Welcome Back Friends

I unpacked more boxes this weekend. As I mentioned in my column two weeks ago, I love my books. I hadn't seen my cookbooks in months so it was lovely to be back in their company. We even have a new book on the shelf. Welcome Baby Cakes!

There's a story behind so many of these. Chantal gave me ExtraVeganZa--some of her dishes are in the photos because it's her friend's book. Klaudia gave me The Compassionate Cook, which contains my all-time favourite chilli recipe. Anyone who knows me has tried it. A Great Bowl of Soup was a birthday gift from Shari--I love the tomato-lentil soup. I found Cooking With the Dead in a used bookstore one summer when I was feeling particularly crunchy. Then, there's my Moosewood Cookbooks: samosas, butternut squash soup, zippy cheese sauce, Moosewood Brownies (oh...my old gluten guzzling days). The famous BUDDHA'S JEWELS can be found between these pages. That's another story.

Mike bought The Joy of Cooking when we first met because he wanted to cook for me.

I'm still waiting.

Kid-Friendly Yam Fries

I bought ten pounds of yams from Clover Gardens in Soperton. I've had luck getting my young foodie to eat them in the form of "fries."

I found this recipe in my copy of ExtraVeganZa: Original Recipes from Phoenix Organic Farm by Laura Matthias. I highly reccomend both the book and the recipe (which I shortened a little).

Baked Paprika Yam Sticks

3-5 yams
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
dashes paprika and nutmeg


Slice the yams into wedges--place in a bowl and coat with oil and spices--spread onto a cookie sheet--bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes--bake longer for crispier fries

I just have to say that one of my best parenting discoveries has been books on tape/CD. We have signed a bunch out from the library and they provide a wonderful alternative to television. In fact, I'm writing this post in peace thanks to Curious George Goes Camping. I'm also pleased, and somewhat reluctant, to report that the Brockville Public Library has Skippyjon Jones on CD! Our caregiver said that she couldn't get the song out of her head at three in the morning the other night.

Now, Kieran approaches me, extends his arm imploringly, and exclaims, "Not your beans!"

Holy frijoles!

How to Miss the Sea

My son and I are captivated by this book--maybe because we're both missing the beach. It's beautifully written and illustrated. The whimsical watercolour paintings are evocative of the sea. Kieran studies the detailed photos, picking out star fish and sea shells. In Can You Catch a Mermaid? by Jane Ray, the main character, Eliza, has to overcome her own need to hold onto her dear friend through deception. There's nothing syrupy about this story and the ending is layered. We signed out the CD version narrated by Dervla Kirwan from our library. Kieran listens to it while I'm making dinner and often re-plays it.

I explore the mythology of mermaids in my novel when Kira almost drowns.

Kira saw herself with irridescent scales, with sea grass twining around her legs, pulling her down for eels to dance through her green hair. Strong starfish contracted on her skin and the jagged edge of sea shells pierced promises into her feet. She would stay on the bottom of the sea with the swirl of life churning around her.

Wolf Suit

Just finished reading Where the Wild Things Are to my son.

Love the way it opens: "The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another..."

Perfect considering my boy wore a metaphorical wolf suit all day today.

This book has it all: poetry, characterization, the heroic quest. It's one of my favourite stories because it gives children mastery over that which makes them feel powerless, like monsters...and parents.

Then, there's the imagination.

he sailed off through night and day...

Can't wait to see the film.