C'est la vie!

Well, although I didn't do any cooking with respect to the project this past weekend, I did cook some new recipes that were fabulous!

I did a herb rubbed beef tenderloin; a potato-onion gratin that was amazing; and the easiest dessert EVER! Stacks of chocolate wafer cookies with orange flavoured whipped cream in between the layers. Looked fabulous and was nice and light after the richness of the beef.

It is now August and I am trying to plan for Christmas - I hope to get a flyer made and send it out to all and sundry to get orders for cookies and cakes for the holidays.

This weekend is a girlie party - hopefully I will get something done from the book - or, just put it off for another day. C'est la vie!

mmmmmm perogies

Who doesn't love mashed potatoes, cheese and onion surrounding in dough?!



Now perogies have to be the most simple thing in the world. Easier, in fact, than pie. Most "comfort" food is. It is basic and uses leftovers. Every culture seems to have something like this; tortellini, wonton, samosa. All delicious! The only thing is, they are a little fiddily.



I got the little dough bombs made in the morning and fried up some bacon, onion and freshly made perogs and fed them to my husband, who was slaving away on the roof of our house. He came dangerously close to winning a Darwin award. He had fixed an extension ladder to the bed of our pick up truck *cue the sound of banjos* to get to the highest point of the roof. Fortunately he was saved by my cooking and promptly took the contraption down immediately after lunch.

Two down...

Well I got my first two recipes done! I made scones and Empire cookies. They were both good. The true test was that I gave them to my English mother-in-law to taste and she said that she had never tasted scones like it (in the good way). She also took extra of the cookies home with her. But really, how bad could it be? It's sugar and butter and all that is yummy.

What a nice way to start off - with baking, since it is my forté.

Next up is grilled salmon with oriental vegetables.

My husband has now started reading Julie & Julia, so he may get an appreciation of what he DOESN'T have to go through. I will remind him of that when we are eating duck - which is coming up soon.

Let the baking begin!

Well, I have been a little remiss in starting my project. Not a good sign. In fairness though, my daughter is away for three weeks and my husband and we have been very busy socializing! I haven't even done grocery shopping for two weeks! I am going tomorrow though and should start in earnest on getting the cookbook done.

Yesterday I received confirmation that I am starting my baking course at George Brown College - Culinary School. Unfortunately I can only take these courses on a continuing education basis (although I would love to do it full time). Every little bit helps.

In the beginning...

Well, this is a first! I am starting a blog and have absolutely no idea how this is going to turn out.

I am starting because I was inspired by Julie Powell. I just finished reading her book "Julie and Julia". Like me, she is (was) a secretary and not overly happy about it. Like me she hates undisguised eggs. Like her I have taken on a "project".

I have always wanted to do every recipe in my old "Canadian Living Cookbook". Ms. Powell took on a much more daunting task to do every recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1". My husband is a little scared of what he will be subjected to. Fortunately, I work with a bunch of people that have no qualms about scarfing down anything that is left on the table in our small office kitchen. More than anyone, they will benefit from this adventure.

Julie's project and blog turned into a life changing event for her. Hopefully I can learn to find the doors to open through my project.

Stay tuned...