HAPPY 2012!

Someone said the days between Christmas and New Year’s are like one long Sunday.
Like most Sundays, I don’t want it to end; I’m catching up on all those things I’ve been putting off; I did the massive pile of laundry that’s been taunting me for the last two months.
I found a moment last night to watch ‘For Lovers Only’, a movie I’ve been meaning to watch since July!

I even played tourist and took the Aquabus to Granville Island.
I don’t remember the last time I went to Granville Island just for fun.
This time I walked around leisurely, idled in little shops, had superb coffee and spent a ton of time at the Children’s market wishing I could get every kid I know a toy from there.

I sang along to Les Champs-Élysées and it lifted my spirits in the way only singing out loud and carefree in public does.

I even stopped by the market to grab a few ingredients for dinner, I always do this when I’m at Granville Island; I find the freshest looking produce stall and let a vegetable jump out at me.

I spotted a variety of peppers… bell, poblano, banana, and jalapeño peppers.
And I saw lovely shiitake mushrooms, and I knew they were coming home with me to star in my famous roasted mushroom and peppers.
I’ve made several adaptations of this mushroom and roasted peppers because it’s so easy to make and it’s a hit every time.

Naan with roasted mushrooms, peppers and pesto

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Is where I want to be…

~Vancouver~

~Paris~

It’s been raining since Christmas Eve!
This might sound like an exaggeration but it’s not, it’s rained for three days straight.
I usually don’t mind the incessant rain; I signed up got this, I live in one of the rainiest regions in the world, except for as long as I’ve lived here we’ve never had this much rain during the holidays.
It’s a bit unsettling, I’ve had to reschedule plans – I stayed in bed all day yesterday, putting off things for “when the rain stops”.
Staying home has its advantages though; I managed to make a batch of hummus, and proceeded to eat my weight in said hummus.

I made hummus for the first time ever a few months ago, and literally kicked myself for not having done it earlier.
Homemade hummus tastes so much better, it’s customizable as per whim, and best of all, it’s very easy to make.
It’s just the right kind of food to prepare when the weather has you in the doldrums, because once you’re done, you can’t stop eating it and it’s oddly comforting.
So if you ever find yourself at home a second afternoon in a row with the sound of the rain outside your window… remember that rain pairs well with hummus.

I tend to eat it with everything; not just carrots and pita bread, I eat it with rice and peas, as sandwich spread, pizza sauce, with pasta or anything else that sounds good with hummus.

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Christmas day always feels a little rushed to me.
It’s like you spend weeks in anticipation of this one day, and when it finally arrives, a day just doesn’t seem enough.
Maybe it’s just me, but the hours just seem to whizz on by Christmas day.
Still, I had a comforting Christmas day, the kind I’ve come to appreciate after that Christmas a few years ago we spent with my mom at the Cancer Agency.
We spent this Christmas Eve dining with friends, got home very late, raced to finish wrapping presents and did not get to to bed until after 3AM.
I slept in on Christmas morning; it was a wet dreary day that didn’t quite feel like Christmas Day.
It was afternoon by the time we sat around the tree to open presents.
We were hungry by then, so it’s a good thing I planned breakfast/brunch the day before, otherwise we’d have gorged ourselves on holiday candy like we usually do.
I knew I wanted a quick, healthy and delicious breakfast; I had some leftover apples from the apple pie I made for last night’s dinner, and baked apple oatmeal sounded perfect for Christmas brunch.
This oatmeal is packed with fruit, has just the right sweetness, tastes wonderful and nourishing.
I topped mine with peanuts, pomegranate, and more almond milk, it felt like dessert.

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Christmas Day Baked Apple Oatmeal
INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• ¼ cup turbinado sugar (plus a teaspoon)
• 1 large apple cored and diced (I used jazz apple)
• ½ cup blueberries
• ¼ cup cranberries
• ¼ cup raisins
• 2 cups almond milk (plus more, depending on your preference)
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

 
DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350F / 176C, butter a baking dish and set aside
2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, apples, blueberries, cranberries, and raisins and salt
3. Add the milk, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, salt and baking powder, and mix well
4. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over the top of the mixture
5. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
7. Add toppings and serve warm with more milk
8. Enjoy

I let it bake in the oven while we opened presents, I wish I were one of those people who didn’t care about presents but I’m not, I love opening presents!
I love watching loved ones open presents too; the excitement on my mom’s face, the way she lingers and painstakingly opens every present. My brother Joe’s childlike elation at his newest favourite gadget.
It’s unfortunate, but we don’t spend happier moments like that together often enough – we’re usually never all together in one place, happy and worry-free.

And the presents… the present were nice too.
A generous and kind Santa came…

I’m always grateful for books on photography, I don’t usually buy them myself, but I’ve learnt so much from the few I’ve managed to collect over the years. These would would no doubt be a great addition.