Tags, Wins and Acquisitions

Today is house cleaning day - so to speak. I must apologize for getting so far behing and I'm sure there's more to catch up on but this should bring me pretty close.

First and foremost:

HAPPY JULY 4TH TO ALL OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS


Anne at Cooking with Anne was sponsoring a pretty interesting cookbook giveaway a while back and I decided to enter. I'm always intrigued by chefs who work towards combining foods and techniques that work towards healthier eating. Charlie Ayers book Food 2.0 - Secrets from the Chef who fed Google interested me. I'm one of those people who never win anything - until now - imagine my surprise!!! Charlie's book is packed with really interesting information about food selection and use as well as of course, the recipes. Anne was so generous - after the fact
she found out that this contest was only open to U.S. residents. When I won,
she took it upon herself to make sure I got it. Thank you Anne - I would have understood and how decent was that of you. I'm very appreciative.

Just look at what I won!!!





When I found this article in the NY Times I thought it was pertinent enough to Charlie Ayers philosophy of living a healthier life.

I decided to try his recipe for beets and what can I say - it's delicious.




Beets with Bacon and Crumbled Blue Cheese

Ingredients

4 slices of uncured applewood-smoked bacon
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Red Onion, halved and sliced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
4 Tbsp Banyuls or sherry vinegar
3 Large, fresh cooked beets, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tsp unrefined granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian parsley leaves

Directions

1. Cook the bacon in a nonstick saute pan until crisp. Remove from the pan, drain on paper towels, and roughly break up. Set aside



(here I roasted them rather than cook them)

2. Remove all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon fat from the pan, then add the olive oil and heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring until lightly golden, 2-3 minutes. Add the spices and vinegar and then the beets. Toss gently until they are hot, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and season to taste.

3. Spoon the beets onto two plates. Sprinkle the bacon on top followed by the crumbled blue cheese and then the chopped parsley. Serve with whole grain bread.

Notes: I roasted the beets rather than cooked them. I found that this brings out a) more of the flavour of the beet and b) didn't need additional sugar at all.
I also didn't use the flat leaf parsley only because I didn't have any but found this recipe really fulfilling just as it was.





Here's the latest installment of recent acquisitions:

Because my camera was such an outdated "piece of metal" as Psychgrad calls it - she and Actor Boy teamed up and for Mother's Day bought me this camera:

I love it and it'll take me a lifetime to figure out all the features. I'm such a lucky mom.

Elle at Feeding My Enthusiasm passed on this meme several days ago and I apologize for taking this long to get to it. Here we go...


1) LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATRE?

Sex in the City and I loved it. I love the cosmos but forget the stilettos - I'd kill myselef.

2) WHAT BOOK ARE U READING?

Loving What Is by Byron Katie


3) FAVORITE BOARD GAME?

Pictionary - I love watching competitive people go crazy


4) FAVORITE MAGAZINE?

Canadian Living


5) FAVORITE SMELLS?

Clean linen, Dulce & Gabanna, Honeysuckle when it's in bloom, Freesia

6) FAVORITE SOUNDS?

Kids laughing, The sound of a slot machine when it's paying you a jackpot


7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?

Helplessness


8) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?

I better let the dogs out before I find a mess in the house

9) FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?

I don't eat fast food but Starbucks works for me


10) FUTURE CHILDS NAME?

If there's a child (of mine) in my future, just pass the rusty blade (no offense Psychgrad - I put in my time)


11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D......

1 Make sure everyone in my family was well taken care of.
2. Pack my bags and become Shirley Valentine
3. Adopt alot of kids in 3rd world countries

by this time I'm sure I'll be broke.


12) DO U DRIVE FAST?

Not usually


13) DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?

I have one stuffed animal and 2 dogs on my bed.


14) STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?

Storms are cool until the dogs start shaking and crying


15) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?

A 1952 Rolls CanHarley (it rolls down one hill and can hardly make the next)

16) FAVORITE DRINK?

Morning coffee, then water


17) FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…

Do everything I don't have the time to do - read a book from start to finish without worrying about what I have to do next.


18) DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?

Nope


19) IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?

Probably mahogany - but people already think I'm crazy enough

20) NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN?

Uppsala, Sweden
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Montreal, Quebec
Jerusalem, Israel
Toronto, Ontario

21) FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Baseball, hockey


22) ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

Elle is a warm, open and caring person who manages to push through no matter what. She's a survivor.

23) WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?

The Boogey Man


24) WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN??

Sure but with the wisdom I have today


25) MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?

Who sleeps?


26) OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?

Over easy


27) FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX?

In my family room with a gazillion cook books around me


28) FAVORITE PIE?

Pumpkin


29) FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?

Maple Walnut


30) OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?

I'll leave this as an open tag for anyone who would like to do it.

I Got Tagged ...

The very lovely Ohio Mom of Cooking in Cleveland tagged me. The rules are you must answer the questions and you must tag five other people who will also answer these questions and they will pick another five people.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

Heavily entrenched in my career

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?

Walk my dogs
Visit my mother
Take old electronics to hazardous waste depot
Go grocery shopping
Mail a package to Psychgrad (note from Psychgrad: woo hoo! Unless, it takes up a lot of space, in which case...MOM!?!?)

Five snacks you enjoy?

Almonds
Fruit
Wasa crackers with peanut butter
Licorice (red or black doesn't matter)
Wasabe peas

Five things you would do if you were a billionaire

Pay off everyone in my family's mortgage
Buy Psychgrad and R a fabulous house
Get Actor Boy a property to open a theatre company
Take my mother to Australia to see her family (our family)
Make a sizeable donations to my favourite charities

Places you have lived:

Sweden
Central Canada
Israel
Toronto

Jobs you have had:

Potato chip factory picking burnt chips out of a really hot fryer (I was 14 yrs old)
Shampoo girl in a hair salon (also at age 14)
Executive assistant while I went to University
Fund Raising
Mental Health provider

Again, anyone who would like to do this tag - we're all enquiring minds - we want to know more about you.