Morocan Carrot and Lentil Soup

In February of 1998, I went to an Oscars party at the Hard Rock Cafe with some coworkers.  It was the first time I watched all the nominated films in advance.  I wanted to look like I knew what I was talking about.  When I ran out of people to watch movies with, I started seeing the films on my own.  What a revelation that was!  Movies could be enjoyed by yourself.  I was young and hadn't sorted out my own comfort or interests.  It was the beginning of something very special.  It helped that the films nominated that year were relatively mainstream: Titanic, Good Will Hunting, L.A. Confidential, As Good As It Gets and The Full Monty.

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.

Sweet Potato Salad Wrap

Have you entered the 100th post giveaway yet?  You still have a few days to leave a comment and win an amazing cookbook.  In the meantime, let's talk sweet potato salad wraps.  When it comes to trying new foods, I like to think I have a good eye for what makes a tasty recipe.  Even without a picture, I like to believe I know whether something is worth making or how it might need to be tweaked for success.  Sometimes, I am wrong.

Roasted Vegetable Hemp Seed Lasagne

A few years ago I was out for a walk when a car pulled up beside me.  I was certain the driver's next words would be: where is the gas station? funeral home? arena?  Living in a small town right off a highway means people end up here looking for staples.  Even if they've come to town intentinally, some landmarks  are not easily found.  A river runs through the town and so the streets are not a grid and some streets start on one side of the river and continue on the other.  It's not uncommon to give directions to any of these places and I was ready and willing to happily direct them.  However, on this day, the driver instead said to me: are you Josilin's mom?  Panic sank in.  What emergency was going on at my home that this random stranger had been sent out to find me? 

Rutabaga Apple Soup

I am a fan of the underdog.  Whether you're the formerly homeless NFL player, the first openly gay premier or a visible minority on a reality show- I've got your back.  I'm not sure when this fascination started, but it's been a long standing part of my personality.  In my twenties it was actually a friend who pointed it out to me.  We were watching Survivor and she said, "don't tell me who you're cheering for.  I know already.. it's the African American girl."  (It was).   Most days my hopes and dreams for the little guy comes in handy in my line of work.  I worry about people's lives and advocate when I think they can't do it for themselves. 

Almond, Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Greens Soup

Every winter I host a soup party.  Much like a cookie exchange, the women invited bring containers of soup to send home with participants.  We spend the night sampling all the soups over wine and laughter.  At the end of the night, each lady leaves with a basket full of soup to fill her freezer and hopefully, keep her warm til winter ends.

Sweet Potato "Crostini" topped with Black Beans

What do you take as an appetizer to a party the first week of January?  No one wants your cheese topped crostini or decadent brownies.  NO, they want tasty food without a lot of calories. Suddenly everyone is watching what they eat, when just a week ago, the thought didn't even cross their mind.

Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup

It was a dear friend's birthday last week.  She is an amazing mother of four children and a true friend to me for the last twenty years.  I volunteered to bring lunch to her home to celebrate the big day.  With an 18month old underfoot, it's sometimes easier to avoid fancy-shmancy restaurants.  With the other three children at school, she put the big guy down for a nap and we settled in to this tasty soup.

Cauliflower, Chickpea and Potato Curry

 This is a tale of two curries.  This past week as the weather cooled, the kitchen heated up.  Seeking out comforting  fall dishes, I ended up making two different curry dishes.  One was my favourite.  The other was Don's.  So today I will post one favourite and in the days to come the other.  I'm so tempted to say which I think is best, but am hoping perhaps some of you will comment to tell me which one you like best.  There is no doubt, both are simple, tasty and nourishing.

Sweet Potato Muffins

The other night I was tucking Josilin into bed and I snuggled up for a bit of a cuddle.  I'm well aware that the days are fleeting when she might want me to be hanging out in her room and chatting so I try to grab these opportunities as much as I can lately.  As we lay there talking about her day she leaned over and said "I love the way you smell mommy." 

Cauliflower Curry with Rhubarb Chutney

I've been single parenting for two weeks now.  Don's out of town on business and so it's just me and the two darlings.  Whenever this happens, I am forever in awe of the real single moms out there.  It is a huge job they take on every day.  I have been so exhausted with him absent and my desire to step into the kitchen wanes.  We will be thrilled to see Don return this weekend, but in the meantime I still want to eat good, wholesome food. Finding the time to make such a meal required a little more creativity than usual.

Sweet Potato Torte

Becoming a mother is without a doubt the best thing that has happened in my life.  It didn't start out quite so smoothly.  I suspect when my friends learned I was expecting there were a few fears that I may not succeed.  In my single days I was notorious for weekends of sleeping in til noon, waking to pick up the paper from my front step, only to then recline on the couch and read for a few hours.

Bell Pepper & Sweet Potato Soup

I have had a few requests for more soup recipes on this site, but I've not been too keen to oblige.  Don't get me wrong, I think I eat more soup than the average person.  With the unseasonably warm spring we've had, it's been tempting to eat a lot more salads.

Southwest Sandwich

My poor mother.  My entire childhood I proclaimed: I hate sandwiches!  Not a single one made it into my lunch she lovingly made me everyday.  I turned my nose up at them at friends' homes, wedding showers, birthday parties, family picnics and everywhere in between.  I'm not sure I even tried a sandwich before deciding I hated them.

Hand Pies for Haiti

As word spread that my Recipe to Riches journey had landed me in the top 5 in my category, so did the requests to try the product.  Many offers were made from people to purchase the pies, but I really had no interest in making a profit from these.  Creating dishes has always been about the exploring and the first taste - not mass production!  For one time only, I decided to make the hand pies to give away, while asking friends to make a donation to a worthy cause.