February 18, 2008
Fish and Chips
My new recipe for February was Fish and Chips from the March 2007 issue of Canadian Living. Now, this might not seem very “new” but I tend not to make fish. This is partly because I never liked it as a kid, even though I do now and also because it’s a food that I am unfamiliar with preparing. True, everyone always says it’s one of the easiest things to cook, but I just don’t cook it, so I always feel uncertain about making it.
However, I have to admit that I really loved this fish. So did my husband. I didn’t make the spinach because I didn’t have any but both the fish and the potatoes were fantastic. I liked how the recipe said to nuke the potatoes before baking them, which really cut down on the cooking time. The seasoning was perfect (I added some of my own spices to add a little heat) and it was really easy to make.
Bottom line, I’ll definetly make this again, in fact, I think my husband will insist that I do. Also, I think this might have motivated me to try more fish, another bonus.
February 10, 2008
Two down… twenty-four to go…
Okay,
Well, I may be just a little behind in posting. This partly due to my mini vacation last week, however one thing that vacation allowed was for me to start and finish two books, which I can now cross off my lists.
I read Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
I really enjoyed both books, which were very different.
Vanishing Acts was an interesting book in the sense that it didn’t turn out to be the book I thought it was going to be, which is okay. I was really into it at the beginning and my interest dwindled in the middle as I began to feel unsure about where it was going, but then it hooked me right back in for the end. This was the 2nd book I’ve read by Jodi Picoult (the first being My Sister’s Keeper- which might be one of my all time favourite books ever) and I really like her writing style. In both of these books, the POV changes from character to character and I find this really helps get you into the book. You find that you indentify with one or with many of the characters on a much more personal level and it gives you several perspectives on every event. I enjoyed both books so much that I’ve picked up two more of her books to read.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time was another really interesting book. The story is told from the perspective of a teenage boy with special needs. Working in an inclusive child care environment like I do, I found the character’s “voice” to be very genuine, and I think that the general public could use more books like this to get into the minds of those different from ourselves, even if through fictional stories. The interesting narrative voice and use of pictures and diagrams gave the book a fun feel. Also, a lot of research obviously went into the book, as the boy is highly adept in math and uses many complication mathematical formulas and theories in the book. It was certainly different than any other book I’ve read and I found it hard to put down.
So, those are my first two books of the new year, and I have several more on the go. Maybe I’ll be able to meet my goals after all…
Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Well, here’s my new recipe for January. It’s from the Everyday Food magazine.
Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa
I thought it was easy to prepare and it tasted really good. I’ve really only ever used Avocado in Guacamole, so it was nice for me to try it in another dish. I think it really worked well to diffuse the heat of the cayenne pepper in the chicken. This was especially good for me, as in true fashion I used extra cayenne pepper and may have made it a little too spicy for myself. The husband liked it too which was a bonus.
All in all, I really liked it and will probably make it again (with a little less cayenne)
Note: This Post was started in January and sadly not posted until now. It’s not looking good for my one post a week goal.
January 20, 2008
New Year, new blog
Okay, so I’m probably a little late to start writing New Year’s resolutions. However, I’d like to think of these as more of an exercise in follow through.
I’m really good at starting things, but not so good at following through with them. Maybe this time will be different, but maybe not, only time will tell.
I’m hoping that by setting my goals lower, I will have an easier time meeting them and I’m hoping this blog will motivate me to keep going.
Anyhow, my goals for 2008 are as follows:
- Read 26 books (at least 2 “classics”)
- Cook one new dish/meal a month
- Get my new business/website up and running
- Make a presentation/workshop
- Write in this blog weekly
Well, that’s all I have so far. Let’s see how this goes.
Wish me luck.
