the midnight pantry

So I totally had coffee this morning. Almond milk and agave syrup deliciousness! For real, it just makes me a happier person. Yes it’s probably all in my head but I’m ok with that. I feel like it’s such a mellow day. The only reason I know its Monday is that the calendar tell me it is.

I know not many people are blessed with a great ride to work but my drive in is pretty spectacular. The sun makes the fields near my house shimmer gold as it highlights the corn stalk stubble poking through the snow. As we drive into the city though it reflects off all the high rises gold-pink. There’s a certain part of the drive that takes us across the bridge and the fast moving river. The slightly steaming water, the water being warmer than the outside air, reminds me of the lake in the north that is part of my grand parents morning walk. My morning walk is only half a km and leaves me with streaming eyes and a cold nose.

My test kitchen evenings are rolling along! The apple strudel that I worked on this weekend with my baker buddy brit was not up to par though so you’ll have to wait a bit for that. (At least it tasted delish even if it didn’t look too delectable!) (My white chocolate and pistachio biscotti recipe can be found below.)

My fantabulous weekend also included a lovely trip to the market. The mushrooms were particularly beautiful, what abundance! Little purple onions also caught my eye. We snacked on home made potato chips, so salty and good! Laundry was washed, folded, and ironed where necessary. (Yes I’m weird and like to press my pillow cases! Just makes the bed look more inviting.)

Coffee was had and enjoyed. Who wouldn’t enjoy coffee when you have a bevy of mug and spoon choices?! I really love coffee spoons. I think it’s one of my favourite things to receive! The Eiffel tower spoon was a souvenir from my friend Elle when she vacationed there last year. I also have a spoon from nomi as part of my advent calendar, a snoopy spoon from childhood, (yes tanners I think it’s actually yours!), a spoon from an African market in Nairobi I got a few years ago. My budding collection also has an antique spoon from Pennsylvania that I got when I travelled there by bus to see a house I liked, and a spoon that was especially made for me from a 1700 century mould from the fair they were having on the mansion’s estate. One of my crown jewels is a lovely spoon I commissioned that has “good morning sunshine” printed on the bowl.

Who wouldn’t enjoy having a toasty drink with such nice cutlery? I’m off to enjoy a lovely cup of tea and some biscotti. Hope your day is as wonderful as you are!

White Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients:

-1 ½  cups all purpose flour

-1 cup ground almonds

-2 tsp baking powder

- 3/4   cup brown sugar

-2 large eggs

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-4 squares white chocolate (2.5 ounces), roughly chopped

-1/3 cup pistachios

Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

-In a bowl mix, flour, ground almonds and baking powder, put aside.

-In a mixer, blend eggs and brown sugar until light yellow and fluffy. Add vanilla extract.

-Slowly add flour mix to wet ingredients in mixer while still mixing.

-Once the mixture has come together, gently fold in white chocolate and pistachios.

-Turn dough out onto parchment lined banking sheet, wet hands and shape into two logs.  Bake for 30 minutes.

-Take out of oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

-Using a serrated knife, gently cut logs into cookies.

-Place cookies flat, on cookie sheet and bake again for 15 minutes.

-Let cool completely and enjoy!

I have a little secret. Deep down, I’m a Quebequoise. I was born and raised in this city and what’s better than a nice crusty baguette, a slab of creton and nice yellow mustard? Not much! I’m still feeling a bit under the weather so I’m giving in to a few cravings.

Speaking of cravings, there’s no better answer than the biscotti recipe I’m working on! I tried making a batch tonight and though it was pretty darn tasty it still needs a bit of tweaking. I used some amazing ingredients; white chocolate, pistachios, almonds, some green chilli sugar.

                I honestly could have eaten the whole bowl of batter by myself, all alone citing on the kitchen floor. It was that good. The finished product looks great! But it’s not exactly what I wanted. The chilli sugar was not present enough, nether were the pistachios or white chocolate. But tomorrow is another day so I’m not going to loose any sleep over it.

Speaking of sleep, I’m off to bed to read my bible and get some shut eye!  Hope you have a great night’s sleep! Happy dreaming!

So ok, eating the broken pieces of biscotti with a cup of tea followed by toast with some butter/garlic/ginger concoction is not supper. My mother would totally not approve! But she ain’t here so that’s going to be supper.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately, big heavy thoughts. Thoughts like not wanting to regret how I spend my time. And what I put in my body and treating myself right. How I want to make a living so I can bring home the bacon. Basically, I’m in a life funk. Sounds like fun right? Not.

If all my dreams came through I would spend my days writing this blog, cooking and biking around my beautiful city. That’s not happening right now. Come on, the roads are icy! Biking would be dangerous! But seriously, my bucket list is gathering quite a bit of dust. (Kinda like my blog, sorry guys! )

I was looking through my camera yesterday and was really inspired by some of the pictures I’d taken! The food looked great, but it made me realize that lately I’ve only been really cooking other people recipes, like this chick pea burger (http://www.wholeliving.com/151406/chickpea-brown-rice-veggie-burger ).

I need to get back to me folks. So that’s what I’m going to be doing. Look forward to some new recipes. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Ok, so can we have a bit of a talk?

            I like winter, I mean I really really like winter. It’s my favourite season! I love the chilly noses and rosy cheeks, the hot chocolate and sledding, I even like the shovelling!

            Winter apparently took this year off. We have rain and slush instead of fluffy banks of snow. I haven’t gone sledding once yet and we’re on the cusp of February! What is this?! Yes I’m wearing my winter coat and boots; I’m also getting to my bus stop all sweating. It’s gross, trust me on that one. With such a dismal winter, it’s really making me wish for an early spring.

            You know what else is making me wish for an early spring? The grocery store. I don’t care how rich you are, veggies in winter are expensive! I really want those warm days to come back so the farmers markets open again. For real, you can’t imagine how nice it is to walk through the produce stands sampling different fruits, honeys, and cheeses. I think it might be one of the things I look forward to the most. It’s just an honest to goodness happiness fountain! I can’t help but feel better while walking around. It’s also a great source of inspiration and makes me want to take over the nearest kitchen!

            Ok, real talk. I’m on week three of the cleanse. I start getting carbs this week. I really want to make sure I can translate the cleanse into my everyday living once I’m done these four weeks. It’s certainly opened my eyes to all the junk that I’ve been putting into my body. Yes, it taste delicious, but not to my insides that have to work harder to process that garbage.          

            Even though my husband seems baffled by my food choices of late, he is trying to be supportive in his own way, including offering me a bite of his Subway sandwich, “No I can’t eat that! It has gluten and dairy!” After a little talk he got a clearer idea of what I meant by being supportive. My sister was ready to seriously mangle him later on in the evening though when my new supportive husband took some yummy rice away from me saying it would ruin my diet.  (Um, it came in a can and you have to add some nondescript powder to it.)   

            Alright, well off I go to have a snack, pistachio stuffed dates with toasted coconut flakes, and a cup of tea. I hope you have a wonderfully productive day and most definitely remember how wonderfully awesome you are!

Jenna

Oh joy its Friday!         

 I have a little confession to make. I like to celebrate special occasions. I like birthdays and anniversaries, Easter and Halloween, I looooove Christmas lol. I like to celebrate them all, even a random happy Tuesday. I think that all Fridays should be celebrated too. It’s the weekend! And I think a part of celebrating is treating your self to something special.

This is the first Friday for me in the New Year, I was on vacation. My usual treats were a new magazine or a fancy latte from Starbucks. Now, there are 2 things wrong with these options. One; I’m watching my money and trying to buy only what I need, so a magazine and coffee does not fall into that. Two; I’m not drinking caffeine, or dairy and I’m trying to stay away from extra fat. I’m guessing here, but I doubt a 500 cal drink can be considered anything but indulgent.    

This brings me to my dilemma. How do I celebrate Friday and the end of the work week while being body and budget conscientious? I nixed the coffee, instead I brought a special tea instead of my usual green variety, and today’s is pumpkin chai! I treated myself to Joy the Baker’s podcast; it comes out Thursday evenings, on the bus this morning.

All week I’m been eating savoury snacks, so today I brought sweet! I made fruit and nut balls last night and portioned them out. I get 6 little nuggets of goodness that taste just like Fig Newton’s, I swear! Lol you basically take 2 cups of dried fruit and put in a food processor, then 2 cups on mixed nuts and doe the same. I do suggest that you do it in batches. I didn’t at first and thought I would blow my motor. Then you just mix the 2 things together and form into little balls of joy! It makes 5 portions so you may get less or more than 6 balls depending on how big you make them.

Now the weekend is coming up, and that is going to be a little bit tricky! This morning I made a beet-carrot-pear smoothie. I know most of you who read this blog can’t actually see me but three fingers of my left hand still are still slightly purple. That’s what you get for playing with beets in the morning! Anyways, the smoothie is 2 portions so I know I’ve got breakfast for tomorrow covered; I also have soup already made and a dinner sitting in the fridge. Sunday is going to be a problem though! As you remember, my husband makes amazing crepes, and Sunday is usually the day that they make an appearance at our house. Eeek! I hope I can resist! Thank goodness I have some yummy options in my weapons arsenal! My lovely friend nomi got me some kale last night since I can’t find it in my area. Kale chips here I come! I’ve liked everything so far, with maybe the exception of today’s smoothie (it smells like dirt!)

Ok gang! I’m off. Going to make a list of what I want to accomplish this weekend. It’s going to be filled with cleaning and cooking, spa fun and movie time! (and hopefully I will be baking a chocolate-beet cake, sooo good!) Hope you have a pterodactyl free weekend!

Jenna   

Happy Thursday! Hey look, it’s Thursday, Friday’s ugly cousin!

You know what else is ugly? The fact that I’m apparently turning into the Hamburglar. Or, to be more precise, the anything-that-fits-in-my-mouth-burglar. I’m on day 4 of this cleansing. Yesterday I made a batch of absolutely heavenly roasted beet and garlic soup. The fact that I have fuchsia soup for lunch makes me happy, the fact that it’s all I have for lunch does not make me want to shower everyone with sparkles. I am seriously looking at every one’s food wondering how I can sneak some unnoticed! It’s not even that I’m hungry lol. The diet of smoothies, roast veggies and soup is actually quite filling.            

The problem people, is the smell. They are every where! Cheesy potatoes, fried rice, pie, PIE! That’s what’s driving me crazy. I’ll eat lunch with a friend and her salami sandwich will smell so good I have to talk myself out of snatching it up. I know I sound like a creeper right now. I assure you usually I’m not, or at least not this much.

Other than that I’m doing pretty well on the eating front. The yoga on the other hand is not happening. I can make all the excuses in the world but when it comes right down to it I’m just being lazy. Next week I start back at the gym. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m not a fan of cardio but you gotta move your body! (And yes, dancing around your house in your underwear counts!)

Alright all, I’m off to warm up my tea, again. I’ve had 3 cups of water so far, only 5 more to go! Have a brilliant day!    

Jenna

Today I’m very happy! It’s the last work day before the holidays! J I feel like a kid, especially with the sprinkling of snow on the ground. I’m crossing my fingers and toes for a white Christmas!
I’m also happy because I get to see my dad today! (First time in about a year.) We talk on the phone but it’s really not the same. Last night I wrapped a bunch of presents and sweep the house. My dad is seeing our home for the first time tonight. I’ll be making supper for us and we’ll have a nice visit before him and my step-mum head to Quebec City and then to Yellowknife .
Tomorrow I host Christmas dinner for my in-laws. Eek! I hope everything turns out J it’s my first time. So tonight apart from wrapping stocking stuffers I also have to make an apple and a pumpkin pie for my brother in law. (It was a special request.) Luckily my husband’s family are not picky eaters so I’m sure everything will go just fine.
The holidays for me are a magical time when my family comes home to Montreal from the four corners of the globe. My family is really important to me. As I grow older I’m realizing how wonderful all my sibling are and how much richer my life is with their light in it. As cookie and crazy and they are, they’re my family and I love ‘em! Christmas also means calls to Vancouver , Yellowknife and England so I can wish my extended family merry wishes.
This is the first year that HRW and I will not be spending Christmas eve together in a while. We get us some roasted chestnuts and watch It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s a great way to spend the evening before heading to my mum’s to hang our stockings.
Even if H is away this year I treating myself! Today I got a special Starbucks coffee (chocolate peppermint) and I brought the new Martha Stewart magazine as well as a couple pieces of chocolate covered ginger and a deck of Christmas recipe card that were today’s advent gift. And as the cherry on my Sunday I brought a mini pannetone cake. It was introduced to me a few years ago by one of my Italian friends and I’ve never looked back. It’ll be divine later with a nice cup of tea.
Alright gang, time to start my sparkle spangled day! Happy holidays to you how ever you celebrate! Happy birthday Jesus!

Jenna