Sunsets & Sandwiches

Allow me to pick up where I left off...After leaving Sheafe's, we spent a night in Williamstown, home to James' university. On our way there, and in accordance with my new obsession with learning about varieties of strawberries, we stopped to buy strawberries from a man on the side of the road.

Salem and Salads

As I was saying, James and I drove to Salem, in Eastern New York to meet and stay with a professor and friend of his. Although we were technically there to help paint a fence, James also wanted to show me the professor's property and the surrounding area.

I Have So Much to Tell You

Hello!

I don't even know where to start. I am back from Europe, but I'm not in Canada. I was, but only for a few days, to attend my Guelph convocation. Then I drove over the border to the U.S., where I currently am...

I guess I should start with Europe. I'll try not to bore you with details, but I'd feel strange neglecting to mention anything about it. I'll try and make it food relevant. Here goes…

Poutine: I Probably Miss Canada By Now

Ok, I swear, this is the last surprise blog post. I'll be flying home today anyways.

Way back in April, when James was visiting to say goodbye, I finally got around to making poutine for him. He's American and had never had it..so sad. I wanted it to be different from normal poutine though...and maybe a little healthier, so I used mushroom gravy and sweet potatoes fries.

Raw As I Can Get Cashew Cheesecake

HA, fooled you. One more planned blog post. Let´s hope I am safe and sound in Barcelona.

I love cheesecake. I could eat an entire cheesecake, yet I haven't had the motivation to try and make a sugar free version of real cheesecake.

However, I discovered at WOW (the raw foodist restaurant I am in love with) that I also love raw cashew cheesecake. I could easily eat an entire raw cheesecake, but I don't live near WOW anymore...so this is kind of a tribute to my long, lost love.

Raw Almond Burger with Cashew Cheese

SURPRISE! I scheduled one last post to be published post-departure. By the time you are reading this, I should be living it up in Europe...let's hope. Unfortunately, this is as far ahead as I could get...see you in less than 6 weeks.

Date Squares

I leave for Europe today. I will be gone for 6 weeks, hopefully Couchsurfing for most of it (to anyone who happens across this blog and lives in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Nice or Marseille...if you see me walking down the street, I'll exchange baked goods for a couch).

Carob Walnut Fudge

No story to this post. The other day I was bugging my dad to give me more ideas for baking—things like bread, or cakes, or cookies. He suggested fudge...with walnuts.

Rise Again Cinnamon Buns

I have been wanting to adapt a cinnamon bun recipe for a while, but I couldn't find one worth the trouble...

Until I remembered my mom used to make cinnamon buns all the time for my brother's early morning hockey practices—she was a very popular lady. Her recipe is from Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook, chosen for its use of potato in the dough, which makes it so soft and delicious.

Fresh Ginger Steamer

I just thought I'd share another simple drink idea, for rainy days ahead.

Cocoa & Almond No-Bake Granola Bars

I'm back to the granola bars...

This time it's my mom I'm trying to please. She's been on her own quest for the perfect granola bar—crunchy and chewy, but low in fat. After at least 4 different recipes, she still couldn't find one she liked, so I thought I'd try my hand at the old granola bar game...again.

Frittata For Mama and Papa

I have been struggling to find things to bake lately....I have already posted most of the recipes I use regularly, and I just don't have enough mouths in my house to consume a new baked good every second day.

So, last night I decided to try something different...cooking (well, half cooking...).

What...is your quest?

I have been charged by Dad with a sacred quest...to seek a perfect, dunkable peanut butter cookie recipe.

Dad's commandments:

• they shall be crispy on the outside, and chewy in the middle
• they shall bend and not snap
• they shall be dry enough to soak up his milk
• they shall not crumble under the weight of his milk
• they shall be sweet enough to avoid the sentence: "it would taste good with some sugar."

Home Again

I realize I have gone from posting daily during busy exam times, to a dead stop now that I'm free...

I was moving all day Saturday, and organizing on Sunday. I finally got around to trying out some recipes today, but I have to work out a few things before I post them.

Sweet Potato, Peanut and Moving Out Stew

I am officially finished my undergraduate degree...assuming I don't fail any of my exams...

I submitted my final essay, the lingering symbol of my status as a student, 6 minutes ago. I am already growing anxious... I'm really going to miss being in an academic setting and it's freaking me out a bit.

More depressing, I am leaving Guelph tomorrow and...moving back in with my parents... I will become one of those university graduates who is living at home and working a job I could've had straight out of high school. This kind of thinking almost makes me wish I did fail a course, so I could cling to my student status for just a little bit longer...almost.

Anyways, this is leading somewhere, I promise.