Constance Creations

Vegan Onion Dip

2011-01-01T13:38:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

1 Large Red Onion
1 Package Silken Tofu
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
½ - 1 Tsp. Sea Salt*
3 – 5 Tbsp. Lemon Juice*
Dash of Sesame Oil
Hot Pepper Flakes (to taste)

Directions:

Slice the onion and slowly caramelize in a frying pan with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. I cheat a little by adding some water to the pan when the onion just starts cooking, that way the onion gets soft before it starts to brown.

Once the onion is caramelized, add it to a bowl (or food processor) with the silken tofu, lemon juice, remaining salt, sesame oil, and hot pepper flakes.

Blend until everything is combined, and retains a slightly chunky texture (I used my immersion blender).

Chill the dip for at least an hour, to let flavours meld. Eat with sliced vegetables, crackers, potato chips, as a tasty sandwich spread, or anywhere else non-vegan onion dip is used.

*These measurements are only guidelines. Start with less and keep adding more until you’ve reached a good balance between salty and sour.

Dairy Free Mint Chocolate Mousse

2010-12-31T16:22:00.003-05:00

I've "known" for some time that I am lactose intolerant, due to general digestive malfunction any time I eat dairy. But I've begun to suspect that my body has more issues with dairy than just the lactose and that my dairy problems may be of the casein kind. So, over the last couple months, I've been (mostly) sticking to a strict no-dairy diet.

Clearly that means cutting out all obvious dairy (milk, cheese, butter, yogurt...) it has also forced me to cut out nearly anything which could be considered "prepared food". So while I'm free to eat a steak any time I want, if I would like a snack at Starbucks then it had better be vegan (you're out too Tim Hortons, even their vegetable soup has dairy). Not to say that this is entirely bad. In the last few months I've generally felt better, have shed pounds, and am acne free (save any time I cheat and then it's "hello pimples"). I do, however, get the occasional craving for a tasty, sweet, treat. And the recipe below is my solution to a satisfying end to a fancy-ish dinner.

Ingredients:

250g Dark Chocolate (quality, no milk ingredients added)

250ml coconut cream

2 egg whites

½ tsp. pure mint extract

Directions:

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave.

Whisk together the egg whites, coconut cream and mint extract until frothy.

Add half of the mint mixture in the melted (and somewhat cooled) chocolate and stir til combined.

Combine the chocolate mixture with the rest of the mint mixture and whip til smooth and airy (you should see small bubbles in the mixture).

Divide the chocolate mint pudding between 4-6 equal, small, cups (espresso or shot glasses will work), chill, and enjoy!

*You could create variations of this by swapping out the mint extract for either almond, or plain old vanilla extract.

Costume Time

2010-10-31T18:22:00.006-04:00

While this isn't the cheapest costume I've ever come up with, many of the individual pieces can be easily reused in the future (Halloween, or day to day).

Ingredients:

black leotard - $30
pair of black tights - $13
black gloves - $10
set of cat ears - $8
black "cat eye" mask - $10
gold pendant necklace - $6
gold fish scale belt - $15 (etsy.com)

Happy Halloween!

öLove, Catwoman ö

Falling For Caroline

2009-04-21T11:04:00.004-04:00

When I'm not getting crafty, I record sound for films. One such film, I have recently found out, will be screening at two(!) film festivals in the coming months. So, here's the details:

Toronto
Inside Out Festival
Hogtown Homos Program
May 20th at 7:15 p.m.
Isabel Bader Theatre

San Francisco
Frameline International LGBT Film Festival
June 20th at 1:45 p.m
June 28th at 12:00 p.m.
The Castro Theatre

The best oatmeal ever!

2009-03-17T13:51:00.007-04:00

I stole this recipe from Michael Smith's Foodtv.ca page, but it really is the best oatmeal ever. While his recipe calls for an almond foam for the top of the oatmeal, I don't have a milk steamer so I've left it out but you can find the full recipe here.

Apple Pie Oatmeal
(Serves 2)

You will need:

1 cup whole rolled oats
2 cups milk
1 apple, cored and chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sliced almonds

Pour the oats, milk, apple, brown sugar and cinnamon into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue gently cooking until it's thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Stir every few minutes to keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom. Spoon the oatmeal into 2 serving bowls and sprinkle with almond slices and serve.

This recipe is easily halved (and doubled for that matter) so making it just for one (or a crowd) is super simple.

Crock pot chicken stock.

2009-03-17T13:37:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, instead of purchasing specific chicken parts like breasts or thighs, I like to just buy a whole chicken and section it up myself. This usually works out to be a bit cheaper, and you get the added bonus of the chicken carcass!

So what do you do with a chicken carcass? Make some delicious chicken stock, I say.

1. Place chicken carcass into a roasting pan and roast it until it's done. (ie. Smells and looks good.)
2. Place the roasted chicken in your crock pot along with some chopped up onions, carrots, celery and anything else you might want. (I like mushrooms and herbs like thyme and rosemary.)
3. Cover the whole thing with water and set our crock pot to medium - high.
4. Let the stock cook for at least three hours... but I like to let it go all night. (Just remember to turn down your crock pot to a low setting if you do.)
5. Strain out all the bits when it's done, season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy your home made stock!

Knead Bread? No!

2009-02-26T15:09:00.008-05:00

Enforcing my current love of homemade bread, I recently came upon a recipe for No Knead Bread.

The finished loaf.

It takes about a full day to make, but only about 20 minutes of that is actually spent doing anything. Basically, you mix yeast, flour, water, and a bit of salt, together in a bowl and then let it sit (covered) for about 18 hours to let the yeast develop. Then plop the dough into a mould, let it rest another couple hours, and bake!

Bread dough after one rise.

Breadmaker

2009-01-30T15:57:00.007-05:00

So, when Christmas time was rolling around and I started getting requests from family members as to what I wanted, I proved my truly incredible geeky/crafty nature and asked for a bread machine.
Yep.
A bread machine.

And that's exactly what I got. Now, with my incredible bread machine I have been making a varied and delicious assortment of breads. Unfortunately I haven't been taking any pictures of my delicious bread, but here is a list of some of what I have made so far.

Trail Bread: My first attempt. It was supposed to be a fruity, nut and seed filled, bread but due to my misinterpretation of the directions no seeds or nuts were added and it was just a fruity bread... Still tasty though!

Whole Wheat and Flax Bread: Very dense, but good.

Gluten Free Banana Seed Loaf: Made for a family member. A+

Whole Wheat and Flax Bread (Second Attempt): Less dense, still good.

Corn Bread: This recipe didn't turn out as expected. Instead of being the cake like corn bread that I am used to it was closer to a dense white bread with cornmeal and some bits of corn.

Whole Wheat with Oatmeal, Raisins, Spice and Flax Bread: I got creative with this one after stumbling upon a basic, ingredient switchable, bread machine bread recipe (below).

Whole Wheat, Honey, Almond (and flax) Bread: Another variation on the basic bread machine bread recipe, but this time instead of using a second grain I used one cup of ground almonds. It turned out moister than most of the other breads and was closer in texture to the gluten free banana seed loaf.

Bread Machine Bread (Michael Smith - foodtv.ca)
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup of any sugar, white, brown, molasses, honey or maple
3 cups bread flour
1 cup additional grain, cornmeal, oatmeal, rye flour, wheat germ, wheat bran or any whole grain blend
2 tbsp dried milk powder
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil or melted butter
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of your favourite chopped fresh herbs (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Place all the ingredients into your bread machine, and then follow the manufacturer's directions for baking a 2 pound loaf. You may also use this basic ratio to make bread without a machine, kneading the dough allowing it to rise twice and baking it in your oven.

Note: Yields one loaf.

Crochet!

2009-01-05T21:23:00.006-05:00

My mother learned how to crochet from her grandmother when she was just a child, and has never stopped since then. It's absolutely dizzying how fast my mom can crochet something. As a child my house was never short on blankets, they literally seemed to grow over my mom as we watched tv.

I, however, have been a delinquent child. My sister learned how to crochet but I never did. I'm fairly certain that I was busy doing something else. Probably taking apart my toys using a butter knife as a screwdriver.. and learning how to daisy-chain as many videogame systems to the television as possible (don't forget the cable hookup and VCR!).

Now I'm older and increasingly interested in crafty projects.. though no less interested in media or taking things apart.. so I decided to overcome my obvious crafting shortfall. On boxing day my mom and I wandered through the Wal-Mart craft department, browsing patterns for a tuque my mother said she would make me. And, as I have never done before, I uttered the words "I would like to learn how to crochet." Immediately my mom looked up, told me to grab a ball of wool and said she'd teach me as soon as we got back to her place.

Some hours and many confused looks, on my part, later and I was crocheting. So far I've only made one thing, a dishcloth. That's it in the picture above. Next time I see my mom it'll be time to learn the double crochet. Oooh!

Christmas Baking: Chocolate Brownies

2008-12-30T12:05:00.004-05:00

These brownies come from Jamie Oliver's How to Cook. They are intense. Little more than dark chocolate held together with a few fillers.

1 cup unsalted butter
7 oz. dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken up
optional: 75g dried sour cherries
optional: 50g chopped nuts
3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Line a 25cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
In a large bowl over some simmering water, melt the butter and the chocolate and mix until smooth.
Add the cherries and nuts, if you’re using them, and stir together.
In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar, then add this to the chocolate, cherry and nut mixture. Stir together well.
Beat the eggs and mix in until you have a silky consistency.

Pour your brownie mix into the baking tray, and place in the oven for around 25 minutes. You don’t want to overcook them so, unlike cakes, you don’t want a skewer to come out all clean. The brownies should be slightly springy on the outside but still gooey in the middle. Allow to cool in the tray, then carefully transfer to a large chopping board and cut into squares*.

* I cut the brownies into one inch squares and put them in paper cups for a small, easily packed, addition to my Christmas Cookie tins.

Christmas Cookie: Sugar Cookies

2008-12-30T11:55:00.004-05:00

Sugar cookies a la Alton Brown*.

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar.
Add egg and milk and beat to combine.
Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

* I "heart" Alton Brown.

Christmas Cookie: Chocolate Chip

2008-12-30T10:41:00.003-05:00

This recipe is from Anna Olson's book Sugar.

3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 oz. chocolate chips or dark chocolate chopped into chunks

Preaheat your oevn to 350'f.
Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream together butter and sugars.
Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine.
Stir in dry ingredients until dough forms.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto lined baking sheet and bake 8 - 10 minutes until the edges of the cookie have darkened to a golden brown colour.

Including the cornstarch in this recipe will give you cookies that remain chewy eve after they have cooled. Leave out the cornstarch for crunchy cookies.

Christmas Cookie: Viennese Crescents

2008-12-23T18:30:00.003-05:00

This is another recipe from The Joy of Cooking.

1/2 pound butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup ground almonds (or walnuts)
2 cups flour

Position oven rack in upper third of oven.
Preheat oven to 350' f.
Cream butter.
Beat in powdered sugar until well combined.
Stir in Vanilla and ground nuts.
Sift in Flour while stirring.
Knead dough until well blended.
Pull off 1 tablespoon sized pieces, roll into short ropes and shape into crescents (refrigerate dough if it is too soft to work with).
Place crescents 1 1/2" apart on lined baking sheet and bake 13 - 16 minutes until lightly browned.
Sift Powdered sugar over cooled cookies.

Christmas Cookie: Spice Cookies

2008-12-22T20:10:00.003-05:00

These are from The Joy of Cooking (the most indispensable cook book ever). It is one of the variations of the "Fourteen In One" They're not as dense or rich as gingerbread, but they definitely have enough spice to taste Christmasy.

Spice Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen.

1/2 pound butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg yolk
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. all spice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Beat butter, sugar and salt until fluffy.
Beat in egg yolk until well blended.
Beat in vanilla and remaining egg until well combined.
Add the spices to the flour.
Slowly add the flour to wet ingredients, while mixing on a low speed.
Continue to mix ingredients until well combined.
Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic.
Refrigerate dough for at least one hour.

To form cookies, either:

Scoop the cookie dough into 1 tablespoon balls and roll between hand until soft. Place the dough balls onto parchment lined cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball to about 1/8 inch thick using the bottom of a well floured glass.

Or:

Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes. Place the dough shapes on parchment lined cookie sheets, spacing about 1/2 apart. Get as many dough shapes out of each sheet, since though dough should only be rolled out twice. Discard the remaining dough, or form the remaining dough into balls and flatten as above.

Bake sheets 2 at a time, in a 375 degree oven for 6-8 minutes, turning the sheets half way through baking for even browning. Immediately transfer the baked cookies to racks* to cool to room temperature. Decorate, if desired, and store in an airtight container.

* I don't own any cooling racks. A tip that I found online is to use a folded sheet of aluminum foil instead.

Christmas Ornaments

2008-12-21T09:14:00.006-05:00

A while back I lamented a little about being bored. I needed something to do in my spare time. I needed a project.
Well here it is, my solution to my need to be crafty, I made Christmas ornaments to go along with all of the baking I'm giving away.

They are all hand sewed felt ornaments made from my own designs, with buttons and ribbons for added detail. Next year I think I may start sewing these earlier and make a bunch to sell on etsy.com.

Christmas Cookie: Shortbread

2008-12-20T12:59:00.002-05:00

This year I'm doing a TON of Christmas baking to give away as gifts. The first round of which is several batches of shortbread. This is my absolute favourite recipe for making shortbread. It's ridiculously easy to make and comes out perfect every time. So where did I get this recipe? Is it an old family recipe passed down from generation to generation?
Nope. It's from the back of the "Canada" brand corn starch box.

Shortbread

Makes about 24 cookies

1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup flour
3/4 cup butter (unsalted, room temperature)

Sift together the corn starch, icing sugar and flour.
With a wooden spoon, blend in butter until a soft smooth dough forms.
Chill dough 30 - 60 minutes.
Shape dough into 1" balls and place 1 1/2" apart on a cookie sheet.
Bake in 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, just until the edges start to change colour.
Transfer to a rack and cool.

Just shaping the dough into balls and then baking will give you a half sphere shaped cookie (I think they look like snowballs). You can also flatten the balls, or roll out the dough and cut it into shapes (or use cookie cutters). I have even shaped the dough into large squares and rounds about six" across and 1" thick, and marked them with a knife so that they can be cut into wedges and rectangles after baking (more like the traditional Scottish style).

Plant Wars!

2008-12-08T13:27:00.004-05:00

*The ruthless peppermint plant.

I started a patio garden during the summer. A small, yet respectable, collection of herbs as well as a couple Thai Chili plants. The plants flourished throughout the summer and I was able to enjoy their freshness (and insane spiciness from the peppers) in my cooking. Then fall started to approach and I was left with a dilemma.

I knew that my plants would not be able to survive life outdoors in the harsh winter that was fast approaching. But I also knew that the amount of light in my apartment wouldn't be enough to sustain them either. So I did some researching and a little hunting and came up with a solution. I brought the light indoors with the help of some cheap Ikea shelving and small flourescent fixtures scavenged from work (previously scavenged from a, now cancelled, game show set).

Now I have a new problem. My plants have been going through a sudden growth spurt and their leaves are now fighting for space among the shelves. My peppermint plant is particularly ruthless. It grows in any direction it can, greedily pushing though the other plants. When I go to harvest some herby goodness I frequently have to untangle plants from each other just to make sure I don't mistakenly put mint in my pasta when I meant to use oregano. The only real solution to the problem is to just keep on hacking away at the plants until spring, when I will be able to repot them into larger containers and let them run wild!

Time to get crafty!

2008-11-10T20:32:00.005-05:00

I'm starting to get an itch.
It's one that I've had many times.
I know the symptoms.
I know the cause.
And, luckily, I know the remedy.

During the summer I was steadily working, either full time at my regular job or working on various films. But then the fall rolled around. On set work started to dry up, and my hours at work were reduced for the fall/winter as expected. I've had time to sit back, relax, and do absolutely nothing.

Now here's the problem.

While in high school I always had something to do. I started working at 15 (if you don't count working for family) and never stopped all the way through to graduation. Pile on some extra curriculars and some volunteering and I was a busy person. My life since starting college, however; could be mapped mapped out like a drawing of a sound wave. Full of peeks and valleys in responsibility vs. free time. It's a trend that's continued even after receiving my diploma. So in this cycle I get really busy and have tons of things to do and then suddenly I wont be busy at all. And it's always nice and refreshing.. at first.

Then I start to get bored. All of a sudden I start needing something to do. Something to keep me busy and occupied. I need a goal, a task. Anything to say that I have accomplished something. That is my itch.

Now for the remedy.

In times like these when I am short on things to do, I get crafty. And my itch is scratched.

Woops!

2008-10-27T13:48:00.003-04:00

More business and forgetfulness has prevented me from posting. So, long overdue, here are the rest of my quick TIFF film write ups.

Che Parts 1 & 2

This film was long. Four hours of revolutionary ups and downs. Part 1 chronicles Ernesto Che Guevara's experiences during the Cuban revolution and his time speaking in New York at the UN. It's quite fun to watch and ends on a high note.
Part 2 chronicle's Che's time in Bolivia, trying to bring revolution to the country. The film tells a near polar opposite story, with the Bolivian revolution starting out badly and continuing to get worse as time goes on, until the film ends with Guevara's capture and execution by the Bolivian Army.

Good

This film was not good. It wasn't really bad though... I'd say that it just lacked any real emotional weight, despite being about WW2 through the eyes of a German. The film basically glossed over all of the interesting plot points and used character dialogue to catch the audience up on all the juicy bits you never get to see.

El Greco

This film was just terrible. It was like watching a bad TV movie. It was terrible to the point of being both sad and hilarious. It was full of cheesy sight gags and terrible acting. Every time something bad happens to El Greco he would look up, fists clenched and shout "No.. NO.. NOOOOO!!!" towards the sky. This film could end up becoming my record holder for worst festival film of all time.

At The Edge Of The World

A pretty good documentary about a volunteer crew of "pirates" who aim to get in the way (or destroy) as many japanese whaling boats as possible. It's pretty entertaining, but completely one sided as it only follows the crew... although I guess it could be difficult to get a statement from Japanese whaling boats. Anyway, the film includes some amusing moments and great scenery.

Pontypool

2008-09-10T11:14:00.003-04:00

A zombie film unlike any other zombie film.

Pontypool mainly takes place at a small town AM radio station following shock jock Grant Mazzy and his crew as they receive reports of strange acts of violence occurring throughout their small town. Even stranger is the growing realization that the virus spreading through town may not be spread through physical means, but through the English language itself.

Slumdog Millionaire

2008-09-10T10:41:00.003-04:00

I caught this film through rush lining for the Press and Industry screening, in my two hour break between seeing The Wrestler and Pontypool.

It's a film about an Indian "slumdog" (one of the many orphaned children who live outside the system) who makes his way into becoming a guest on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.. and wins. He is then arrested on suspicion of fraud and the story is told through his interrogation by police which reveals his past and how he was able to answer each question correctly. Overall it's a pretty good film with great visuals and an interesting and energetic soundtrack.

The Wrestler

2008-09-10T09:18:00.003-04:00

This film should not be missed.

It's a bit different than Darren Aronofsky's earlier films, but it's just as good. The film itself is very character driven. Many scenes are shot documentary style with long takes following Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) through his routine. The supporting actors do well in their roles (Marisa Tomei as Randy's stripper - not quite girlfriend, and Even Rachel Wood as his distant daughter) but the they really only exist to fill out Randy's world.

It's hard to tell whether the film is telling the story of Randy's tragic decline or triumphant comeback. The abrupt end to the film doesn't make it any easier to decide, but it doesn't really matter because his story is compelling no matter how you see it.

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

2008-09-07T20:05:00.005-04:00

This is mostly a film about a 1968 football game that ended unexpectedly. And as a film about a football game, I found it to be pretty entertaining (much more so than actually watching a game). What makes the film are the interviews, with the players who were there, that are interesting and often funny. There's also added entertainment through their descriptions of ivy league life in the 1960's.

JCVD

2008-09-05T20:58:00.004-04:00

JCVD at Midnight Madness. I can't think of a better way to have started my film festival experience this year.

Despite any reservations that people may have about seeing a Jean-Claude Van Damme film, this one is completely worth both the time and money spent. The audience (myself included) was laughing, cheering and completely captivated throughout the film. It was just a good film watching experience.

TIFF Tickets

2008-08-30T08:53:00.003-04:00

My ticket request has been processed and I got all the tickets I wanted! Yay!

No scrambling to the box office for me.

TIFF '08!

2008-08-28T10:02:00.007-04:00

The Toronto International Film Festival is fast approaching!

I have been attending the film fest regularly for the past couple years and this will be my second year volunteering for the festival as well. I have just completed and handed in my ticket requests last night, so here's hoping they all come through.

My Choices:

JCVD (The return of Jean-Claude Van Damme!)
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 (Documentary about a football game from 1968, featuring many celebrities and politicians who were students at the time.)
The Wrestler (Mickey Rourke as an aged, former professional wrestler)
Pontypool (Canadian, small town, zombies!)
Che: Parts 1 & 2 (Four hours of biopic fun.)
Good (A story about how a regular, good, German citizen could become a Nazi)
El Greco (Biopic about the famous painter.)
At The Edge of the World (Real life environmentalist pirates!)

Volunteering for the festival pays in ticket vouchers, so expect more films to be added to my list in the days to come.

Acting Professional Like

2008-07-11T15:49:00.002-04:00

My online CV and demo reel is finally up and running.
It will probably go through a million changes in the next little while, but it's up!

Check it out here.

Summer Birthday Season and the Art of Gift Wrap

2008-06-27T09:18:00.005-04:00

It's summer. In my family that means one thing; a never ending stream of birthdays. Aside from one cousin with an October birthday, and myself being a winter baby, everyone in my family was born in the summer. The birthdays start in May and just keep on truckin' til the end of August.

So with it being birthday season for me, I feel like I need to get something off my chest.

Here it goes.

I love giving gifts. Every part of it. I love searching out that perfect something that the giftee didn't even know they wanted til they got it. I love packaging gifts and making them a site to behold before being opened. And just love giving the gift.

As for wrapping gifts, I really do consider it a bit of an art. Nothing makes a gift more enticing and curiosity inducing than good gift wrap.

I usually base my gift wrapping decisions around a theme. I pick a starting point and design around it. Maybe the theme is just about what would suit the personality of the giftee, or it could be based on the event, or give hints to what's inside. I've even gone so far as to base my wrapping choice on the design of the card going with the gift. I know.. I'm insane... but I just like it that much.

I go all out in my gift wrapping and don't just get awesome paper or a bag, but also ribbon, bows and tissue paper. I feel the gift should look good and the best way I know to dress it up is in the accessories.

One example of awesome gift wrapping technique.
The card was equally obnoxious.

deviantART

2008-05-12T16:21:00.002-04:00

Check out my new deviantART page!

http://constancecreations.deviantart.com

Lost

2008-05-09T18:41:00.007-04:00

I haven't done this in a while. Please accept my apologies all around. But things have been happening over the past month (2 months?) that have kept me away. I'm still sorting things in my head and part of that, I've now decided, is getting everything out into words. I need a release, like loosening the top on a pressure cooker.

Full steam ahead.

March:

Phone call. It's my mom.

My grandpa has had a heart attack.

He's alive.

But he's in the hospital.

My mom is flying down to Florida the next day to stay with my grandma for as long as needed.

I keep my composure while on the phone, but start to cry as soon as I've hung up, trying to tell Andy what's happened.

I don't like crying. A part of me feels like it gives away too much. Like crying breaks down the connection between what you think and what you do. I'm usually even tempered in the most stressful of situations. I'm always ok. But when tears do break through I find it hard to stop. My body betrays me and I become compelled to cry.

After some time I settle down. I've refocused through laying down my tarot cards. While I don't take much stock in what they have to say, I find laying cards to be comforting. Like I've said, the cards allow me to focus. Think clearly. The physicality of shuffling and cutting the cards hovers between the need for concentration and pure habit. It makes for good meditation.

The cards predict a struggle, but keep hope.

My mother calls daily for the next 2 weeks with updates on my grandpa's condition.

He's still in the hospital and he's weak. The doctors do some tests. He needs to get triple bypass surgery. He goes under the knife. The surgery is a success. He's recovering. My mom heads back to Canada.

Another call. My mom's flying back to Florida. My grandpa has gotten an infection. It's called nocardia. It affects the brain, lungs, and skin. He will have to be on medication to treat it for the next year. There could be residual effects. Possible damage to his brain and lungs. He only has a 20% chance of making it through the year.

I hang up the phone and cry again. Less this time than before, but I am still overwhelmed.

April:

My grandparent's insurance company is preparing to send my grandpa back to Canada. There's no real plan yet. He could go to Hamilton or Toronto at a moment's notice. If he goes to Toronto my grandma will need somewhere to stay, and I'm the closest. My mom tells me to be ready to have my grandma stay with me. I tell her it's no problem and then immediately run to Ikea.

A couple days later it's confirmed. My grandparents will be flying back to Canada the that day. My Grandpa's going to Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto, my grandma will be staying with me. I call up my work, minutes before everyone has gone home, and tell them that I wot be in the next day... probably the next week and explain the situation. My boss quickly tells me not to worry, just let them know when I'll be coming back. Family must come first. Thank you Pierre.

My grandma arrives late that night and I have everything ready. My futon of a couch is turned down into a bed. It has fresh bedding and the quilt my grandma made for me on it. Anything to make her more comfortable sleeping in my living room.

The following day we go to the hospital to see my grandpa. It's a long way from Mississauga to the East end of Toronto so we decide that we will get a hotel room closer to the hospital after the weekend. It's a Friday.

The first time I see my grandpa lying in his hospital bed I feel like I've been hit by a truck. He looks like a shell of everything that he was. He looks twisted and overcome by pain. He smiles and says he's ok.

My grandpa has had severe rheumatoid arthritis for most of his adult life. He isn't a stranger to pain. He's had long term treatment with the steroid prednisone, but it can weaken the immune system. It has weakened his immune system. He can't be on it while fighting the infection. It makes his constant pain even worse. He can barely move.

For the next week my Grandma and I stay in Toronto. Andy is in Texas for work so it's just the two of us. We keep a nearly constant vigil by my grandpa's side. He doesn't want to eat or get up, but the doctors keep working with him. He has good days and bad days. He always says he's fine.

I've always felt close to my grandpa. We always shared an unspoken understanding of each other. While my grandma, mom, and sister have all been whirlwinds personified, my grandpa and I could never manage their level of constant excitement. We would quietly observed their frantic ways and silently laugh to each other. He would tell me long stories of his youth when no one else was around.

I watch my grandpa while he sleeps in his hospital bed. I attempt to complete sudoku puzzles but can't. I catch him watching me when he's awake. He rolls his eyes when my grandma putters around him. She doesn't notice. I manage to smile back.

The rest of my time is spent assuring and comforting my grandma. I keep her occupied. I get her to eat well, take breaks from his bedside, and translate what the doctor's tell us into a less scientific English.

By the end of the week my mom has returned from Florida after having packed up my grandparent's trailer. My grandma is comfortable staying in the hotel and getting to and from the hospital on her own so I decide that I need to get back home and back to work. My mom and sister come to Toronto to visit my grandpa and drive me home to Mississauga. I feel that coming back to my apartment will give me my first chance to breathe all week. Andy will be home later that night and I'm looking forward to sleeping in his arms, in our bed.

I enter my apartment. Things look out of place.

Why is there a bag in the middle of the floor?

Why are some of the kitchen cupboards open?

I pass our office.

Our computers are gone.

We've been broken into.

Things have been taken.

I'm frantic and and hurry around the apartment. My mind is trying to assess what is missing, and comprehend the situation as a whole. I collapse on my living room floor, a self imposed pause and breath, before running down to my superintendent's apartment and calling the police.

I'm a crying, shaking mess.

I call my mom and she says that she's turning her car around and will be there soon. I can't cal Andy. He's still in the air, flying back from Texas. I wait for my mom in the super's office. Still crying and shaking. I don't start to calm down til my mom and sister arrive and comfort me. We further assess what's missing and manage to get a hold of Andy. He takes the news much better than I did. We spend most of the night waiting for the police to arrive to get our statements and try to get as much sleep as we can.

I have to work the next day, Saturday, at my part-time, retail, job. There's a new woman working with me. I'm tired and have no patience for her, but I can't bring myself to tell her what I've been going through so I keep smiling.

Sunday morning. My phone rings. It's my mom.

My grandpa had another heart attack in the night.

He didn't make it.

He's gone.

I need to go to my sister's and pick her up. We'll all be meeting at my uncle's house after my mom and him get my grandma in Toronto. I cry again when I'm off the phone. But my crying isn't as hard. I'm don't know if it's because I've been preparing for this call for weeks, or if I just don't have anything left in me to cry out.

Andy and I pick up my sister and then head to my uncle's when we get word. When we get there my mom and grandma are both crying. Their tears come and go throughout the day. Later we drive to my grandma's house and more family converge there.

Monday I return to work. My throat is dry and sore throughout the day. I think I have a cold.

Tuesday I know I'm sick but I need to work. I've been away too long. The visitation is that night and I can't go home to rest. I go to the health centre at work and demand drugs from the nurses before leaving work. The visitation is full of I do and don't know. Family members and old friends of my grandpa. I survive the night by taking cold medicine, more than the recommended amount.

Wednesday morning is the funeral. I hold back tears throughout the ceremony. My hands are held in tight fists. They take the tension from the rest of my body. Squeezed tighter with ever look at the coffin. My grandmother and mother are both crying without restraint.

There's a gathering after the funeral. Everyone looks lighter and they share their stories of my grandpa.

On the drive home I'm quiet. Andy tries to talk, and at one point mentions how he's annoyed with my grandma having slighted him. She made a joke about his spending habits before we left. It takes all of my energy to not tell him to "Fuck off. Not today." I shrug it off instead. I'm too angry to say anything to him the rest of the way home and remain silent for most of the afternoon. He doesn't bring it up again, but we later talk. The rest of our night is quiet and I mostly read til I fall asleep.

Thursday I don't have to work. I'm home on my own. I do nothing all day except reflect on everything that's happened.

I've lost the closest person to a father that I've ever had. I'm having a hard time adjusting. I keep making mistakes with my tenses when I speak about him. Like my mind hasn't completed the connection between my grandfather and death. But I'm getting better.

My grandfather.

Happy...

2008-04-01T09:56:00.002-04:00

April Fools!

Triple Green Iced Tea

2008-03-30T18:07:00.004-04:00

This is a recent concoction of mine, inspired by the warmer weather I hope is on it's way, and the fantastic combination of mint and lime (and the Mojito!).

Ingredients:

12 cups Water
loose leaf Moroccan Mint Tea* (enough for 2, 6 cup, pots)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup lime juice

Method:

Boil 6 cups of water (this is as much at my kettle and tea pot will take).
Put some Moroccan Mint tea into a "tea ball" and drop into tea pot.
Fill the tea pot with the hot water and steep for 3-5 minutes.
Pour resulting tea into a jug.
Repeat with the rest of the water and tea.
Add the sugar and lime juice to the tea and refrigerate.
Enjoy your iced tea.

* Moroccan Mint tea is a combination of green tea, and mint (both peppermint and spearmint). Hence the Triple Green name for green tea, green mint, and green lime.

Earth Hour day's events

2008-03-29T22:12:00.005-04:00

I unofficially celebrated Earth Hour for the first time this year. I say unofficially because I wasn't at home for Earth Hour so, by default, all of my lights in my apartment were off anyway. In any case, here's a breakdown of my Earth Hour day's happenings.

5:30 am: Woke up to take birth control. Then went back to sleep.
(Yes, I wake up every morning at 5:30. It's the earliest time I get up throughout the week for work and, since it's disastrous when I try to regularly take a pill in the middle of the day, I keep myself in check by always doing it early.)

8:00 am: Alarm went off again. This time I got up and ready for work.

8:30 am: Prodded Andy to wake up.

9:00 am: Prodded Andy to wake up again. He's my Saturday ride to work so if he's late, I'm late.

9:45 am: Arrived at the bakery beside my work and supported their general awesomeness by buying a muffin and some juice for breakfast.
(This place is great, they knew my lunch order... roasted vegetable sandwich on ciabatta... and co-worker's lunch orders by heart after only a couple visits.)

10:00 am - 6:00 pm: "Worked" at one of two part time jobs, selling Apple computers at a reseller. It only pays minimum wage but is worth it for the only one day a week commitment and added perks including getting everything at cost, access to "Not For Resale" copies of software, and the most laid back atmosphere imaginable.

6:05 - 7:45pm: Went to Tim Horton's and then Chapter's with Andy. Purchased Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, the latest issue of BUST magazine, and the Veganomicon cookbook. I realized while in the checkout line that I probably looked like an indy stereotype, then shrugged, and paid for my books.

EARTH HOUR: Ate the best westernized Chinese food, made by actual Chinese people, that you can get at the Golden Dragon in Oakville. Their hot and sour soup makes visiting this place worth it all on it's own. Andy and I are somewhat regular customers, our first visits dating back 4 years to my first year at Sheridan College across the street. The owner and Andy also share a love for the Blackberry so our ordering process is always overshadowed by them talking about said device. The benefit of our loyal patronage is getting discounted (and some free) food with each visit.

9:00 pm: Rented Michael Clayton for viewing tomorrow night and headed home.

Nigella Express

2008-03-19T18:41:00.003-04:00

Another cookbook to explore!

First Ever Top Ten List

2008-03-13T17:03:00.013-04:00

Everyone has there own top tens in every category whether it be films, songs, places to go or anything else they can think of. Being inspired by all the lists out there, I've decided to start putting out my own monthly top tens starting with:

Top Ten (Fiction) Books

10. The Twits, Roald Dahl

The lives of the worst married couple you could ever imagine.
(I felt compelled to put a children's book in this list. And out of children's books, this is just about the greatest one.)

9. Pilgrim, Timothy Findley

About a man that can't die... but wants to.

8. The Hitchhiker Trilogy (in Five Volumes), Douglas Adams

Intergalactic mayhem.

7. The Gate to Women's Country, Sheri S. Tepper

A future where women live in peaceful towns, and men live in the surrounding badlands playing war games.

6. Life of Pi, Yann Martel

A boy is lost at sea for over 200 days... with a tiger.

5. Anthem, Ayn Rand

The experiences of one man in a future where individuality no longer exists.

4. A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess

An "ultraviolent" young thug is jailed, then volunteers for a radical rehabilitation program in exchange for reduced time.

3. Island, Aldous Huxley

A journalist travels to a secluded island utopia.

2. Self, Yann Martel

A boy miraculously turns into a woman on his eighteenth birthday.

1. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

A false utopia where everyone is "happy", but everything is trivial.

Organization Mayhem!

2008-03-13T15:38:00.004-04:00

I have to admit something.

Until last weekend, both my kitchen and my book collection were in disarray. I had no storage proper storage space for either my books or my dried food goods. My books were sitting in boxes, left in the dark since I moved into my apartment... last July. My dried goods were where ever they could fit, on top of the fridge, in barely accessible cupboards, and drawers intended for utensils. But no more.

I freed myself from the shenanigans of disorganization* by making a trip to Ikea and picked up two key pieces of furniture. They are a bookshelf, and metal kitchen shelf... organizer thing. My results are below.* Shenanigans include: rummaging through boxes, and climbing on counters to reach out of the way cupboards.

Vegetarian fried rice

2008-03-13T10:48:00.004-04:00

As seen in the picture above, this recipe is right out of Kylie Kwong's Simple Chinese Cooking. It's a fantastic fried rice recipe that cooks up in a couple minutes and is everything that fried rice should be, not too greasy or salty, has a confetti like mix of ingredients, and is a comfort food without feeling heavy. I do need to mention though, that while this recipe is vegetarian it contains eggs so it can't be called vegan. To create a vegan version I would replace the scrambled egg with firm tofu or, if you can find it, fried bean curd or "tofu puffs" which have a texture much closer to scrambled egg.

To make this you will need:

1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 cups steamed rice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 finely shredded Chinese (Napa) cabbage leaves
1 small carrot, peeled
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 small red onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander (cilantro) root and stems*
1 tablespoon finely diced ginger
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
100g fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps finely sliced
2/3 cup finely sliced spring (green) onions
2 teaspoons sea salt

Heat half the oil in a hot wok until surface seems to shimmer slightly, Pour Beaten eggs into wok and leave to cook on the base of the wok for 10 seconds before folding egg mixture over onto itself with a spatula and lightly scrambling for about 1 minute or until almost cooked through. Carefully remove omelette from wok with a spatula and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside.

Using a vegetable peeler, finely slice carrot lengthways into ribbons and then into a fine julienne.

Heat remaining oil in a hot wok and stir-fry onion, ginger, mushrooms, and salt for 1 minute. Add carrot, rice, cabbage, bean sprouts, coriander, soy sauce, and reserved omelette and stir fry for about 1 1/2 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the egg into smaller pieces while cooking. Lastly, toss in spring onions and stir fry for 30 seconds or until well combined and rice is heated through.

Transfer rice into a bowl and serve immediately.

*I leave out the cilantro due to my, previously mentioned, inability to enjoy it's taste.

Glass fridge magnets

2008-03-07T17:08:00.005-05:00

In an effort to make my fridge a little prettier I put together these magnets. They only took about 5 minutes to make and the materials cost $3.00 in total*. All you need are some small glass tiles, small magnets, and super glue (or hot glue gun, but I'm a super glue kind of girl). To put together the magnets just glue one magnet onto each tile, making sure that the "stronger" side of the magnet is facing outwards, and let dry. *I love the dollar store!

Triple Thick Smoothie

2008-03-04T22:02:00.011-05:00

This smoothie, thankfully, has no relation to Mc Donald's at all. It's actually a bit of an homage to the insanely intense smoothies you can get at Mr. B's in Port Dover, ON. The smoothies cost about $5 and consist of a literal pound of frozen fruit (your choice of mix, of course) and a bit of ice, pulverized into smoothie form with a gigantic, industrial, immersion blender. And that's it. There's no juice or milk, or yogurt. Just fruit and ice. The first time I ordered one I asked for raspberry, only raspberry. I think it almost killed me.

It's the greatest, freshest tasting smoothie you'll ever have. It's also almost impossible to drink through a straw... or drink under any means. It's so thick that you best ask for a spoon when you order this smoothie.

My home version of this is a little less intense, but only because I lack an industrial blender. This smoothie contains some frozen fruit mix, whatever amount fills your glass, and is topped up with some juice, in this case apple. Blend the whole thing until smooth, then add another handful of frozen fruit for added thickness and blend some more. Poor into a glass, and get yourself a spoon.

The unexpected meal.

2008-03-01T15:32:00.007-05:00

For almost a couple months now I've been making up weekly meal plans. I've really grown to love the meal plan system since it saves me the time of standing, blank faced, in my kitchen every night trying to decide what to make. The resulting grocery list for the meals is also very handy, both because it saves money, and it gives me the ability to delegate grocery shopping to Andy. So far it has been a great system with only one hiccup... the unexpected meal.

The Wednesday dish on my past week's meal plan was "Steamed fish and vegetables", so on the grocery list I included "fish" and an assortment of veg that would work in all of the meals I had planned. Andy went out and picked up all of the groceries on the list (salmon for the fish) and the early week meals went as planned. Then Wednesday evening rolled around.

About to make dinner, I reached into the freezer to pull out some salmon filets, and instead pulled out... smoked salmon. Smoked salmon. What was I going to do with smoked salmon?

At times like this, when I have an ingredient with no idea what to do with it, I like to turn to The Joy of Cooking for inspiration. So that's exactly what I did. I opened up the big book, turned to the index and found,

Salmon, Smoked:

Bagels and Lox "No, I have no bagels or cream cheese, and that is hardly a dinner"
_ and Egg Sandwiches "I don't enjoy egg sandwiches without smoked salmon"
Eggs with _ "What is this strange obsession with eggs and smoked salmon together?"
Spinach Fettuccine with Asparagus and _ "...I don't have those ingredients either, but pasta seems like a good direction to take"

So I whipped together a simple white sauce, threw in some broccoli, peas, parmesan cheese, and the smoked salmon and then tossed the whole thing with some cooked spaghetti noodles. Then I tasted it. And it was... pretty good! A dinner debacle was averted. And, in the end, I had fun with the challenge of coming up with a meal based on an ingredient I never use.

Reel Mind

2008-02-27T20:15:00.005-05:00

This is a quickly though up, and sketched, short film idea I came up with while riding the train home last night.

It starts on a woman, standing and thinking. The camera pulls in closer and closer to her, centering on her forehead.Random images start to form on her forehead. Like a projected screen.
*That's supposed to be a train. Seemed relevant at the time.

The camera keeps pulling in until it passed the projected forehead images, and reveals a person in her head operating a projector and switching films at high speed.
*Is that Woody Allen in her head?

Super Green Stir Fried Noodles!

2008-02-25T20:29:00.005-05:00

I made this green concoction after a weekend of partying. It had the taste of take out, the only thing that satisfies after long nights out, but the nutrition my body needed.Ingredients:

Spinach Noodles
Onion
Garlic
Chilli Pepper
Green Pepper
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Peas
Soy Sauce
Hoisin Sauce
Water
Corn Starch

Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water.
Chop up the vegetables while the noodles are cooking.
Drain the noodles once they are tender and set aside.
Stir fry the veg, starting with onions, garlic and chilli, then add in the rest of the vegetables along with the sauces.
After about a minute, toss in the noodles and continue to stir.
Add in the water and corn starch to thicken the sauce as desired.
Spoon into a bowl and eat!

*I really can't get enough of these spinach noodles!

Fresh vegetable and noodle soup

2008-02-24T21:06:00.006-05:00

This soup is incredibly satisfying while still being good for you. To make it, I thinly sliced some garlic, chili pepper, red pepper and shitake mushroom, and trimmed the ends off of a bunch of snap peas. I then put a pot of vegetable stock on a burner to heat. Once the stock had started to boil I added the vegetables as well as some spinach noodles, more on those later. While everything was cooking away I shredded some Chinese cabbage and set it aside. Once the noodles were cooked (about 4-5 minutes) I scooped out the noodles and vegetables, using a slotted spoon, and put them into a bowl. I then topped it off with the shredded cabbage and poured some hot stock over the whole thing. Since the noodles and vegetables only cook for a short time they don't get too soft, and adding the cabbage right at the end makes sure that it stays nice and crunchy while you eat.

As for the noodles, they are something really special in my opinion. While living in Singapore a couple years ago I came across somthing called "White Jade Noodles" that are a simple, light, noodle made from white flour. They were my absolute favourite addition to quick soups and the occasional stir fry, being more soft and tender than a rice noodle but without the fried taste of most Chinese noodles. And then I came back to Canada and couldn't find anything like them anywhere, and trust me, I have been looking. Then a couple days agon I stumbled upon some spinach noodles in a local grocery store that looked startlingly similar to white jade noodles. Upon reading the ingredients I found that they were almost the same, save for the addition of spinach, and snatched them up on the spot. As hoped, the noodles cooked up just the same as I remembered and I will be making a trip to the store, soon, to stock up on these in case they become scarce.

*These noodles even come pre-devided into individual serving sizes!

Stir fried pork with orange

2008-02-21T22:11:00.004-05:00

This is a tasty stir fry I cooked up yesterday. The sauce is a combination of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, an orange sauce for barbecuing, some orange juice, and some water and corn starch to thicken. I also went all out with the vegetables. In the wok are snap peas, broccoli, shitake mushrooms, a red pepper, and some Chinese cabbage thrown in right at the end. I had planned on picking up some bok choy when I got groceries this week, but none of it was looking too great. So the Chinese cabbage became my substitute and works just as well in my opinion.

Hot Chocolate

2008-02-20T17:46:00.006-05:00

Hot Chocolate:

1 teaspoon cocoa
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup milk

Pour cocoa and sugar into a saucepan. Slowly whisk in milk, avoiding getting any lumps. Heat on a stove, over medium heat, til the cocoa just starts to bubble. Pour into a mug and enjoy!

You can also try this with a pinch of cayenne pepper or nutmeg. Marshmallows or whipped cream are always welcome.

*Increase amount of ingredients based on number of people.

Crispy squid

2008-02-20T08:01:00.004-05:00

Last night, I tried out a recipe from Nigella Lawson's Express called "Crispy squid with garlic mayonnaise." I had to make a couple changes though, since I had neither cornflour or semolina for the coating I used regular flour and corn meal instead. I also made a chilli and lime mayonnaise instead of a garlic mayonnaise because... why not?
The squid still turned out crispy and tasty. And, to make the meal feel more complete I served it with a big leafy salad.

You can find the - actual - recipe here.

Spinach risotto

2008-02-17T14:11:00.003-05:00

The standard risotto recipe, with almost half a kilogram of cooked and pureed spinach added.Maybe too much spinach?

Shepherd's (chicken) pie

2008-02-16T22:55:00.004-05:00

I used the basic shepherd's pie recipe out of the classic Joy Of Cooking for this, just substituting the ground lamb the recipe calls for with ground chicken. Some other minor changes were made, including adding peas (who doesn't like peas... except my mom's dog Elmo - he hates peas), and extra seasoning to the broth.

If you don't want to spend the time waiting for the pie to bake in the oven, do what my mom did when I was a kid. Make the required mashed potatoes and meet filling, then spoon both into a bowl* and serve. My mom called it "hamburg stew" and it was delicious.

*My sister preferred the hamburg and sauce spooned right over top of the potatoes, while I preferred a potato mountain with hamburg moat - the better for making mashed potato caves.

I "Heart" Chocolate Chip Cookies!

2008-02-14T18:18:00.005-05:00

In honour of Valentines Day, I picked up some heart shaped cookie cutters from my local dollar store and decided to test them out with my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe.This recipe comes from Anna Olsen's Sugar and, in my opinion, is the perfect recipe. I love my chocolate chip cookies to stay chewy and the inclusion of corn starch in the dough keeps them that way. To make these cookies you will need:

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teasp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teasp corn starch
1 teasp baking soda
½ teasp salt
8 oz choc chips

Method

Preheat Oven to 350 F.
Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown around the edges.

For heart shaped cookies, I pressed some dough into the smaller of my cutters onto the baking sheet. These cookies have enough butter in them that the dough easily released from the mold by lightly pressing down while lifting the cutter.

*Because these are "dropped" cookies instead of a rolled cookie they required a bit of additional shaping, using the end of a spoon, right out of the oven while still soft.

Stir fried firm tofu and veg

2008-02-14T13:15:00.003-05:00

A lazy, good for you meal. All you need to do is slice up some firm tofu and vegetables of your choice (I used onion, garlic, ginger, red pepper, carrots, and broccoli) as thin as you can make them. Then stir fry everything in a super hot wok in a bit of oil and suitable sauce mixture. This time I used soy sauce, hoisin sauce, a quick splash of rice vinegar, and some veggie stock mixed up with some corn starch to thicken. Serve over rice or noodles.

Tomato and spinach spaghetti carbonara

2008-02-13T13:06:00.007-05:00

This isn't a traditional carbonara by any means, but I feel at has enough similarities to still be called one. To make the pasta I cut a handful of grape tomatoes into halves, minced one clove of garlic and tore up a couple handfuls of baby spinach. I then whisked up two eggs with a splash of cream and a handful of grated parmesan cheese, along with a bit of sea salt and black pepper. I did this while cooking up a pot of spaghetti. Once the pasta was cooked, and drained, I tossed the vegetables and garlic into the pot and mixed around til the spinach started to wilt. I put the whole thing back on medium heat on the stove and poured in the egg and cheese mixture and continued to stir. The eggs only need about a minute on some heat to coat the pasta and cook. To finish, season with some more salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Really simple and satisfying!

Stir fried beef with oyster sauce

2008-02-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

Last night I tried out a recipe for beef with oyster sauce that I got from Kylie Kwong's Simple Chinese Cooking, which you can find here.

I didn't use as much beef, and added in mushrooms and broccoli instead of the green onion. I also used a bit more oyster sauce and thickened the sauce with about half a cup of water and some corn starch. The stir fry turned out mighty tasty, served on top of some jasmine rice.

I felt that!

2008-02-10T09:43:00.000-05:00

This is my first attempt at creating felt at home, along with instructions on how I did it.

Supplies that you will need include, 100% raw wool (called wool silver or fleece), sushi mat or bamboo blinds, spray bottle or watering can, and soap.
Lay out any desired pattern for the finished felt on the bamboo mat, using wool or other feltable fibres.
Once you have a design you like, cover it with several layers of wool in your base colour or colours. Your layers should cross each other in opposing directions to encourage the felting process.
Move your bamboo mat and wool to a sink or bathtub. Fill your spray bottle or watering can with slightly soapy water. Wet the wool with the soapy water.
Roll up the wet wool in the bamboo mat. To keep the bamboo roll secure you can place an elastic band around the outside. Applying pressure, roll the bamboo "package" along the bottom of your sink about 30 times. Unroll the package, and roll it back up from the opposite end of the bamboo mat. Press and roll the bamboo another 30 times.
Unroll the bamboo. You should now have a "pre-felt" which is strong enough to pick up as one piece. Turn the pre-felt over and repeat the process of rolling, changing direction, and flipping. Wet the felt with more soapy water if needed, alternating between hot and cold water, to speed up the felting process. You will know that the felt is strong enough to stop the rolling process, once you can pinch the surface of the felt and not grab individual fibers. The finished felt will have shrunk considerably from the size you originally laid out.
Remove your newly made felt from the bamboo roll and place on a flat, shaded, surface to dry. Since wool has a "memory", and will remain in the shape that it is dried in until whetted again, you do not want to hang the felt to dry over a line or pinned to anything. Once the felt is dry it can be cut or sewn into anything you want.

Butternut squash risotto

2008-02-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

Since the roasted chicken and butternut squash recipe I made recently only called for a quarter of a squash per person, I had half of a butternut squash n my fridge needing to get eaten. My solution, make risotto!

Like any other risotto, I just followed the basic recipe. To make this a butternut squash risotto I cut the half squash into small pieces and added it to the risotto at the same time as the onion. By the time the rice was cooked, the squash was also nice and soft but still in chunks. To get a totally creamy risotto I would have pre cooked the squash in the oven before adding it to the rice.

Rice Pudding!

2008-02-07T11:08:00.000-05:00

The weather outside was absolutely horrible yesterday so I decided to make up some rice pudding as comfort food rebellion. To make rice pudding you will need:

3/4 cup rice (I used short grain, but medium or long grain work too)
1 1/2 cups water
dash of salt
4 cups milk (I used skim milk as it is my preference, but feel free to use whatever you have)
1/2 cup sugar
handful or 2 of raisins
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg

Combine the water, rice and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes (or until the water has been absorbed. Stir in the milk and sugar and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. At this point, add the raisins, vanilla, ground cinnamon and nutmeg to taste and continue to cook over medium heat for another 10 to 20 minutes. You want the rice and milk to look like a thick porridge. Be careful that you don't over cook the mixture though, or else you will get a solid mass of rice instead of a creamy pudding once it cools. Pour the whole thing into a large bowl, or individual bowls, cover with plastic wrap (pressed down onto the pudding to prevent a skin) and leave in the fridge to set. Serve garnished with a sprinkle or cinnamon.

Last night my boyfriend Andy and I ate some almost immediately after it was finished cooking, giving it enough time so that it had started to set but just enough so that it was still pleasantly hot. I usually eat rice pudding cold but I knew that wasn't an option when Andy started hanging around the kitchen for "no reason" shortly after I had put the pudding in the fridge.

Roasted chicken with creamy butternut squash and chilli

2008-02-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

This is another roasted chicken recipe out of Jamie Oliver's Cook With Jamie.

It came out incredibly well with the chicken cooked just right and the squash being creamy, just as promised.
You can find the recipe here.

Sweet corn & chicken soup

2008-02-06T08:44:00.000-05:00

This is the first recipe that I've tried from my newest cookbook, Simple Chinese Cooking written by Kylie Kwong, and man was it ever good. To make the soup you need:

4 cobs sweet corn
1 small white onion
1 garlic clove
5 cm knob ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup shao hsing wine or dry sherry
7 cups chicken stock
200g chicken breast cut widthways into 1 cm slices
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 egg, lightly beaten
1 finely sliced spring onion

Her directions for making the soup are as follows:

Remove kernels from corn cobs by running a sharp knife down the sides of each cob - you should have about 3 cups of corn kernels. Peel and finely dice onion and garlic. Peel ginger and cut into thin slices and then into fine strips (julienne) - you should have about 2 tablespoons ginger julienne.
Heat oil in a medium sized heavy based pot and saute onion, ginger, garlic, and salt for 1 minute. Add wine or sherry and simmer for a further minute or until liquid has reduced by half. Stir in corn and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes. During the cooking time you may need to skim the surface of the soup to remove any impurities.
Stir through chicken and soy sauce and simmer for a further minute. Lower heat and slowly pour in beaten egg into soup in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a fork. Remove the soup from the stove as soon as you see the egg forming fine "ribbons".
Serve soup in bowls and garnish with spring onions.

"Steamed" fish with chili and lime

2008-02-04T20:02:00.000-05:00

This fish isn't steamed in the traditional sense but it's close enough. I call this fish steamed because by cooking the fish sealed up with some liquid in a hot oven, the fish will cook in the trapped steam from the liquid. So even though it's cooked in an oven the fish stays light and moist and doesn't dry out at all.

To make the fish I chopped up some garlic, ginger and a chili pepper and tossed them into a baking dish lined with foil. I then halved one lime and squeezed it's juice into the dish followed by another lime cut into a couple pieces. For the steaming liquid (and later sauce) I poured in a glug of white wine, some soy sauce, and a couple drops of fish sauce*. To finish, I put the two fish fillets in the dish and spooned over a but of the liquid and other stuff then seasoned the whole thing with some salt and pepper before sealing up the dish with some more foil. I cooked the fish in the oven at 450°F for about 18 minutes since it was frozen, but I would give less time if it were fresh. I then served the fish over some rice (and seaweed for extra nutrients) and spooned some of the sauce over the whole thing.

*Make sure to only use a couple drops of fish sauce. It's pungent!

Groundhog Day

2008-02-02T12:42:00.001-05:00

iPod Cozies

2008-02-01T17:26:00.000-05:00

These iPod cases are really simple to put together and cost pennies to make. For a pocket or sleeve style cozy: cut a piece of felt that is the size of 2 iPods, lengthwise, and one iPod wide plus a little extra felt for the seem. Stitch some felt cutouts onto what will become the front of the case, fold the felt in half and stitch the sides together using a basic blanket stitch.

I've made a couple variations with fabric lining, button closures, multiple layers for pockets, and a hole on the bottom to allow for easy iPod charging. I made the more complicated Owl case by creating a template from a preexisting case. The best part about the cozies is that the felt is so soft, it wont scratch your iPod at all.

Nothing to do but get crafty!

2008-02-01T09:53:00.000-05:00

I got to work today just in time to find out that the college was closed due to the "inclement weather". Thanks should go out to the college for not making this decision until 7:45am - I start work at 8am - and real thanks should go out to Tim Hortons for not closing until all the bewildered students and staff were able to get coffee and baked goods.

Now that I'm back home, it's time to get crafty.

Leek & Potato Soup

2008-01-31T11:54:00.000-05:00

I have leek and potato soup for dinner at least once a week, it's just that good. It takes almost no time and effort, and freezes really well so heated up leftovers taste just as good as when you first made it.

To make leek and potato soup I just use an equal number of leeks and baking potatoes, a bit of butter or olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and enough vegetable stock and/or water to cover everything once it's in a pot. Cut the tough, dark green tops off of the leeks so you're left with the tender white and light green parts only. Slice the roots off the end of the leeks and slice down the middle of them lengthwise. This will let you clean the leeks really well since they grow in sand that seems to enjoy getting in between the many layers of the leek. Once they are well cleaned, slice them into smaller pieces and saute in the butter or olive oil on low heat for about 10 minutes. You want the leeks to get soft but don't let them brown.

While the leeks are getting soft, clean and thinly slice the baking potatoes. Purists would tell you that the potatoes should be peeled but that sound like more work to me, besides, a lot of the nutrients in a potato are just under the skin of the potato as well so I like to think of not peeling as the healthier option. Once your leeks are soft, throw in the sliced potatoes and stock/water. Bring the whole thing to a boil and then cover and let simmer until the potatoes are cooked (about 20 minutes).

I puree the soup at this point with an immersion blender that I have, so I can blend it right in the pot but you can blend it in a traditional blender or just mash of the potatoes by hand and leave the soup chunky as well. Add some salt and pepper to taste (with emphasis on the pepper) and thin the soup with either water or milk if needed.

One more thing that I add that is completely optional is a cup or two of corn after the soup is already pureed. I added it one day on a whim and it was so good that it's now a regular addition to my soup. The sweet corn goes really well with the leeks and potatoes and it gives the soup a bit more of a rustic, hearty feel.

Fish Curry

2008-01-29T20:53:00.001-05:00

More yellow food!
This recipe is nice and light while still keeping the "comfort food" feeling that I love about curries. Tamarind paste, if you can get it, will give the curry a great tangy flavour but if you can't get a hold of any I've substituted with tamarind sauce or a little lemon juice and brown sugar. Neither are quite the same, with the tamarind sauce being close, but both substitutions will provide a bit of an edge to the curry.

Ingredients:

any white fish fillets, cut into chunks
vegetable or fish stock
coconut milk
tamarind paste
onion
garlic
ginger
fresh, long, red chillies or red pepper flakes
turmeric
ground cumin
ground coriander
veg. oil
vegetables of your choice (I used cauliflower and snow peas in this one but I've also tried red pepper, bok choy or spinach, and even sweet potato)

To make the curry, finely slice the onion, garlic, ginger and red chili and lightly fry in a bit of oil. Add the spices (2 tbsp. turmeric and 1 tsp. each of the cumin and coriander) and fry for another minute. Then add about 2 tbsp. tamarind paste (diluted in a little hot water), one can of coconut milk and 1-2 cups of stock. Let everything simmer for around 15 minutes and then right before you want to eat drop in the fish and vegetables and simmer for another minute or two until the fish is just cooked.

*If you are using vegetables that take longer to cook, like cauliflower or sweet potato, add them to the curry before the fish based on cooking time.

*For a vegan curry just replace the fish with tofu or lentils (just give the lentils enough time to cook in the curry so they will be soft).

Roasted chicken with lemony Bombay potatoes.

2008-01-28T21:24:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes right out of Jamie Oliver's newest cookbook - Cook With Jamie. It is one of four recipes that you can find here, that are all "Roasted chicken breast with... something." So far the two that I've tried (this one and another with asparagus and cherry tomatoes) have come out of the oven looking great and tasting better! The only changes that I made to the lemony potatoes was leaving out the ginger since I didn't have any on hand. I also exchanged the fresh cilantro with ground coriander. I would say that I did this because I don't have fresh cilantro (which is true) but the real reason is because I'm one of the people out there that just can't stand the taste of cilantro leaves. They taste like what I would imagine dish detergent to taste like and coriander (cilantro in seed form) doesn't taste like soap.
That aside, I highly recommend the book - and the recipes - to anyone looking to add to their collection of cook books* or to introduce yourself to real food.
*I have a collection of cookbooks.

Vegan Noodle Bowl

2008-01-27T12:24:00.001-05:00

This is a bastardized version of all the proper noodle bowls you can get around South East Asia. It's quick and tasty and filling and good for you!
I just plunk some cooked noodles (rice noodles to keep the vegan factor) into a bowl. Top them with cooked tofu and assorted veg (raw or cooked) and pour some steaming veggie broth, livened up with some chili and lime juice, over the whole thing. Sprinkle some green onion and maybe some more chili peppers on top just before eating.
Then attempt to eat noodles with chop sticks.

Mushroom Risotto

2008-01-25T20:48:00.000-05:00

This is another really easy meal...but it takes more time and attention. All you need to make a risotto is some onion, rice, stock, white wine, and butter/olive oil. The next thing to remember is 3 parts stock to 1 part rice and 1/2 glass wine for every cup of rice. So, if your using 2 cups of rice, you need 6 cups of stock and 1 glass of wine.

To make a basic risotto, sautee some chopped onion with a bit of butter/olive oil. Once the onions start to go clear add the rice and stir wile it continues cooking til the rice turns opaque. Add your wine and stir (Yes! Keep stirring! This is the effort part of making risotto.) Once the mixture starts to look thick, add a ladle full of stock and repeat the process of stirring and ladling every time the risotto gets thick again. You'll know the risotto is done once it is al dente (soft but still slightly chewy).

For mushroom risotto just add a bunch of sauteed mushrooms about halfway through the ladling process. Once the risotto is al dente chuck in a knob of butter and a hand full or two of parmesan cheese...the real stuff...not the powdered stuff. Then stir AGAIN so that the cheese and butter are combined and the risotto looks creamy.

Thursday Night Pasta

2008-01-24T21:44:00.000-05:00

Thursday nights are usually my laziest. I don't get home til late and I'm usually the only one home so I never feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. This week I used my lazy night cooking to clear out the fridge of some things that needed to get used up. They made a tasty pasta dish that is ready in 20 minutes or less.

Ingredients:

Pasta (frozen tortellini in this case)
Scallops (also frozen, and optional)
Mushrooms
Cherry Tomatoes
Baby Spinach
Garlic
Olive Oil
White Wine
Pesto (or Basil)
Salt & Pepper

Heat salted water in a large pot and add the pasta once it comes to a boil. While the water is heating up, mince the garlic, slice the mushrooms, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Heat the olive oil in a pan with the garlic. Add the mushrooms and fry for a couple minutes. Add the scallops, tomatoes, white wine, and spoonful pesto. When the pasta is finished cooking, strain, reserving a ladle full of the water and add to the sauce. Combine the pasta and spinach with the sauce and heat until the spinach is wilted. Pepper to taste (you don't need any more salt since the pasta water has enough). Relax and enjoy!

Funky iPod and Laptop skins

2008-01-24T11:18:00.000-05:00

This doesn't count as a creation of mine at all, but I found a site that sells some neat iPod and laptop skins and figured it was worth passing on.

The site is gelaskins.com. Most of the artwork I've looked at so far is from Canadian artists and a skin like the one displayed os only $15! They're selling in a bunch of locations around the globe or you can order right from there site. For anyone that has an iPhone or iPod Touch you can also download wallpaper for your device to match your chosen skin.

Maybe best of all... they're removable! So no worrying about permanently changing the face of your laptop or iPod.

Introductions

2008-01-24T10:58:00.000-05:00

Everyday I make something. Even if it's only dinner, at the end of the day I've always created something. So this blog is a place for me to stockpile all those creations. Everything from artwork to crafty projects to the previously mentioned dinner. Feel free to try out some of the stuff yourself and give feedback in general.

Enjoy.

Connie