee Simpson

Love-that is all.

About 20 years ago I tried sushi for the first time and to be honest with you, I was less than impressed.  At the time there were only three sushi places in Winnipeg leaving me lots of other restaurant options so I wouldn’t have to eat it again, so I thought.

Don’t get me wrong, I love fish. I’m actually a bit fanatical about fish.  I eat it at least twice a week, but I don’t like things that taste fishy.  Sounds like an oxymoron, but good fresh fish doesn’t taste fishy.

With the rapidly growing popularity of sushi restaurants I have really had no choice but to give this sushi thing another try.  So for the past five years or so I have grown to enjoy many sushi restaurants, although I still avoid fish roe and prefer to switch it out for tempura crunch.

Well my appreciation of sushi reached an entirely new level when I discovered Kudara Sushi at 427 Academy Road.  Not easy to find if you are searching just by address, but it’s in the 7-eleven strip mall behind the Domo on Academy. Kudara Sushi puts a creative spin on their dishes which are as beautiful to look at as they are to eat.

We started with the tempura vegetables and while I thought the portion could have been bigger, I was very impressed with the taste.  Not at all greasy and served piping hot.

We decided on four rolls.  My very favorite was the Sunflower, filled with tamago (Japanese style omelet) cream cheese, cucumber and avocado; this rice roll is topped with a thin slice of deep fried yam.  Dipped into the combination of sauces served along side this roll made it the perfect melt in your mouth bite.  A close second in my mind is the Yami Yami. (I think I like yams a lot!) This rice roll is stuffed with fried yam, cucumber and cream cheese and smothered in crunchy little strands of more fried yam.

I also really enjoyed the Crazy.  Filled with spicy tuna and cucumber and topped with thin salmon and creamy avocado. We weren’t as fussy on the Volcano the spicy tuna sashimi on top was too thick for my taste and overwhelmed the sweet chopped scallop hidden inside.

Everything was very fresh. The little bits of sauces running along side some of the rolls was what put me over the top with delight.  Not like the sloppy orange mayonnaise you often find at sushi joints.  These sauces where light in texture but full in flavour.

Kudara is a little place with only four tables. But they do a brisk take-out business. The room is cute and the owner (I only met KJ) is very personable.  My dinner companion and I really appreciated the poster on the wall that featured translations of Japanese words like Unagi (eel), Tobiko (flying fish roe), Tako (octopus), that you often see on a sushi menu and feel silly repeatedly asking what they are.

I think I will order a platter of this amazing sushi for this year’s birthday celebration.  I can’t image a better gift of food to enjoy and share with my friends.  Rumour has it they’ll whip up some Korean dishes upon request, so I’m sure to be back for more than just sushi!

Kath’s quote: “In Mexico we have a word for sushi: bait.”-Jose Simon

Love-that is all.

Do you pine away over a particular food memory?  I’ll admit it-I do.  Years ago D and I were invited to dinner and the theatre by life long friends.  Since the original Tre Visi on McDermot Ave. is so close to The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, we could dine and walk to the theatre without having to repark our car.  Even though parking rates aren’t anywhere near as exorbitant as other major Canadian Urban centres, you do not want park twice.  The issue is not the money, it is the winter temperature in the middle of the Canadian prairie.  On that night, D and I shared a bowl of gnocchi and truth be told, I have lusted over that taste, ever since.

The newest Tre Visi location opened in my neighbourhood this past winter but even with my determination to get there, here it is almost summer and I have only now gotten the opportunity.  When asked where I wanted to go for an early birthday lunch by two good friends, my response was right on the tip of my tongue!

In anticipation of our autumn sojourn to Tuscany, I was delighted to chose a Tuscan wine to share over lunch.  Chiccio (sea salt crusted flat bread) accompanied the wine.  Mmm, bread and wine, as old as time itself.  We three old friends, settled in.

The pasta courses on the Tre Visi lunch menu are available in full or half portions with a side salad and opted for the latter.  I can’t put my finger on it precisely but I was blown away by the Misticanza salad.  It might have been the combination of the sparkling celery with the earthy black olives (pitted and halved)- I was smitten.

One of my lunch dates chose the Penne Forestiera, I intended to inquire if she enjoyed it but we were so busy getting caught up on the details of the months spent since Christmas, that I did not get a chance.

I know with certainty that my other dates loved the Carpaccio di Manzo that she selected as her main course.  She is a carpaccio aficionado and Tre Visi’s version suited her high standards.

The Gnocchi al Pesto was as sublime as I remembered it to be. I placed each speared morsel on my tongue and let it melt away.  That is how delicate and tender it was.  Sometimes, my old memory serves me well because this was a dish worthy of all the years of waiting to taste it again.

I agreed to a forkful of dessert since it was my birthday lunch.  OMG-the Torta de Polenta e Limone was to die for and I gave myself permission to have more than one taste!  The dense cornmeal and almond cake was saturated with lemon and yet the outside edge retained a crunchy texture that I loved.

Too soon, our time was over.  With hugs we agreed to reconvene for the next birthday in August. Turns out that Tre Visi means three faces, and was aptly chosen for this rendezvous.

Kath’s quote:  “Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.” –Francis Bacon

Love-that is all.

I turn 58 today.  I am going to celebrate by writing and gardening and then have a glass of wine with my precious husband and our kids.  I have a very early morning (3:45 am) so it will not be a late one.  But I want to also spend the day counting my blessings. Here goes (from my stream of consciousness, that is to say in no particular order):

1. For the simple luxuries of my home-a hot shower this morning in a brightly illuminated room.  With Daughter #2 just having returned from Central America I know that this is truly is a luxury.
2. For social media, especially Facebook.  I woke up to so many birthday greetings that there are 35 waiting for me, that I can’t even see.  Sometimes I get frustrated by not being able to figure these little blips out, so I suppose FB is a bit of a curse too.  But suffice it to say, the birthday greetings make me feel remembered and loved.
3. For the internet so that I could file a story and photos due this morning, before I even had my second  cup of coffee or walked the dog.
4. For my good health-for normal blood pressure and cholesterol and blood sugar.  For clear mammograms and colon screens.
5. For still being able to work in my garden and then run over to J1 and J2’s and do some weeding for them too.  My hips do sometime get sore but perhaps that is from sitting rather than exerting.
6. For our first grandbaby who will be welcomed into our family this July.
7. For having a modest income that allows us to contribute to the post-secondary education of all three of our adult children.
8. For my husband.  He is such a good man for so many reasons.  He has spent this week running around trying to find the hard top gazebo that he knows that I would love for our deck at the lake.  He is also trying to replace our lawn-mower because he knows that all the time that I spend in our gardens is not showcased until the lawn is cut and neatly trimmed.
9. For my Mom who at 86 sits and waits patiently (ususually) for visits from her family.  She gave me birthday money that I spent on bedding plants and an extra little something because she knows that our big old hairy dogs needs to spend hours at the groomers.
10. For my sisters.  There are my very best friends.
11. For our little beach house.  I will be away in the Sates this weekend and not able to be there but I will imagine it the entire time that I am away.  I sleep better there, than anywhere in the world.  I get more sunshine and the most exercise there.  It is the epitome of who I am and what I cherish most.  AND I LOVE THAT WE FINALLY HAVE AN INDOOR BIFFY!
12. For the fruit tress in our yard and next door that always seem to bloom on my birthday.
13. For my perennials that appear every spring to remind me that it is not my doing but God who brings life.
14. Specifically for my “forget-me-nots” that were gifted to me when my dear friend Melinda moved away from Winnipeg, some 20 years ago now.  We are still close friends and she remembers the colours that give me joy and we share an obsession with hearts.  Her birthday package arrived yesterday-a glorious scarf in turquoise and pink and a hand made card with a wire heart on the front.
15. For my work.  Tasks that excite me and some times stress me out but always something new to think about and learn and exercise that muscle called my brain.
16. For the creative aspect of my work too.  I did not even know that I loved to write until this blog created a forum for me to do so.
17. For the gift of travel-sometimes mind-boggling; to be able to awake in my own bed and be on our precious Isla Mujeres for a late lunch.  I leave for Philadelphia in the early morning and have the adventure of Tuscany this fall.   I could never have dreamed of a life this full.
18. For my Dad, gone now, but the lasting memory of his love for the soil and the ground.  He was the gardener in our family and I think of him whenever I plant annuals along the edge of a sidewalk or path.
19.  For thrift shop stores.  I love a good deal like the never been worn Clark’s sandals that I got today for $4!
20. For the spring rain.  I know that it means that mosquitoes are coming but I transferred a whole bunch of perennials this morning and now I know that they will flourish without my extra attention.
21. For the free things that I am sent as gifts because of the work that I do.  I received a $500 Delta handsfree kitchen faucet this morning!
22. For friends that share their recipes and food with me.  Yesterday Lori brought be a forcocia starter.  We had it for last night’s dinner with soup and I just toasted a couple of slices now.  Oh my.
23. For Daughter #1-an amazing person from the instant that she was born.  An inspiration to me and so many people, every single day.  I am humbled to be here Mom.
24. For Daughter #2.  She is my baby girl no matter how grown up and worldly and savvy she becomes.  She has such an enormous heart for the suffering in this world and she is going to make a difference, some way, some how.
25. For our son-  He is the most fascinating person that I have ever met.  How many people can say that about their own child?
26. For Daughter #3-she isn’t really my daughter as most of you know, but I love as if she were.  Thank you for loving our guy as you do.
27. For the Frenchman.  You are a significant member of our family and I don’t know what life was like before you joined us.
28. For the access to healthcare that we have in this province and this country.  Spending a couple of hours each week at the children’s hospital, I see miracles occur.  The system is far from perfect but I would not live in any other country in the world.
29. For the babies that I cuddle each week.  This week I spent two whole hours gazing into the navy blue eyes of a 23 day old baby girl.  They give me, more than I could ever give them.
30. For PBS-I am serious.  We love Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey.  The writing, acting and art direction is absolutely stupendous and we are hooked.
31. For books.  I have two currently on the go and another downloaded to my tablet for this weekend’s trip.  My Mom quotes her Dad when she says: “You are never alone, if you have a good book”.
32. For my big brother who is awaiting knee surgery.  I can’t wait until he can cross country ski again.  His courage in pain and patience in anticipation of the surgery, is an example of endurance for us all.
33. For my “little” brother who works so hard with such cheerfulness.  I get to holiday with him every year and I do wish that I could spend more time with him.
34. For my sister-in-laws.  Thank you for putting up with my brothers, I know that it is not always easy to live with one of us, but you would never know it by your grace and patience.
35. For my Sister #2’s husband.  He mentors and supports me in so many ways.  I love him like a “real” brother.

I could go on, in fact I thought that I might get to 58 to mark the number of years that I have been on this earth, but life is calling me to make a couple more phone calls and tidy up some loose ends.  Suffice it to say-I am blessed.

Have you counted (literally) your blessings lately?