Hot Cranberry Sage Sipper

Now that the craziness of Christmas has passed, we are settling back into some sort of normal around here.  My heart is full of gratitude for the love and kindness of both family and friends both near and far.  There is no greater gift than knowing you are loved and valued.  Spending time together and creating memories is a wonderful gift that I cherish every year.  Although Skype plays a hand in making some of those memories, it is the time taken to converse, laugh and reminisce that matters most.

Roasted Yellow Pepper Red Lentil Soup

We are stormed in today here in the Kale Eats kitchen.  The roads are covered with ice and our plans for a family Christmas cancelled.  Luke was quite sad that we couldn't make the trip to visit family, stating that he just didn't feel festive without this tradition.  In a spirit of making the best out of a free day at home I suggested we head to the kitchen together.  The kids plan to make some Christmas cookies but I thought we'd start with a healthy soup.

5 Spice Poached Pear and Beet Salad

It's freezing here in Kale Eats country and I wouldn't have it any other way!  Think I've lost my marbles?  Let me explain.  Our backyard is home to a large ice rink, lovingly built and maintained by Don, year after year.  In fact, I think this is our seventh year with a rink of some sort.  While this sounds very quaint and idyllic, the reality is both hard work (done entirely by Don) and a lot of worrying (also done entirely by Don).  Will it be cold enough to freeze?  Is there a leak in the liner?  Is the ground level enough that the water doesn't need to be too deep?  Friends, this is my entire winter.  The weather channel is constantly being checked, with the long range forecast a beholden sight.  Should Mother Nature alter her course, it's possible swearing occurs.

Cranberry Orange Quinoa Loaf

Old friends are the souls that connect us to our past and keep us rooted in the future.  I had the pleasure of lunching with an old pal today for her birthday.  A mother to four busy kids, she is quite the remarkable woman.  I delivered lunch to her home (kale salad and rutuabaga soup) and this loaf for dessert.  We lunched, we caught up and mostly we basked in a quiet hour for two busy moms to reflect on the journey of parenting, marriage and our own happiness.

Beet & Sweet Potato Soup

Going to work everyday is never going to be my favourite thing to do.  I'd happily stay home with my kids and give back to the community in different ways if it were up to me.  Unfortunately for me, the life we have built relies on me bringing home a pay cheque and thus my dreams of baking muffins every morning and feeding the homeless go unrealized.  Truthfully, if I must work, I am exactly where I want to be.  Surrounded by amazing co-workers and a job that both challenges and satisfies me, I have no reason to complain.

Marmalade Loaf

The longer I am away from this space, the harder it is to return.  With no profound reason for my absence it feels difficult to jump back in and start sharing.  There have been plenty of wonderful meals consumed, many that would fit well in this space, but somehow my hands haven't made it to the keyboard to share.  As I pondered how to break this silence, I realized there may never be a good reason to be gone and perhaps it is best to just jump back in.  So welcome back to all of you and I hope we can meet here a little more often in the weeks to come.  There are so many cozy winter recipes to share, not to mention some holiday cheer!