Boxing Day Feast

Hi Everyone,

The days have gotten away from me with Christmas and the holiday season.  I'm sorry I have not written for the last couple of weeks.  I hope this post finds that you all had a good holiday season filled with family and love.

This is just a little blurb to let you know I am still here and I am still working on my "New Lifestyle Eating" new way of avoiding the dreaded "D" word.

My last weigh-in after the 15th of December found me still at 

However, my weigh-in this morning found a miracle had happened.  The 10 lbs I expected to have packed on during the orgy of food we have been partaking in over the past 2 weeks did not happen and I was pleasantly surprised to find the following:

On Boxing Day, I had my cousins over for brunch and we had a wonderful time, so I thought I'd show you and give you a sampling of the menu I served.  I'd love to thank Marlene and Paul Wilson and Jim and Beryl Cooke, for making our day such a wonderful time and wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Boxing Day Menu

Appetizers

Smoked Salmon on Cucumber slices with Lemon Dilly cheese ,

 garnished with my preserved lemons,

Bacon Leek Cheese Dip on Cucumber slices with a garnish of chives and tomatoes and sweet peppers,

Guacamole made with Epicure Selections Guacamole Dip Mix,

Nacho Cheese Dip of course with Epicure Selections and tortilla chips,

Homemade Turkey Pate flavoured with Epicure Selections Sage and Apple, topped with Epicure Selections Peppercorns and aspic

Starter

Etouffee Louisianan Shrimp Dish served on Rice made with Epicure selections Louisiana Hot and Spicy Dip

Tourtiere Traditional French Meat Pie

Antipasto and olive crackers

Main Meal

Baked Ham Glazed with Epicure Selections Cranberry Sauce

Scalloped Potatoes made with Epicure Selections Chive and Bacon Dip Mix

Spinach Salad with Hazelnuts, Roasted Beets and Goat cheese topped with a Epicure Selections Balsamic Dressing and Honey

Homemade Fan-tan Bread Buns

Desserts

Fresh Fruit

Brandy Plum Tarts

Butterscotch Apple Tarts

Assorted Christmas Cookies and Chocolates

Here are some of the pictures however, I forgot to take some before they started being eaten, but I think you will get the idea.

Salmon and Lemon Dilly cucumber slices in the foreground.

Antipasto, Guacamole and then in small red dish Homemade Turkey Pate

Homemade Turkey Pate

Fresh fruit tree (out of focus, sorry)

Ham glazed in Cranberry Sauce

Etouffee

Selection off dessert platters, clockwise from left:
Butterscotch Apple Tart, Brandy Plum Tart. asst Sugar Cookies, Homemade Chocolates.

I will be posting the recipes in the next few days for all of these  Menu items, but since I am "a bit of this and a bit of that" type of cook, I have to formulate the recipes, but I do promise I will post them within the week. 

Talk to you soon, in the meantime have a great day, and enjoy your holidays and the holiday season.  Wishing Everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Minutes for dinner let me show you how.

written by Linda Gauthier

We all have busy schedules and even more so at this time of the year.  So if I could show you how to put an entire meal together, from start to finish, in 30 minutes, would you be interested?  No, I don't mean phone the Pizza place!  I mean a proper nutritious meal, which will fit your budget, and your desire to have a tasty quick meal.

Menu tonight: 
                          Chicken poached in apple cider with apple and 
                          sage and garlic
                          Acorn squash, brown sugar and spices for chutney
                          green beans amandine
                          Couscous with Epicure's Cherries and Berries,          
                          sultana raisins, Mediterranean style.

The above are the ingredients I used, and please note the time is 5:36 pm

Step 1, place chicken breasts in the Epicure rectangular steamer (Aubergine colored item in the picture)
Pour 1/2 cup apple cider on chicken, shake herbs on top, place in microwave for 4 minutes. 

Boil water to make couscous, measure 1 cup of couscous out 

Cut acorn squash in half,  remove seeds,  put Epicure Chutney Spices and brown sugar in cavity of acorn squash, set aside.

4 minutes have passed, remove chicken and check, give it a quick stir and return to microwave for an additional 3 minutes.

Water has boiled, measure 2 cups out, and pour on couscous, stir in dried fruit, place over low heat, stir until the all the water is absorbed.  Approximately 5 minutes.

Chicken is now cooked, remove from steamer.  Place on serving tray in low oven to keep warm.  Rinse steamer, place acorn squash in steamer.  Cook in microwave for 6 minutes.

In the meantime, brown almonds in Epicure Eclipse non-stick fry pan.  When toasted, remove from pan, set aside.  Place frozen green beans in warm pan, pour 1/4 cup water into fry pan, cook until warmed through and cover.  Drain, place pat of butter on beans, add almonds. 

Dinner is now all done please look at the time:

Time total to cook 30 minutes

Complete about ready to plate

A complete and balanced meal.

Complete dinner from start to finish: 30 minutes
Total cost: $3.75 per portion

I use the Epicure Steamers nightly and it is so easy to have a great meal ready in no time and easy clean up.  For further information about the Epicure Steamers, and their versatility, I have added a couple of links to some recipes on YouTube.

Asian style fish


Epicure Steamer Coconut Curry

Information about the steamers

                       

Playing With My Food

Written by Linda Gauthier

Looking at old recipes with new eyes

I have decided to take a new angle on some of my old recipes, so I am playing with my food.
One of the recipes I'm looking at, is a Christmas staple in our house.
Every year, I make the dish known as "Mom's Easy Christmas Breakfast".  I have no idea if that is the correct name, but it is the name we called it in my house.  I do know that there are tons of variations of this recipe out there.
Here is the one I have used for years.


6-12 slices cooked ham
1 1/2  cups sliced fresh mushrooms
8 slices white bread slices 
2 cups shredded cheese

Beat together the following ingredients:

8 eggs
1  1/2 cups milk
1  1/2 cups cream
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard or 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
Place bread slices in prepared baking dish.
Top with half of the ham, mushrooms, and cheese.
Pour half of the egg mixture over the bread and ham mixture.
Repeat layers with remaining ham, mushroom and cheese mixture top with the remaining egg mixture. 

Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on layers.
Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
We always made it the night before.
Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degree F oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until puffed, golden and set.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 12 servings.

So this morning, I started on a plan to reduce the calories of this dish.
Wondering out loud, not sure what to call it, Hubby flippantly stated that we should "hug it and squeeze it and call it George", but somehow I don't think that is quite right.

Name choice number 2,  is...

"Mini Wife Savers"

I wanted to have something with the same texture and flavour, but lower calories and smaller portions.

To Serve 3 
Preheat oven to 325
Baking dish with hot water to use as water bath for ramekins when cooking.
Bake in oven for 15 min

Ingredient list:

2 slices of Organic Applewood Smoked Bacon
5 large eggs
3/4 Cup 1% milk
1/2 Cup shredded cheese
4 slices of whole wheat bread
Epicure Selections Roasted Garlic
Epicure Selections Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Epicure Selections Herb and Garlic Sea Salt
Epicure Selections Fresh Ground Pepper
butter 
6 small ramekins for baking

Beat the eggs, with the milk add the herbs and salt and pepper set aside. Slice each slice of Whole wheat bread in 1/2
fry bacon until slightly crisp, cut each piece into 1/3 rds 
Dip the whole wheat bread in the egg and milk mixture
place in ramekins

Bacon slices cut in 1/3's

Bread lining the Ramekins

Place bacon slices into the center of the bread cup 

egg mixture left over from dipping the bread

Pour remaining egg mixture into center of bread cups over the bacon, top each ramekin with cheese.

Spices and cheese

Ramekins in water baths

Place in preheated oven, bake for approximately 15 mins.

baked "Mini Wife Savers"

Brunch!

The flavour was good and the texture was true to that of the original.  The flavour of the bacon was more intense than the ham and was very nice.  With such a small portion, it required a stronger meat flavour than could be achieved with the ham slices.  I think this is going to be what I have for my Christmas Brunch, not sure of the sides yet, working on that still.


And I thought I got myself into messes? 

Now what?

Hope you are having a better day than this guy, keep smiling, and trying new things. 

Try looking at things from a different angle, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Then again, you might end up like this guy, but that's not always bad is it?  It's making you smile, right?

Or you may be feeling empathy, either way, you are viewing things differently than you were 5 minutes ago.

Talk to you soon.

Busy busy week Christmas Elf work etc.

written by Linda Gauthier


Hubby's office party this weekend and trying to get ready to send off boxes to Newfoundland, Epicure parties, etc. just a busy little elf.
Much like everybody else at this time of year.
I am going to sit down and send out the info you are all waiting on:
Did she or didn't she lose weight this week.
I just know there are hordes of you out there waiting in anticipation for my latest words of wisdom.
Yup!
I am sure of that.
But, oh well, I seem to have become addicted to talking to myself and guess what?
I like it!
Is that considered a character flaw?
Or one of those senior moments?
Well, I did lose this week.


I am now down to...

Seem to be at a plateau, but is is a slight loss.
From last week's 142.8, this week's 142.4 gives me a grand total loss of 29 lbs even, as of today.
On the bright side, it is not a gain.

Now I have something to show you.
Normally I am totally against having my picture taken and it is not enjoyable for me.
However, I have made a photo montage of "before and now" pics, which can be found at this site.
Click on the opening photo to start the image carousel of photos.
Click on each to view description texts.  Click again to return to the carousel.

Here is another photo, taken just before we headed out to the party.
New dress, new attitude and I actually let a picture be taken of me.  So you now have a more recent face to go with these feet.
More to lose, and I now have to start concentrating on my activity level and toning, but I now know that I can do it.
It seems to be a matter of proving to myself that it does work, then I can see the possibilities that I can go further.  I am sure that this is the same with a lot of us who have more than 5 lbs to lose.
What once seemed an impossible task, now feels possible, and I have to say, it really gives me a nice exhilarating feeling, to be finally rid of this excess weight.

Talk to you soon and hope you will try some of my recipes.
With a tiny bit of exercise, they really do work.
In other words, you don't have to kill yourself nor sacrifice taste.
And if any of you want information about the Epicure Products, you can just leave me a comment and your email address.
Or email me directly, to keep your email private.
I would be happy to answer your questions.  

With Christmas coming and all the gift giving...

Written by Linda Gauthier

Christmas is coming and I have only just truly realized that, it is already the 1st of December.
We celebrate Christmas in our home in a slightly different manner, my husband and I don't exchange gifts anymore.
Instead, we give the money we would normally have spent on gifts, to a local charity which helps the homeless.  This wonderful place is called "Our Place Society".

Now, having said that, I don't mean we don't give anything to anybody else.  We tend to give gifts of food, or things we have made, to family and friends.  So with that in mind, I created a truffle recipe as part of my review of ".Green and Black's Organic Chocolate.

Truffles make a wonderful gift, and because I am truly trying to limit my calorie intake, I am using the rationale that 1 small truffle is equal to 1 tsp of chocolate, which is not going to kill me.  Right? Right!

My recipe involves ingredients from two of my favorite suppliers of organic products.  These  companies being  "Green and Black's Chocolate" and "Victorian Epicure Selections".
I used Epicure's Mocha Cheese Dip, and Epicure's Pure Cocoa powder, with Green and Black's Organic White Chocolate, their Dark 70%, and Espresso Dark Chocolate. 

I have called my Truffle "Coffee and Cream", so here is the method and how I developed the recipe.

I started off with Green and Black's recipe for Chocolate Truffles with lavender and fennel. It sounded yummy, but it was not exactly what I had in mind at that moment.  I used the basic recipe, linked above, minus the lavender and fennel.

Coffee and Cream Truffles

70% Cocoa Solids, (G & B's Dark Chocolate and Espresso Bars Used )
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder (Epicures Pure Cocoa)

Coffee portion of the Coffee and Cream Truffles

In a food processor, grind the chocolate to a fine powder, about 10 seconds. Pour ground chocolate into a medium-sized, heatproof bowl, and set aside.

Place the cream and butter in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the granulated sugar to the chocolate-cream (ganache) mixture. Whisk the chocolate, cream, and sugar together until smooth. If not completely smooth, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water to help melt the chocolate a little more. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours until the mixture is thick enough to scoop.

Ganache

Now for the Cream 

150 ml Eagle Brand Condensed milk

2 bars of Green and Black's White Chocolate

1/4 to 1/2 c heavy cream

1st step melting in double boiler

Cream, condensed milk and chocolate almost to right thickness

Perfect thickness, slow to drip, see the beautiful Vanilla seeds in the chocolate?
Aroma is out of this world.

I let both mixtures sit overnight to ensure that they were the right consistency for rolling into the truffles.  The only concern I had about the recipe to this point, was that I felt there was a little too much butter fat or oil in the Espresso portion.  I believe I may reduce the butter content slightly in the future.

Rolling of the Truffles.

Line up both portions and roll quickly into a ball.
I used a small melon baller to form portions.

rolled truffle before coating is applied aprox. size 1 tsp.

rolling in Epicure's Mocha Cheese Ball Mixture

Completed and cut in half to show what it looks like.
Wish I could let you see what it tasted like.

I had this many made for a party I was serving these at.
Plenty of truffle mixture left for at least 4 more full trays.

When I served these at the party, I did not let anyone know who made them or what was in them, so that I could be sure of an unbiased taste test.
These are a few of the comments heard: Amazing. OMG, where did you get these? Have you tasted these, they are amazing! These are addictive!
So, I guess you get the picture.  They were a hit and yes, some of you may be getting them for Christmas, that is if you are very, very good children.

I have gone out and bought some more Green and Black's Chocolate, so I can try an intriguing recipe for lamb I found on their site.  Have a look for this product.  I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.  In the Victoria area, you can buy it at:  The Market on Yates, The Market on Millstream, or at Save-On-Foods.  Please try it for yourself and test the recipes.  This is not your ordinary chocolate.  Besides the flavour, it is Organic and Fairtrade, all very good reasons to treat yourself to this delicious confection. 

****Please note I did receive the chocolate to test at no cost, but the opinions about the product are my own, with no incentive to give a good review, other than that it met my quality standards of a product and was found worthy of high praise.

Will the walk be one of victory or humiliation? Which will it be...

Writen by Linda Gauthier

A week of parties, recipe testing and chocolate, my own personal nemesis.  That is not fair.  Chocolate is not my nemesis, but it is my weakness.  Food is my nemesis.  Good food.  Tasty food.  Wonderful beautiful food in all its array of colours and textures.  In all its ethnic flavours, colours, spices, and multitude of varieties.

I have said in the past that I have had a long love affair with food.  I don't believe that it is gluttony that drives me, it's a curiosity.  I am constantly asking myself: "how is that made? what will happen when you mix that with this? etc etc.
I was 12 years old when I tried to make a Baked Alaskan for my Dad's Birthday.  I had seen a picture in the local newspaper's weekend section.  The Times Colonist, used to have a weekender magazine in it that contained recipes, cartoons, etc, my favorite section was the recipes.  In fact, I still have some of those recipes in a binder.  My Baked Alaskan turned out to be Alaskan Floating Islands, creating a lot of laughter, but it tasted good and did not dampen my curiosity about recipes for what I considered exotic dishes.

So that explains some of my love affair with food, but it also helps to explain why I am finding this diet (hate that word) so easy to follow, because I can still explore and create with all of these wonderful herbs and spices from Epicure Selections.  So let's see what today brings.

Not a lot lost today, but it is still a loss.  I'll take it.  Only approximately 1/2 lb, but it is better than a gain.

I always try to end my blog with a laugh, so I thought I'd share something with you about my weight loss.

The other day, I was doing an Epicure party.  It was the first time I'd ever had a party where both men and women were in attendance.  Everything was going well and everyone was enjoying the food.  Twenty bright and cheerful faces all staring at me and listening attentively and then it happened.  I turned to reach for a dish and whoosh! my pants fell to my ankles!!!
Gasp, what the heck, now what?  Can't pretend that it didn't happen.  Bend down, pull them up as casual as you can, give head a shake, smile and say "I've been losing weight, now it looks like I've lost something else!"  Smile, as if this is an everyday occurrence, and then say "so now, on to what we were talking about.  This Curry Mango was used on the Chicken dish.......blah blah" brain going screaming out of the room.
Lord I was embarrassed but I couldn't run out of the room crying, and I sure didn't want to put my hostess and the guests in an even more awkward situation.  So we all had a laugh, and continued on as if the Epicure consultant dropping her drawers in the middle of a stranger's kitchen was a normal event.

Guess if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?  Another lesson taken from this, is that we get stronger as we age, or we develop real thick skin.  Not sure which it is, but it sure helped me in this matter.  I'm now doing a lot of alterations.  Not ready to buy new clothes just yet, but I'm not going to take the risk of that happening again.
This is an absolute true story, with all the humiliation incurred and embedded in my memory and soul forever, but I'm still standing and the world still turns and I go on, so it is not so bad.

Keep laughing, and laugh loud and long, and let your heart and soul rejoice.  

Just wait until they take this off of my head...
I'm going straight upstairs to pee in their shoes...

Talk to you soon and have a good day and smile.

I'm in love with an exotic sensual creature......

Well the verdict is in, I am officially in love, with Green and Black's Chocolates.  All the varieties that I have tried and used in my cooking have been amazing.  The taste perfection, the yummy smell and when you melt it, it is downright sensual.

My first attempt to use it was in one of the recipes from their website called "Marquise Au Chocolate".  A beautiful cake, very nice recipe, but I say attempt, because, well, I'm a clutz.  I made it, it was going well and looked downright decadent, then I went to move it to a cooler area.
That is when it happened, as I was carrying it down the thirteen stairs to our lower level fridge, disaster struck.  I went from having a beautiful "Marquise Au Chocolate" to "The Leaning and Rapidly Sliding Tower Au Chocolate".  Not quite the regal dessert I had envisioned.  Now what?  Company is here in 45 minutes.  No time to make another dessert, think, think, think, Linda!!!  Back to the kitchen.

Sliding the mousse off the cake base trying to preserve its and the cake's integrity, I now had two rather messy looking pieces to my dessert.   What am I going to do?  Looking around, I saw that I could make a quick butterscotch sauce and perhaps place it between the layers?  Drizzle it over the top?  I have whipping cream, whip that up.  Okay, how am I going to serve this?  Can't make the dramatic entrance and cut it at the table like I thought I would, cut it in the kitchen, plate it and then serve.  Okay, disaster averted, but still heartbroken I couldn't pull it off.

Here is a picture of what I thought it would be like, and what it did look like, until the stair mishap.

What I believe happened was that I cooked the cake in a pan that was too small, making the cake proportionately taller in the pan, and leaving less room for the mousse, hence, the top-heavy slipping action.

Even with the disaster, it was a hit.  Our friends were unaware of what had happened and thought it was wonderful, so much so, that our friend Greg, who is quite the talker, was silently enjoying every mouthful with a look of pure contentment.

Normally, it is hard to get a word in edgewise when he is excited or telling a story, but this dessert just stopped him cold.  He could not have paid me, or the chocolate, a greater compliment.

The following is the original recipe, minus the disaster, and butterscotch sauce.

Marquise Au Chocolate

Preparation time: 50 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Chilling time: overnight

Use: 9-inch springform pan with high sides and removable bottom.

Makes: 15 small, rich, slices

2 cups whole milk

¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

7 ounces dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa content, finely chopped

¼ cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder

4 large egg yolks

2/3 cup granulated sugar

CHOCOLATE TO COAT

Melted butter for greasing

1 tablespoon ground almonds, plus extra for dusting the pan

three 3.5-ounce bars dark chocolate, minimum 60%cocoa content (or two 3.5 ounce bars dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa content,and one 3.5-ounce bar Maya Gold or good-quality dark orange-flavored chocolate), broken into pieces

1 ¼ cups sugar

2/3 cup (1 ¼ sticks) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

pinch sea salt or kosher salt

5 large eggs

MOUSSE

9 ounces dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa content,broken into pieces

¾ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

5 large eggs, separated

2/3 cup whipping cream

cocoa powder for dusting

Preheat the over to 350°F. Brush the pan with melted butter and dust with the ground almonds, shaking off any excess.

To make the cake, melt the chocolate, sugar, butter,and salt in a large, heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then remove bowl from the pan.

Whisk the eggs with the ground almonds and fold into the chocolate mixture. Continue to fold until the mixture thickens. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about two hours before starting the mousse.

To make the mousse, melt the chocolate in a large,heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and add half the confectioners' sugar, stir, then whisk in the butter. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Set the mixture aside.

Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks start to form. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar and continue whisk until glossy. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form.

Add one-third of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and carefully fold to blend. Gently fold in the remaining whites, alternating with the whipped cream. Do not over mix, but ensure that the mixture is well blended. Pour the mousse over the cooled cake in the cake pan and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the pan from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving. Dip a metal spatula into boiling water, dry it, and slide it around the sides of the cake to loosen it from the pan, then remove the ring. Re-heat the metal spatula in boiling water, dry it, and gently smooth the sides of the mousse.

Place the cake, still on the pan's bottom, onto a large round serving plate. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving. Serve with crème fraiche or a custard sauce.

Here is a face the exemplifies the face we all had when eating this yummy dessert .  Take a look a "Green & Black's Organic Chocolates" web site Here is a link to their Facebook page as well lots of interesting information and recipes available here.

Purrfection and contentment

 Keep smiling and try this recipe you'll agree it is very very good.

Have a great day.

****Please note I did receive the chocolate to test at no cost, but the opinions about the product are my own, with no incentive to give a good review other than it met my standards of a quality product and worth of high praise. 

We need your help. Please read Stephen's story

Hi everybody,

I'm making a very special request.  Please read this blog entry from my friend Stephen Childs, he needs your help and so do a lot of other people he wants to help with his winnings.  He is a great guy, with a big heart and a big opportunity.  Please spare us a few minutes.

Stephen's original email to me and others is as follows:


Hiya,

As you know I’m gearing up my efforts for the Recipe to Riches finale.  I would greatly appreciate if you could circulate the story below to your family, friends and networks far and wide in advance of the December 5-7th online voting, which determines the winner of the $250,000 prize.

It’s so exciting to share this adventure with you, and I hope I can count on your continued support to the end;
  His message to you his new friends I hope:

This message is from someone you know who thinks you should hear my story – you can directly help me in my 1 in 7 chance to win $250,000!  A portion of my winnings will go to support local food initiatives like Food Banks across Canada.

My name is Stephen Childs. I live in Victoria, BC, but grew up in Buckhorn, ON, at my family's small business, Scotsman Point Resort. My parents Andrea and Norm, taught my siblings and I that anything was possible; I never thought that I would find myself on national television.

I auditioned for a Food Network TV show called Recipe to Riches; a contest for home cooks. My creation, Chipotle Chili Bites, basically chili self-contained in its own cornmeal bowl got the nod from the judges and I became a finalist in the Savory Snacks Category.  I went on to win my category on October 24th, making my newly named – Chipotle Chili Slams  - a President’s Choice product available in stores across Canada and earning me $25,000.

I am now one of seven finalists competing for the grand prize of $250,000. The winner will be decided based on votes by Canadians – like you! Voting is open online at only from December 5-7th.

Food and cooking have been a central part of my life.  I'm excited to share the values of good healthy food and eating together with my wife Jen as we raise our 16 month old daughter Della.  My winnings so far have been a great help to our young family, for which I feel very blessed and I am also excited to be able to give back to my community in a meaningful way. 

I’m proud to tell you I have donated $3000 of my winnings to local food causes, including the Victoria food bank, which can purchase $3 of food for every $1 donated!  I believe access to quality food and nutrition is essential to building our communities.  Should I be fortunate to win the grand prize, I have made a commitment to financially support food based initiatives across Canada, such as Quest Food Exchange in Vancouver.

I'm appealing to you for your support and to vote online December 5-7th at www.recipetoriches.ca.  

Follow these links to the Food Network where you can find out more background and watch my episode. You can check me out on Facebook or follow me on twitter @Childsfood.  Please forward this on to others you think would be supportive.

Yours in good food,

Stephen Childs
childssm@gmail.com


Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

You could be helping people who don't have a lot of support at time when it is getting really cold out there and they really need our help.  You would also be helping young families in need, and also a very wonderful young man and his young family.  Please vote for him online at Recipe to Riches.








Here is the original recipe used by Stephen to win  his first round.

Chipotle Chili Slams

Stephen Childs' yummy chili bites have big flavour and are vegetarian.
Courtesy of Food Network Canada
***This original recipe was tested and modified to make it suitable for use in a home kitchen.***
Preparation time: 30 minutes 
Cooking time: 120 minutes 
Yield: 12

Ingredients

Chipotle Chili Filling

2 tablespoons (25 ml) olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 can (19 oz/540 ml) bean medley, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz/398 ml) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz/398 ml) baked beans in tomato sauce
1 can (14 oz/398 ml) refried beans
2 cans (each 28 oz/796 ml) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) frozen corn or drained canned corn
5 bay leaves
2 tablespoons (25 ml) pureed canned chipotles in adobo sauce

Polenta

3 1/2 cups (875 ml) vegetable stock
2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (500 ml) cornmeal
1 Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Chipotle Chili Filling

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion and red pepper for 6 to 8 minutes or until soft.
Stir in bean medley, chick peas, baked beans, refried beans, diced tomatoes and juices, corn, bay leaves and chipotle puree.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low; partially cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove and discard bay leaves. 
Place 1-1/2 cups (375 ml) of the chili in a food processor; pulse on and off until roughly chopped. 
Set aside remaining chili for later use. Cool pureed chili to room temperature. 
Divide cooled, pureed chili among cups of a 12-cup silicone muffin pan. 
Place in freezer. Freeze for 2 hour or until frozen solid.

Polenta

Lightly oil two 12-cup muffin tins. In medium saucepan, bring 4 cups (1 L) water, stock, salt, garlic and pepper to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Gradually whisk in cornmeal.
Cook for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly, or until polenta is thickened and smooth.
Place scant ¼ cup (50 ml) polenta in each of oiled muffin cups.
Top with one frozen chili ball; press down until polenta squished up the sides about ¼ inch (5 mm) above top of muffin tin. 
Smooth polenta over chili balls to cover.
Freeze for 30 to 60 minutes or until chili bites are firm.
In heavy bottomed, large saucepan, heat 1-inch (2.5 cm) oil to 350°F (180°C). In batches, fry frozen chili bites for 12 to 16 minutes, turning once, or until golden brown. Drain on paper-towel lined tray. Serve warm with fresh coriander to garnish.

Challenges, Changes and Constructive Conversations

written by Linda Gauthier

I have set a challenge for myself and that is that I try something new each week, or I should rather say, a couple somethings new each week.  At least a new recipe and a new activity.  I want to challenge myself to reach and stretch, to try stretching my boundaries, to try some things I may be uncomfortable doing.   What these somethings are, I have no idea.

I'm doing this because, for the first time in my life, I have the freedom to do so.  I don't have the everyday pressure of going to work, of having 3 children that need me to take care of their needs, nor to meet the demands of others, and it is a wonderful release.  I also have the desire to keep my mind active, and I am also of the age where I can still be physically active.

My first job, other than babysitting, was when I had just turned fourteen and a half.  In fact, I nearly didn't get it, because they were not legally allowed to hire me until I was 15.  It was a job working in a kitchen washing dishes, setting tables, serving food, earning a grand total of 50 cents an hour.  I was sure I was going to be rich, plus the other perk, it was at the boys' school.  For a 15 year old hormonal teenage girl, the money was secondary to the feast of handsome young men she was able to see everyday, and when you are the only young woman working there, you definitely have heads turning.  Great for the ego!!  One of the best jobs ever, however, I was not to know that it was only the first in an endless array of jobs over the next 45 years.  Now is the time I get to examine and learn who and what I want to be when I grow up and I am truly looking forward to this stage of life.

So today's challenge is the weigh-in, followed by making a recipe for  a dessert.  I have been asked to do a product review for a company called "Green and Blacks Organic Chocolate", and I will be making "Marquise Au Chocolate" this evening with some of the samples they sent me.  I will also be doing a couple more recipes with it this week.  I must say I feel quite honoured to be asked to do this review.

So here is the weigh-in pic for this week, let's see what I have done today.

I'm down again, so my goal is looking achievable; it is getting closer and closer and I just can't believe it.  My total weight loss is 28.2 lbs since September 1st and 1.2 lbs this week.  Steady and true and totally invigorating, if you could see me now you'd see me giving myself a happy hug and a doing the bum jiggle happy dance.  
Unless you have lived with the lifelong belief that you needed to lose weight and you thought it was impossible, you probably don't understand the pure joy you feel, when you finally are able to do it, and you do it because YOU want to, not because someone else is saying "you have such a pretty face if only...", or "if you lost that weight, you'd be happy...", or "if you lost that weight, I'd love you more...", etc. etc.

When I met my husband, he accepted me as I am.  Lumps and bumps and all my ups and downs.  I never felt it was necessary to change for him, because he always said: "I love you for who you are", but it has taken me until now to find the time to sit still and love myself for who I am, and what I can do, and to take some time for me, and that, I believe, is the change, and why it is finally happening so easily for me this time

Have a great day,and I'll talk to you soon.