Just impossible

to get ahead.... I received today my electricity bill and my new "budget monthly" amount has been increased by $43.00. I consider myself frugal with the energy: I keep the heat to a minimum all winter long, no air conditioning in the summer, I mostly live in the dark at night, TV is not on unless I'm actually watching it, I cook as much as possible on the propane BBQ grill and half the time, I not even home! How can it be $261.00 per month for a one-person household????

I already looked at my budget 2 week ago to slim it down and I just don't know where this money has to come from. Just depressing.

Storm Coming from the West

Can hear the thunder and see the lightnings, and it's getting increasingly dark. The rain should start any moment now....That might change my plans to drive around for yard sales this morning......

There's Hope for Me!

TheStar.com
Horoscopes for Saturday, April 4

If today is your birthday: A process has begun that will change your future potential beyond what you ever thought possible. It all hinges on a new attitude, a new perspective and a new vision that will soon inspire you.

Aries (March 21 — April 20)
Success is a simple case of being at the right place at the right time. People spend a lifetime trying to find this magical point in the space-time continuum. Don't entertain any doubts and you will be ready for a pleasant surprise.

Cambridge, MA

Great bookstore! I was in Cambridge earlier this month and was able to spend an hour checking out the treasures in the store's basement. I found great cooking books in pristine condition and a great find: "Joy of Cooking", 1975 edition for only $3.00!! Never been to Cambridge before but I will definetely try to spend more time in the Harvard Square area if I have another chance.

The Morning Twilight

I never get tired of looking at it.

Great Combination!

A perfect lunch for a sunny February afternoon!

Multigrain baguette from Ace Bakery, still warm from the oven, with Lady Laurier d'Arthabaska soft surface-ripened cheese, topped with fresh dates. And blueberries to finish the lunch. The trick here is patience: this cheese is best at room temperature so you have to plan for it and take it out of the fridge ahead of time, otherwise you won't be able to enjoy its flavor and wonderful texture.

Turkey for Breakfast!

I used an extra large muffin mould to make a cup out of leftover stuffing and filled the inside with a beaten egg mixed with diced turkey meat and a dash of hot sauce, covered with grated old cheddar cheese and cooked in the oven for 15 minutes! Perfect! To make it more breakfasty, I had some red grapefuit quarters with it. It would be as good with cranberry sauce actually ~ humm that's an idea for a quick weeknight supper!

I Love Turkey!

I've had a turkey in my freezer since New Year's day, waiting for cooperative weather to cook it on the BBQ. The mercury climbed to 7C this afternoon and the winds were low so it was perfect! With the Butterball stuffed turkey, I was able to cook it directly from the freezer, no need to thaw forever in the fridge, so it was perfect for my situation as I didn't know when the temperature would be mild enough to do my turkey feast!
This time, I followed a friend's advice and cooked it with the breast down so that the juices would flow down on the white meat, to keep it moist and juicy. Indeed, the meat very good! I only turned it for the last hour of cooking, to crisp the skin. My glaze was a mix of homemade plum jam -homemade by Mom with plums from her garden, thank you very much!- and crushed rosemary, simply delicious! I have to say that I was not disappointed by the Butterball stuffing; seasonned to perfection, very tasty and best of all, plenty of it!

Of course the greatest thing about cooking a whole turkey for one, is the leftovers! I'm already looking forward to a week of turkey lunches and soups!

Deep Fried Wonton

& Sweet and Sour dipping sauce!

I ordered the cooking DVD from LMT Cooking School and tried my first recipe tonight. Easy as 1-2-3 and delicious to boot! I could have filled the wontons a bit less but they were plump and tasty! Next time I do the sauce, I will make it a tab more sweet and a bit less sour. It was still very good and so much better than the sauce filled with the awful red dye we get at the restaurant. I even made a double recipe of the wontons but didn't deep fried them: I'll turn them into a soup tomorrow. With the snow storm we got again tonight, a warm soup will be ideal for a Sunday lunch!

Pizza du Jour!

I experimented with 3 different pizzas today. With my new Kitchenaid mixer, doing the dough is a breeze!

The first one was a canadian style with whole wheat crust: homemade tomato sauce, pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms, bacon with mozzarella cheese. My next one is actually my favorite: rosemary crust, sauteed apples (I normally use pears, but none in the pantry right now...), bacon, caramellized onions and crumbled blue cheese on top. I don't even like blue cheese, but on this pizza, it's marvelous! And the last one was a tiny 7" light whole wheat crust with tomato sauce, spicy salami, fresh garlic, caramelized onions, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. I added arugula on top after cooking.

And of course, all are cooked on the BBQ, in balmy -5C temperature!

But there can be too much of a good thing: I'm just about to OD on pizza right now! Bonny, you keel like sharing my leftovers for lunch tomorrow??

My Very First Attempt at Making Bread from Scratch!

And Today: First Day of Winter!

Yesterday

A Weekend of Homemade Pizzas

Pizza Galore: one frozen dough ball made me 4 pizzas this weekend. I didn't have a lot of the conventional toppings so I improvised. My favorite was the white dough with herbs, just slightly undercook so it's possible to fold it sandwich-style, stuffed with bocconcini cheese, tomatoes, proscuitto and arugula. I actually made one like that for lunch Saturday and one for Sunday! The other one was also with bocconcini (no mozarella in the fridge!), smoked chorizo sausage, hot peppers, garlic, onions and mushrooms. And with tzatziki dipping sauce! Thanks Jamie for your recipe!

Hilarious!

This could be me next February....