Royal Icing
Since I’m on day 18 of the Whole 30 plan and I can’t eat any sugar, I thought it would be a good idea to post a very sugary icing that I can’t currently have! Make sense? Thought so.
Many years ago, my sister, mom and I took a cake decorating course together. My mom and I continued on to take a wedding cake decorating course. I think my sister was in Vancouver when we did this, or she would’ve joined us for the second course. Over the years, we have made a lot of cakes! With that, a lot of icing! Buttercream icing, of course, but we’ve also made royal icing, as it hardens well and works well when making adornments, such as flowers.
Royal icing is also excellent when baking cookies. Which is what I used this recipe of royal icing for. So, let’s get started! Here’s what happened…
To begin, in a separate bowl, sift all of your icing sugar, so that you don’t have any lumps. If you are like me, and you don’t have a sifter, use your whisk to break up some of the lumps. It’s not perfect, but it does the trick!
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the meringue powder and warm water until frothy.
Add your cream of tartar and all of your icing sugar at once to the meringue mixture.
On the lowest setting, using your paddle attachment, mix the ingredients for 10 minutes. My mixer conveniently has a timer and automatically shuts off after 10 minutes.
The consistency should look something like this.
Store, at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Here’s what you need to do…
Royal Icing
3/4 cup warm water
5 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 kg bag of powdered sugar (I measured it out to be about 7.5 cups)
Sift your powdered sugar in a separate bowl and set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the meringue powder and water until frothy. Add cream of tartar and powdered sugar all at once. Mix on the lowest setting for 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container, at room temperature.
Enjoy!
(Source: https://www.hanielas.com/2010/04/royal-icing.html#.VUKDXCFViko)
Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Pesto
Since beginning the Whole 30 challenge, I have found myself trying dishes I wouldn’t have otherwise considered. I have made basil pesto many many times, but never have I made it without parmesan cheese. I have had spaghetti squash before with a tomato sauce and it just didn’t have that unctuous quality to it that I ‘need’ right now, or my husband and I will die on this plan or start eating sugar by the spoonful! Neither are good options. One of my favorite go-to meals is Chicken Pesto Pasta, so I figured I would recreate it as best I could. Here’s what happened…
Spaghetti squash is a cinch to make. There are several different ways you can cook it. To impart the most flavor, I suggest roasting it cut side up, with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Before you do that, though, you have to scoop out the seeds. Roast it in a 400 F oven for 50 minutes and it will look like this!
Now for the fun part…
Use a fork and pull the squash away from the flesh.
In the end, you’ll have a bowl of squash that looks like spaghetti! I won’t lie, this can never replace the real thing. It tastes nothing like actual spaghetti. But, the flavor of this squash is mild and can handle, and actually needs, good, bold flavors to help it along.
This is why I thought this pesto would be the perfect complement. Start with a small amount and add more as you feel you need to. Of course, if you aren’t able to make your own pesto, store bought will work. Just read the ingredients to make sure you understand what you’re eating.
I added chicken and tomatoes to bulk up this dish. I seasoned the chicken and tomatoes with salt and pepper before I added some pesto to the mix.
Once I tossed everything together, I added some balsamic vinegar to add a touch of sweetness and acid. It’s my little piece de résistance. It really makes a nice difference.
This is my all-time favorite brand to use for balsamic vinegar and olive oil. If you find it, use it! It’s a bit more expensive than your average balsamic vinegar, but as it should be for better product.
This was honestly, far more satisfying than I ever imagined it would be! If you want to cut down on your carbs, give this a try!
Here’s what you need to do…
Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Pesto
1 large or 2 medium spaghetti squash
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
salt and pepper for seasoning
Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove seeds from squash and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast squash cut side up in oven for 50 minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, using a fork, pull squash away from its flesh and place into a bowl, set aside.
In a skillet over medium high heat, add some olive oil and cook chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, all the way through. Add tomatoes and season with a touch more salt and pepper. Add a heaping tablespoon of pesto to the mixture.
Toss in the spaghetti squash. Add 2 more heaping tablespoons of pesto and combine all the ingredients. If using, add a generous dash of balsamic vinegar and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve.
Enjoy!
Homemade Pesto (Whole 30/Paleo Compliant)
This isn’t the normal mix of ingredients that I use for my typical homemade pesto. I’ll have to post that another time. I was wanting to make sure that I was staying in line while on this Whole 30 program, so I used a variation of this pesto that is Whole 30 compliant. But, Whole 30 or not, this pesto is very tasty! I didn’t miss the cheese at all! Here’s what happened…
I really could’ve taken a better photo… That aside, I’m gonna get right to the recipe since it’s really straight forward. Something to consider when you are making pesto is that ingredients don’t need to be exact, and you’ll realize that the more you make it. It’s pretty forgiving. For the oil, while there is a measurement for the purpose of the recipe, getting your pesto to the right consistency is more important than following an exact amount given. Also, if you add too much salt to your pesto, just adjust how much you might add to the dish you are including your pesto with. I, also, didn’t measure out might lemon. Just a squeeze will do to start. If you feel it needs more after you taste it, go for it! Here’s what you need to do…
Homemade Pesto (Whole 30/Paleo Compliant)
2 cups packed basil, washed and dried
1 clove minced garlic
1/8-1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp of lemon
salt and pepper to taste
In your food processor, add your toasted pine nuts, garlic and a bit of oil and pulse till combined. Add your basil and pulse while adding oil. You’ll see the mixture magically turn into pesto. Add your lemon, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust your seasonings as needed.
If you don’t use all of your pesto in one serving, add the remainder into an air tight container and cover the top of the pesto with some additional olive oil.
Enjoy!
Pork, Sweet Potato and Apple Sauté
I haven’t posted anything in a while. We went home to my parents house in Windsor for Easter and ended up staying there over a week because my daughter became so sick, we didn’t feel comfortable travelling with her in her state. She ended up being diagnosed with pneumonia, was put on the right medication and was finally able to sleep through the night without spiking a temperature of 104 F.
While we were there, my sister and brother-in-law somehow convinced both my parents and my husband and I to join them in doing the Whole 30 program. It’s basically a 30 day plan to help reset your system and help people identify foods that may be affecting them negatively. So, that means, no dairy, gluten, legumes, grains, soy, or alcohol. FOR THIRTY DAYS!!! What’s left? Lots of eggs, meats, fish, nuts, vegetables, and fruit. Day 8 starts tomorrow, and while things are going pretty well, I miss my wine and cheese.
I’ve learned with this plan that planning and creativity in the kitchen are important or deprivation will set in. So, I began to think of some recipes that might work with the ingredients I can use. This recipe, I’ve made many times in the past. It’s very satisfying and kid friendly, which is a bonus. The original recipe calls for butter, which I can’t currently use while on Whole 30. But, I can use clarified butter, or ghee. We didn’t notice the difference. It was exactly what I needed on a night where I was craving sugar! The natural sweetness of the sweet potato and apple in this recipe worked to curb my cravings! Here’s what happened…
You want to start by getting all of your ingredients sliced, cubed and diced. Salt and pepper your pork medallions at this point as well.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon each butter (or ghee in this case) and oil and add your chopped sweet potato, so that they are all in one layer. Don’t stir them too much, as you want them to crisp as much as possible. This step will take about 10 minutes. After that, put 3 tablespoons of water in the pan and cover with a lid to finish cooking.
When the sweet potatoes have cooked through, remove them from the pan and add another tablespoon of butter and olive oil. Add the apple and onion together and season with a bit of salt. About 1/2 teaspoon. Cook until both have browned slightly. Stir in grated ginger*. Add 2 tablespoons each water and apple cider vinegar to the apples and onions and then remove them, adding them into the bowl you have set aside with the sweet potato.
*Ginger lasts longest in the freezer and grates really easily with a microplane. Peel the skin of the ginger with a spoon, and place it in the freezer until you need it. Grate it when frozen and put it back into the freezer till the next time.
Add another tablespoon each butter and oil to your pan and now add your pork medallions. Cook a few minutes, each side.
It should look like this. Remove the pork from the pan. Add 2 more tablespoons each water and apple cider vinegar and scrape up all the bits of goodness left on the bottom of the pan.
Return the sweet potato, apple and onion mixture into the pan and heat through.
My picture isn’t the greatest. But, this dish is worth the risk! It’s yummy!
Don’t be taken by the butter and olive oil in this dish. This is a nicely balanced, healthy dish!
If you have any parsley, use it to add a punch of color to this dish.
Here’s what you need to do:
Pork, Sweet Potato and Apple Saute
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 apple, cubed (any apple will do, recommended: Golden Delicious)
1 medium pork tenderloin
salt and pepper for seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons parsley (optional)
Cut up your pork, sweet potato and onions and set aside until ready to use. Season your pork medallions with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil. Add sweet potato in one layer and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until potatoes begin to crisp, about 10 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons water to the pan and cover to let the potatoes finish cooking. Uncover and transfer to a bowl.
Raise heat to medium high and add another 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil. Add both the onion and the apple together and season with a little salt. Cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and cook for another minute. Pour 2 tablespoons each water and cider vinegar, mix into apples and onions and remove and place mixture into bowl with the sweet potatoes.
Add another tablespoon each butter and olive oil and add the pork medallions. Cook for about 2 minutes a side or until they are lightly brown. Transfer the pork to a plate. Carefully pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of water and cider vinegar and scrape up all the bits of goodness left on the pan from the pork. Return the sweet potato mixture into the pan, and heat through. Serve with 2 or 3 pork medallions.
Enjoy!
(Source: Fine Cooking One-Pot Meals Winter 2013)
Marshmallow Easter Pops!
The first time I made these was for my daughter’s 3rd birthday, this past year. I knew she would love them because she’s crazy about marshmallows! She actually thought these were her birthday cake, until her amazing Octonauts themed cake arrived. I’ve made these marshmallow pops many times, for different reasons. They’re tedious, but worth the effort. Here’s what happened…
This is an oasis. Florists use these for bouquets, which I’m sure you already know. My husband has always been good about sending me flowers and this is from one of those moments. For my last birthday, he sent me a bouquet that looked like a cake! I saved this oasis because I knew I could use it for something just like this! If you don’t have an oasis, you can use a styrofoam cake form.
You’ll want to cover it well with tin foil.
I chose Easter colors for these pops. Not shown in the picture are the very important marshmallows and lollipop sticks! You can get all of these ingredients at your local Bulk Barn, or most cake decorating stores.
If you can, melt all the chocolates you plan to use at once. Will save you time. This step in your marshmallow pop process is fairly important, as you can overheat chocolate pretty easily. These are make-shift double boilers, and they work perfectly. You want to make sure that the water in each pot isn’t touching the bowl that is sitting on it. To begin, turn your heat to medium, to get the process started. Once you see any steam coming out the sides of the bowl, you can remove it from the heat.
This is an example of the pink wafer chocolate I had melting. It’s off the heat at this point, and there is plenty of internal heat in this chocolate to help melt this chocolate down. It’s important to remove your chocolate at around this stage, so that it keeps a loose, velvety consistency once melted. If overheated, it can remain thick, almost burnt. I’ve done this! To keep the consistency where you want it, leave it to sit on a double boiler, that’s off the heat, while you dip your marshmallows. This will keep it from seizing.
First thing you want to do is dip your lollipop stick into the chocolate before you insert it into the marshmallow. The will ensure that your marshmallow doesn’t slip around the stick after being dipped. It sets it. It’s an important step.
Skewer your marshmallow onto the stick until you can feel the tip at the top of the marshmallow, but you can’t see it. You don’t want the stick to pierce the other end of the marshmallow.
Coat each marshmallow fairly quickly. You don’t want it sitting in warm chocolate, or it will begin to melt and its shape will change. This is the tedious part. You will want to make sure enough of the chocolate has drained off before you coat the marshmallows, or you will have a drippy, chocolatey mess.
Next step. Coating. I chose various sprinkles for all of my marshmallows this time around.
This is what you want. It can stand upright and has set enough that it isn’t dripping. It’s good to go!
I don’t know any kid that wouldn’t love the sight of these! Take the time, and make these. Especially, if you have little people in your world!
Here’s what you need to do…
Marshmallow Easter Pops!
1 bag marshmallows
1 cup each, pink, yellow, and purple chocolate wafers
Variety of sprinkles for coating
Lollipop sticks
Melt the chocolates over a double boiler until melted. Coat the tips of each lollipop stick, as you skewer each marshmallow, with the chocolate you will be using for dipping. Dip each marshmallow into the chocolate and tap off any excess. Coat with desired topping.
Enjoy!! Happy Easter!
(Source: Adapted from https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/marshmallow-pops.html)
Hard Boiled Eggs
With Easter around the corner, I thought I would share how I have made hard boiled eggs for years. When I was a kid, I remember boiling the heck out of eggs, so that we could decorate them for the Easter Bunny. I never liked eating them. They were dry and kind of grey. Yuck! I didn’t realize there was actually a method to hard boiling the perfect egg! At least, back then. I decided that I didn’t like hard boiled eggs, until an ex-boyfriend of mine, well, he wasn’t an ex-boyfriend then, but now….you get the picture…gave me a signed copy of one of Ina Garten’s cookbooks. I remember reading in her tips beneath another recipe, how to properly hard boil an egg! I was curious, tried it, and have been making them this way ever since! Here’s what happened…
Start by bringing the eggs to a boil in cold water. You can boil as many eggs as you need. I used two for this because it was for my breakfast! Put enough water in the pot to cover the eggs. Once the water boils, shut off the element and leave the eggs in the water for 15 minutes. Drain water and cool a few minutes or until you can handle them.
This is the result of rolling the egg around on a hard surface to help release the shell. You will need to tap the shell twice before rolling to get the process started.
You can see from this picture that the shell itself came off in almost one piece.
Ta-dah! No grey-ish yolk! Yay!
Enjoy!
(Source: https://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=322&S=0)
THE Apple Sauce!
I can’t very well be the ‘Boss Of The Apple Sauce’ without having a go-to apple sauce recipe! This recipe is from my favorite blogger, Ree Drummond, aka, The Pioneer Woman. It’s plain and simple, good. AND, it’s plain and simple!! You really can’t mess up this recipe! I’ve made several different apple sauce recipes for my daughter, Leila, since she was old enough to eat it! But, this recipe is by far the winner. The worst part of the preparations is the peeling and cutting of the apples. No. Big. Deal. Here’s what happened…
The original recipe calls for 6 pounds of apples. What does that look like, right?? Like this! 🙂 Honestly, it depends on the size of the apples. About 2 to 3 per pound, depending on size. I wanted to show you the apples I used to show you that you can use any apple variety you want. There are Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Royal Gala in this recipe. All will work here.
The beautiful part of this recipe is, after you get done with the nitty gritty of the peeling and cutting of apples, you just need to toss all of the ingredients together and wait…and stir, of course. I accidentally juiced the entire lemon in this batch and it turned out just fine.
I started blending and then remembered to take a picture! So, the mushy center you see is not from the cooking process, but my forgetfulness!
I did deviate from the original recipe and cooked these apples down far longer than the recipe suggested, especially because of the granny smith I had in this recipe. They just take longer to break down. But, you’ll know if your apples feel too firm enough to blend. My apples were on the stove for easily 45 minutes.
If you have an Immersion Blender, use it for this! Using a food processor, is fine, but really messy and has to be done in stages. You would be better to blend this in a blender than a food processor. But, whatever you have, use it. It needs to be pureed.
It’s important to note that you have to exercise some caution when blending or pureeing anything that is hot. It can definitely burn you, so be careful!
This is what 6 pounds of apples, turned into sauce, gets you!! This freezes beautifully!!! Make this. I promise it’s good.
Here’s what you need to do:
THE Apple Sauce
6 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1 cup apple juice
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Place all of the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot and cook over medium to medium-high heat for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until apples are no longer firm. Stirring occasionally. Once apples are at desired tenderness, blend the mixture until completely pureed. Store in airtight container. Let cool before you refrigerate or freeze.
Enjoy!
(Source: Adapted from https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/applesauce.html)
Ree Drummond’s Mulligatawny Soup
I follow many food blogs. Reading all of them is what made me want to start my own! I was astounded how many exist! But, the best food blog I have ever come across belongs to Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. She also has a show on The Food Network. I love her. I haven’t come across many recipes of hers that I haven’t liked, and there is never really much about them that I need to change.
I watched The Food Network episode where Ree was making this soup for her BFF. While it was easy, I’ll be honest, it didn’t seem all that appetizing to me, at the time. Until one afternoon, I was wracking my brain, trying to think about what to make for dinner, without having to make a trip to the grocery store, and I thought of this soup. I had all of the ingredients, so I decided to give it a try! I was so glad I did! It’s surprisingly delicious. The longer you let it sit, the better it gets, so keep that in mind! Here’s what happened…
The original recipe calls for one whole boneless, skinless chicken breast. If you’ve ever bought your chicken from a butcher, you will know that a whole breast actually looks like two breasts connected to each other. So, in reality what you buy at the store is actually half a breast. In this case, use the whole breast, or 2 halves, also known as, 2 chicken breasts. Confused yet?
Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and cook them in a dutch oven over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Don’t stir the chicken too much, as you want it to caramelize and form those brown bits on the bottom that you can see in the picture. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the pieces to a plate and set aside.
This picture looks pretty unappetizing, doesn’t it? It gets worse before it gets better, but trust me! The end result is worth it. Once you’ve removed your chicken, add 2 more tablespoons of butter and saute your onions and garlic, lifting up all those little brown bits left behind from the chicken.
A little tip to get that pesky skin off of the garlic is to smash your garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife. Just sit the knife over the clove, form a fist and hit the knife with the underside of your fist.
In this picture, I’ve already added the flour and incorporated it into the onions. I was pretty liberal with the amount of curry I used. It’s easily a heaping tablespoon of curry that I add.
I told you the pictures would get worse before they get better! There is nothing burnt on the bottom of my pan. This is all flavor. You want to incorporate all of that yummy curry into your onion mixture before adding your broth.
As you add your broth, begin by adding only a little, so that you can see and lift all of the goodness that is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Once all the broth is added, let it cook for about 5 minutes before adding the half-and-half.
My one and only deviation from Ree’s recipe, if I can even claim it as such, is that I let my half-and-half come to room temperature before I added it to the broth. I’ve made this soup many times, and when I put cold cream into hot broth, guess what happens? It separates. Still tastes great, but doesn’t look as pretty. Letting your cream come to room temperature will give your soup a nice creamy, even texture. Add your tablespoon of sugar at this point. Allow your cream to settle into the broth for about 5 minutes on medium heat before adding your chicken back into the pot, along with the apples.
Your apple pieces should be similar in size to your chicken pieces.
This doesn’t look very good, does it? I know! Give the flavors some time to marry. Adjust your seasoning. You will find it needs quite a bit of salt at this stage.
End result is this! It’s creamy, earthy, with a hint of sweet. Yummy! Even my 3 year old loves this soup! Adding cilantro when ready to serve is not only a must for flavor, but as you can see, it adds a lot of visual appeal. Serve this soup with Naan bread for dipping. Try this soup. I promise you will be pleasantly surprised!!
Here’s what you need to do….
Ree Drummond’s Mulligatawny Soup
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced finely
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon curry powder
32 oz, or 4 cups, of low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half, brought to room temperature
1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown your chicken over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of butter until chicken pieces are cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan, reduce your heat to medium and add your onions with another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add your minced garlic and cook until onions are transparent. Add your flour and incorporate into the onions. Add your curry powder and do the same. Pour your chicken broth over the onion mixture and let cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Next, add your cream and sugar and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot along with the apple pieces and adjust your seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!!
(Source: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/12/easy-mulligatawny/)
Pan-Fried Curry Chicken with Raisin Rice and Yogurt Sauce
March Break was a busy one for us! My sister, brother-in-law, and nephew came to visit early and stayed for a week! My daughter and my nephew love, love each other and they have a lot of fun together. So much fun, my sister and brother-in-law took my daughter home to Windsor with them, so that the kiddos could keep the celebrating going! My parents brought her back a couple of days later, when they visited us over the weekend. With so many mouths to feed, I was able to make many recipes that I have wanted to share with others.
This recipe, I made for my parents. I had a feeling my Dad, especially, would appreciate it. And he did! They both did. The rice is especially lovely. For me, it’s the star of this recipe. The yogurt sauce being a close second.
There are many steps to the completion of this dish, but it is very easy. You’ll want to start making your rice first, as it takes the longest, and while it is cooking, you can finish up everything else! Here’s what happened..
First, saute 2 small or 1 large shallot in 1 tablespoon of butter until translucent. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt into your onions and then add 1 cup of brown rice. Get all of the rice nicely incorporated into the onion mixture and then add 2 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Turn your element off and let the rice sit, covered, another 10 minutes. While the rice is resting, chop up your cilantro and toast your almonds.
They should look like this. These were toasted over the stove top, but if you prefer, you can easily toast them in the oven.
Fluff your rice. Add the raisins and cilantro and mix together. Replace lid on the rice and let sit until ready to serve, so as to give the raisins some time to plump up. Just before you are ready to serve, mix in the almonds, so that you maintain that needed crunch.
Your rice should look like this in the end. Mmmm…
Now for the yogurt sauce.
Easy peasy. 1 cup of yogurt, juice of one small lemon, a bunch of cilantro, and salt and pepper. Be sure to taste this and add more lemon or salt as you see fit. I had a really juicy, big lemon and used about 1/2 of the lemon. Set aside till ready to use.
The chicken is also very easy.
My little sous chef helped me sprinkle on the dry rub of curry powder, coriander, salt, and pepper. Wherever it fits to let your littles help you in the kitchen, it’s a great idea. My littlen loves to watch me cook and she’s usually close by to help out. Just this morning, she was sitting and playing at the dining room table, waiting for breakfast, and I told her, “Leila, your porridge is almost ready!”. She said to me, in her sweet 3 year old voice, ‘Ok, Mom! Let me know when I can help!”. My heart fluttered. Doesn’t get much cuter than that!!
Back to the recipe…
You’ll want to sear your chicken on either side for about 4 minutes a side and then finish in a 350 F oven for about 15 minutes. Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
TA-DAH!
This is a healthy, quick and satisfying meal. It will become a rotation night meal, I guarantee it!
Here’s what you need to do….
Preheat oven to 350 F.
RAISIN RICE
1 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of brown rice
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
3/4 sliced almonds, toasted
Saute the shallots and salt in butter over medium heat until onions are translucent. Stir in rice to coat and add the broth. Bring to a boil and cover, reducing temperature to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let the rice set for 10 minutes, with the lid on. Fluff the rice and add the raisins and cilantro. When ready to serve, add the toasted almonds and stir to combine.
YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients. Set aside.
CURRY CHICKEN
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
Combine all of the the spices together. Sprinkle all over the chicken. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat and sear each side for 4 minutes. Transfer your skillet to the oven until your chicken is no longer pink. About 10-15 minutes. Remove your chicken from the oven, transfer to a plate and cover with tin foil for at least 5 minutes.
Enjoy!!
(Source: Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine November 2012)
A Love Lost
For me to say good-bye to 2014 hurt. Plain and simple. I thought I might be happy to ring in 2015 and all that it, hopefully, would bring, but on New Year’s Eve all I could do was reflect on a year that was so tragic for me that I ended up being sad most of the night. Let me explain…
Before My Life Changed Forever
In February 2014, my husband and I learned that we were pregnant with our second child! I found out on a Saturday morning, before I was to go on a 28KM run with my girls. Needless to say, I didn’t go on my run, and stopped running altogether for fear of miscarrying. I was 37 years old and didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize this pregnancy.
So, airing on the side of caution was my strategy for everything. At the time, my daughter was two and would be just 3 by the time our baby was born. Seemed perfect and I was excited for her, especially! Because of complications that we had with my daughter’s birth, we were considered ‘high risk’, despite my age, and were set up with a specialist right away. I was really hoping for a less stressful pregnancy this time around. The first 3 months were the normal, stressful, please-God-let-me-make-it-to-12-weeks, I-can-hardly-wait-to-announce-my-news times. But, we made it! And I enjoyed sharing my great news with everyone.
My fourth month was my best time. We went to Florida with my parents, sister and her husband and son, the baby’s heart beat was consistent and strong and I was feeling great! In my 19th week of pregnancy, my brother-in-law was riding in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, that was starting in Toronto, where we live. So, my sister and her son joined him and stayed with us over the weekend. We had a normal, fun weekend. On Sunday, June 8th, 2014, we went to Church and then we were driving around, trying to decide where to go for brunch.
We took forever figuring this out and I was starting not to feel well. I didn’t make much of this, as I often didn’t feel well if I was hungry when I was pregnant. After, what turned into lunch, we went home to put my daughter down for her nap. I, also, decided to take a nap. Pretty easy-going Sunday so far, right? I got up, about an hour later, went to the bathroom and saw blood. I panicked, yelled for my husband and we rushed off to the hospital. It was a small miracle that my sister was with us that weekend, as we have no family in the city, which would’ve made rushing off to the hospital, with a 2 year old, difficult. Not being officially at 20 weeks, I sat in the emergency room for 2 hours before they finally said I was close enough and admitted me into OB Triage.
A Dream Falling Apart
I was admitted to hospital, as they couldn’t send me home as long as I was actively bleeding. Just like that, my life changed. No longer could I go back to work, care for my daughter and enjoy my pregnancy. That following Monday, I had an ultrasound, where we found out we were having a boy! What should have been a beautiful moment was incredibly heartbreaking.
The doctors were speaking over me and not to me. I heard them say that my amniotic fluid was ok, but not great. I later learned I had had a placental abruption. Every day while I was in hospital, a nurse would check my blood pressure and my baby’s perfect heart beat, morning and night. But, that was it! No IV, or any medical measures taken. I felt like a ticking time bomb, and they were just waiting me out till I blew. It was a sad and helpless feeling.
On Friday, June 13, 2014, the bleeding had pretty much stopped and my doctor said that I could go home, but not back to work and pretty much carry on my pregnancy! I was very encouraged, but he wanted me to have another ultrasound before I left, just to make sure everything was okay. My husband was on his way to the hospital to pick me up and bring me home when my doctor came into my room and told me that I had lost about 80% of my amniotic fluid, that he couldn’t let me go home, and asked if I wanted to induce labour.
We both knew my baby wouldn’t survive so young.
I sat there in shock and wanted him to leave my room so that I could cry in private. But, he wouldn’t! He just sat there and waited for me to react. I held it in as long as I could until I couldn’t bear it anymore and I started to cry. My baby’s heartbeat was perfect. How could I end his life?! I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
That following Monday, even though I continued to leak amniotic fluid, they let me go home, since my plan was to save my baby, and they thought it would psychologically, be easier for me to be in my own home to rest. I was 20 weeks pregnant, at this point, and needed to make it to 24 weeks before any doctor would step in and take measures to save my baby. It was an agonizing time, knowing I had so far to go.
To help us cope with everything, my mom travelled 3 hours, from Windsor, ON, and moved in with us until I had my baby. She was a godsend. I don’t know what we would’ve done without her. I had several friends come through for us as well, and we had many dinners made for us over the course of the weeks I was off my feet.
On July 3rd, 2014, after my weekly ultrasound, I had a visit with my doctor, who was wanting us to prepare for me going back into the hospital to be monitored, as I was nearing my 24 week mark. I had some hope! Finally! When we got home, and as I was walking into my house, I felt a gush, which wasn’t completely unusual because I was leaking amniotic fluid since I started bleeding back in early June. But, this gush felt significant, so I went inside and lied down, hoping I wouldn’t leak anymore fluid for the night.
One Week Shy
Around 5AM on Friday, July 4th, 2014, I woke up not feeling so well. By 6AM, I went to the bathroom and saw blood. I yelled for my husband and my mom came running in as well. I burst into tears and my husband and I were off to the hospital. They admitted me quickly this time, but it felt like forever before I felt any relief from the pain. They needed to determine if I had an infection. A concern my doctor had from the beginning. The pain was so intense, both physically and emotionally, I could barely handle it. I was curled up into the fetal position crying harder than I’ve ever cried, into my husband, who was standing next to me, with my right arm stretched out as the nurses poked and poked and poked my arm again, trying to draw blood, without success.
They had to finally draw from my foot. When they finally gave me morphine, I remember the doctor telling me that it would take 30 minutes to take effect. 30 minutes!!! I was already dying. It was torturous to wait. They checked my cervix once. Then twice, and determined that I was going into labour. I remember saying to the doctor, ‘I’m going to lose my baby, aren’t I?’. She just squeezed my hand and looked at me.
They took me into a delivery room, so that I could deliver my baby boy. It was considered ‘palliative care’. No measures would be taken to save my son. I was just days shy of that 24 week mark and it was hospital protocol not to step in before that time. It was a heartbreaking experience to be in a delivery room again, remembering all the hustle and bustle of when I delivered my daughter, 2 and a half years earlier. This time, it was so quiet. Just the nurse, most of the time. There was no excitement, no smiles. Nothing but tears and disbelief that this was all happening.
They gave me my epidural and I was finally beginning to feel some relief from the pain, until I started shivering uncontrollably. They put a heated blanket on me, then another, and then another up around my head. This was caused by the infection that I had somehow gotten, called Chorio. A short-form word for a long medical term that basically meant I had gotten an infection of the amniotic fluid that I had so little of, and this infection pushed my body into labour.
The Delivery
Before I knew it, my baby, David, was born at 2:50 PM on July 4th, 2014. Only took a few pushes, since he was so small. The first words I said to him were, “I’m so sorry” and I asked the nurse if the chaplain could come and baptize him. I kissed him and handed him over to my husband, as I had to go into the OR to get the placenta completely removed.
David was alive for 3 hours before he passed away in my husband’s arms.
We found out after he had passed that he weighed 1 pound 1 ounce. A nice size for a baby of 23 weeks gestation. This hurt to know, as the hospital saves lots of babies who are 1 pound. To this day, I wonder, if they had known he was 1 pound while he was still alive, could they have saved him?!
I was so heavily drugged, I don’t remember much while David was alive. When we came back from the OR, my mom was waiting for us in the delivery room. She got to hold him while he was still alive. She’s the only one in my family who ever got to meet David. We all took turns holding him for hours after David had passed away.
The nurses needed to move me from the delivery room into my own room, but were very gracious about giving us as much time as we needed. They had told us that they would keep David’s body on the same floor as us, should we want to see him again. We decided to say our goodbyes before heading into my new room, as David’s body was beginning to deteriorate and we thought that going to a new room without him would be somehow easier than being in the room they took him from. We all kissed him goodbye and told him that we loved him and I handed him over to the nurse, never to see him again.
The After Math
It was nothing short of surreal once we were brought into my new room. A butterfly was posted outside of my door, so that staff would know that I had lost my baby. The nurses were lovely and supportive and apologetic. A Social Worker came to speak to us about how we were handling our loss.
Friends came to visit. It was all so new, I didn’t really know what to say about all that had happened. I was still on an IV getting medication for the infection I had had, and so I had to stay in the hospital. We were cleared to leave the hospital the following evening. We were given a box with David’s little outfit that he was wearing, a teddy bear, a CD of pictures and a card with his hand and foot prints. I remember sharing an elevator down to the parking garage with a woman who was very pregnant thinking, ‘I wonder if she knows that I just lost my baby?!’. We left the hospital with a box and no baby.
Planning My Baby’s Funeral
I was pretty numb throughout this whole process. My husband, Michael, felt most of the pressure in this. We needed to register David’s death certificate, but because he was only 1 pound, 1 ounce, he didn’t qualify on the governments requisite scale. It was a whole other headache we just weren’t capable of dealing with! To plan a funeral after a birth is something I can’t describe, and nothing I’d wish for anyone to experience.
Michael, eventually, broke down about having to do so much ‘work’ around the loss of his son. My dad and my sister went to the Church for us and took care of the details there. My dad is a concert pianist; he was the perfect person to discuss the music for the funeral. We upgraded for David and had a singer from the Canadian Opera House sing the solos during mass. It was perfect and lovely and worth every extra cent.
My good friend, Mary, took care of all the other details around the reception. She pulled some strings and got a local favorite restaurant of ours to open for us privately. They did us proud. I felt like we honoured David in that day as much as we ever could. It’s a feeling I hold in my heart still.
We ended up having David cremated, since we don’t know where we will be buried yet, and want him to be with us. I light a candle for him every day, next to his urn. I talk to him, every day. He’s my direct link to God. My sweet baby boy, I miss you. I wish you were here with me. I will honor you all the days of my life. <3
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