A Revelation and a New Adventure

Hi friends.
Its me.
Are you still out there?  I haven't posted much this month and I'm feeling a tad guilty about it.

While I very seldomly talk about life in one full post there are always little snippets of my world I try to incorporate, but today, I thought maybe I should share some wonderful news with you and a bit of background leading up to it.

You may not know that I have been a stay at home mom for the last 2 years.
I had worked like a dog for most of my short life, always trying to go that extra mile for everyone, no matter what the circumstances or situations were - especially my job.  I was married to it, I loved it, I enjoyed meeting new people, working with my clients and traveling for it as well, not to mention always trying to go the extra distance for my bosses.  Then one day I woke up and my life as I knew it was changing.  And it wasn't for the good, or so I thought!

I like to think it was an act of God, intervening in my crazy life by striking me with some anxiety issues forcing me to re evaluate my career path, my choices, the way I thought and acted because of my thoughts.  I can only now appreciate this.
My body was full of stress and apparently it felt it was time to jump off a cliff, forcing me to recoup.  Seems now, looking back, I can understand how and why it happened but at the time all I could think was "what the heck is going on, am I going crazy, I want my life back" GO AWAY.

I am sure those of you who suffer from any form of anxiety or panic would completely agree when I say that it is the most disturbing thing in the world to go from what we deem is our "norm" to feeling helpless and not in control.  And I'm a control freak - I can admit it.

What did I do?  I cried, a lot, I worried, abundantly, I sought out a councillor to help me understand why and how this happened, and I spent my time in the kitchen.
I've always used the kitchen as my crutch, even when I was younger.  Mad, bake cookies, upset, make a cake.  Therapy with a happy reward :)

This brings me to my new adventure, a new chapter in my life.  Something I hope will continue because it encompasses not only my love of creating and baking but a sort of therapy without the huge bill at the end and I am happy, truly happy to have the opportunity.

I've been interning at a local cake shop 2 days a week!!!
How perfect right?  Mad, bake cookies, upset, make cupcakes!
Its this quaint little nook of a storefront with an antiquey charm, a seating area by a cozy fireplace with a tv that shows.....cooking shows! HEAVEN!
Best part of it all?
My boss, Karey.  She's wonderful.  Caring, trusting, appreciative and her passion for what she does is inspiring.  Her cakes are works of art and I wanted to learn from her. 
I'm sure she thought I was crazy offering to volunteer at her new store but for me, it was so much more.
Not only can I do something I love to do, get myself out of the house and interact socially more than the norm and learn some new things but I could do something for her.  I saw my parents start a business many years ago and work feverishly just the two of them, but when they found someone to help them out a few hours a week it seemed to change them, and that's what I wanted to give to her.  A sense of stress release, even if its just a few days a week.
I hope this relationship grows into beautiful pastiage flowers!!

So, I don't need wishes of luck or sympathy for what I have gone through, after soul searching and kitchen creating I am happy with my choices now and only have the future to look forward to - one that allows me to do something for myself, have more time for my family, keep my sanity and hopefully help others!  It;s funny how life can seem to be the way you want it to be until a wrench is thrown into the mix and only then do you realize you have so much more out there!

On that note, I'm making cupcakes as part of a R&D project so that'll be my next post, stay tuned :)

Mash Up Monday! Spicy Pasta with Tuna Meatballs

I can barely contain myself as I type.
I am so excited to post this recipe for you. 
It's been a while since there's been a MashUp Monday meal but this week, not only is it a mashup its meatless (which seems to be the "trend" - Meatless Mondays, pffft I like my meat)

The idea came about by way of a company, Aurora Importing, who has just recently started what they call "Recipideo Roundup".  Every month they create a YouTube video of a simple recipe for folks to try, which also has the opportunity to win gift certificates for their online store (in Canada).
Now, you can follow the recipe to a tee or you can be creative.
Obviously I don't follow a mold especially when its a new recipe - I like to ensure there are items in the dish that my family is going to eat.

This month's recipideo was for a spicy tuna pasta.
Sounded good to me.
Except I don't eat fish.
I will however eat tuna from a can, but as I just told my mother, I have to "WANT" to have that, a craving as you will. (which happens maybe 3 or 4 times a year).

The video depicted taking jarred tuna stored in oil and tossing it into the sauce.
I'll stop you right there - not eating it.  Its got chunks of fish.  Nope.  Won't do it.
The fam probably wouldn't eat it either.
How can I make this dish into something I would eat?
Meatballs - of course (light bulb pulsating above my head)

Thank you to Aurora Importing for helping my creative juices flow and allowing me to change up my pasta dish from including meat!

Why is this a mashup you ask?  Simply put - who makes tuna into meatballs?  Nough said.

Try it, enjoy it!
I'm Listening to:  Got You Where I Want You - The Fly's

Shnazzy Dogz

Every now and then I like to bring my son back to when I was a kid.  Reminisce.
Not by suggesting that I walked 5 miles to school in the ravaging cold with a backpack full of what felt like a ton of bricks, rather making foods that I ate when I was little.

There are some things of course that I wouldn't subject him to. 
Like liver.  My mom used to make it (I know I had it at least once) and when we ate there was no dog under the table to pass off the grossness so you KNOW you had to sit there until it was cold, even more disgusting and choke it down.
I`m not about recreating the bad food memories (foodemory) - I wont eat it to this day!

One great foodemory I`m sure we all share is the pb & j sammies, crusts cut off, sliced in little triangles right?  What about ants on a log?  Or even mac n cheese and hot dogs!  You know, cut all up, placed on top?  I think that may be the first ideas of visual plating as a child.

The other night I was hankering for a hot dog.  I know, processed, its not something I eat often but it was calling my name.  I started thinking of ways to shnaz it up.  Not that ketchup, mustard, sliced onions and relish aren't good condiments.  Also thinking that it needed to be "a meal" and not just a snack.
AHHHAAAA
Lets just add some creamy homemade mac n cheese to that mix.  But no, not on the plate with the dog sliced up, ON the dog.
OH YA
And since I have a hate on for eating macaroni with ketchup I figured something else was in order.
Creamy, flavorful caramelized onions.
Yup
WINNER.
I'm telling you, wanna channel your inner kid?  MAKE THIS!

The Mac n Cheez Dog

hot dogs
buns
caramelized onions
mac n cheese

Onions:
1 red onion sliced
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Slice up your onions.  Add your butter to a cast iron pan on low/med (or non stick pan if you don't have one).  Toss in your onions, season.  Stir to ensure the onions all have butter attached to them.  This is a slow process (about 15 minutes or so).  Stir around occasionally.

Make your cheese sauce - link here
Drop down your pasta.  I used the noodles from a box of Kraft dinner so that they fit nicely on the bun but you could use whatever you have kickin around.
Steam your hot dogs (and your buns if you want).  If you don't have a steamer, make one using a pot with a an inch or 2 of water with a sieve/colander, make sure to put a lid on.
Assemble by putting a thin layer of mac n cheese, your dog, a little more mac then add a layer of caramelized onions.
DEVOUR

I'm Listening to:  Best of You - Foo Fighters