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Prima Donna, Mojitos, and Sun!

Summer's been a bit sporadic on the west coast thus far: any and all sunshine-y days remain comfortably lodged between week long rain spells. Yesterday was so dreary, summer felt like a million miles away. I shivered at the thought of baring my legs or taking a dip in the ocean. Uh uh, no thank you! Not when it's raining so hard that wetness rebounds back into my face when I'm walking to my car, or when the high is only 14! degrees!!

And yet,

The sun came out today, and it felt like this was the way it had been all along. All glowy and warm and fabulous. Everything has seem so weighted down, completely water-logged and soggy, but when that sun came out, even the saddest of shrubs perked up, myself included.

And let me tell you, I am ENJOYING THIS SUN! I've had a super busy day of doing nothing but lounging in the backyard, eating fresh local strawberries, and drinking one of these:

There is something about drinking a mojito out of a wine glass and soaking up the sun sprawled across a lounge chair that makes me feel a bit like a Prima Donna, and I'm kind of loving it. Oh sweet sunshine, you bring out the best in everyone. Now would you please stick around just a little bit longer...?

Even if these sunny days are few and far between, these are the summer days I live for. My skin is rosy and freckled, and my body and soul feels rejuvenated. I'm going to raise my glass to that.

Strawberry Mojitos

Yield: 2 servings

I like to drink my mojitos SANS alcohol! But that just means you can drink more and never get wasted (win!). The combination of lime and mint is the most refreshing one I can think of, especially on a glorious sunny day.

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, divided

4 tablespoons simple syrup, divided (or to taste)

Juice from 4 fresh limes

Club Soda

Ice Cubes

Fresh Strawberries, sliced

1 oz. rum (optional!)

Muddle together the mint, simple syrup, and lime juice. Divide between two glasses. Add ice cubes, a couple of slices of strawberries, and rum (if using) to each glass. Top with club soda, stir, and enjoy!

Go-To

If you were to show up at my door unannounced and say, "Jacqueline, I'm starving. Feed me!", I would. I would whip you up a batch of cookies without a doubt, because cookies are one of my main areas of interest in life. Seriously. A good cookie is not hard to come by, but a great one... well, I've got a few of those up my cookie repertoire sleeve (so to speak). You'd also be in for a huge bowl full of Fried Chickpea Salad (or garbanzo bean salad, as K likes to say), which I personally consume three days a week on average. Needless to say, I'd fill you up good.

I must admit that on a day to day basis, I am the most boring eater ever. I won't let you in on that secret when I cook for you. But I'm just saying, when when it comes to cooking for only me, I am e-a-s-y to please. You see, when I find a recipe I love, I am faithful to it until the end of time, or until I get tired of it (whichever comes first). For example, on the average day, I would far rather make myself my usual toad-in-the-hole breakfast than research a more sophisticated way of preparing eggs. While we're on the subject though, toad-in-the-holes are not only incredibly tasty, but they are very resourceful and inventive! Anyway, my point here is that I have a handful of go to recipes that I use and reuse over and over, and I like it that way.

This recipe for Fried Chickpea Salad is one of those ones that I consider a staple in my diet. My go-to meal. I have yet to grow tired of it, even after our multi-year relationship. I like it warm, or cold. And it doesn't really matter the time of day to eat it either. I am quite certain a few remaining chickpeas once found their way inside my early morning omelette, and I know for sure they've made an excellent midnight snack.

Fried Chickpea Salad

The key to this salad being delicious lies in your hands. You need to be heavy-handed with the salt. Too little will yield you a totally boring, bland salad. Keep adding, gradually!, until you've reached an adequate amount. You'll know, cause the salad will suddenly pop, filling your mouth with a bounty of flavours.

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 a medium sized red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Coarse sea salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a skillet, saute onion in oil until soft. Add spices, stir, and continue to saute for 3 minutes. Add chickpeas, lemon juice, and salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, add cilantro, and add more salt as needed. I like to eat the chickpeas on a bed of arugula, topped with avocado, or all on its own.

Sweet Teeth and Rhubarb

I have a sweet tooth that is as deep as the ocean and as high as the sky. That is to say that my sweet tooth is practically infinite. I wonder if my love for sugar is genetic, if maybe I was born this way. But I've since discovered all these articles suggesting that sugar is a kind of drug that, once introduced into our diets, we forever crave. Therefore, this love of sweets must have been learned. And I think I know where it all began.

Pretty well all of my early childhood memories take place at my grandparents house in Burnaby. This place was an oasis, an escape from reality in a sense. I remember a lot of things about that house. I remember climbing to the top of the great maple tree in the front yard, where I would sit for hours, thinking, writing, spying on unsuspecting next door neighbours, and dreaming of far away lands. I hid from the world within a thick blanket of the tree's dark, dense leaves. I also remember the freezer in the basement, which my Grandma would fill with Popsicles, Revellos and Fudgesicles. We never had such fun treats at my house (Grandma also had a cupboard filled with forbidden snacks such as Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, and Fruit Roll Up's!). I once found an entire tray of Petite Fours tucked away in the freezer. I distinctly remember pulling out the box and popping the beautifully decorated sugary squares into my mouth one after the other after the other while I sat perched on top of the freezer. All this goes to say that my love of sweets was fueled by my grandparents, who filled my belly time and time again with all sorts of sugary snacks.

Another memory I have of that big beautiful house was the rhubarb plant in the backyard that nearly consumed an entire plot of land. I remember it's bright red stalks that grew as past my knees and leaves as big as my head. I remember my horror when I took a bite out of one of the luscious stalks and discovered how incredibly awful it was capable of tasting. I couldn't feel my tongue for a week. Strangely enough, I don't remember ever trying rhubarb again until after my grandpa passed away, and after my grandma sold their home. Somehow rhubarb made it's way back into my life, in far tastier forms such as tarts, pies, and gelato. My sweet tooth prohibits me from turning down a slice of pie, and it so happens that rhubarb combined with sugar, and a tiny bit of grated orange zest tastes really damn good. Old memories dissolved, and voila! Rhubarb is one of my all time favorite spring ingredients.

Last week it was nice enough to put burgers on the grill and eat dinner outside in the sun. Sunshine don't come easy these days so to celebrate the occasion, I volunteered to make dessert. Rhubarb is in season and I was feeling slightly sentimental so I opted for something comforting: Rhubarb Crumb Cake. Light and buttery, sweet and crumbly, slightly tart from the rhubarb, and completely perfect for a spring evening spent on the patio... straight up rhubarb love. I keep calling it a crumb cake because you do make a bunch of delicious sugary crumbs to sprinkle on top, although I suppose it is also a kind of Coffee cake. Technicalities aside, this cake satisfied my sweet tooth in a totally adequate way. And I got my rhubarb fix. Win! When the rain settled in again the next morning, it made a balanced meal accompanied by a big mug of tea. That's what's so nice about this cake: it's appropriate for any kind of weather, no matter how bipolar.

I am thankful for springtime (regardless of it's rude weather), rhubarb, and grandparents who were kind enough to nurture my sweet tooth which otherwise may not exist today.

Big Crumb Coffee Cake with Rhubarb

Adapted from The New York Times 6/6/07

Butter for greasing pan

For the rhubarb filling:

1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

For the crumbs:

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, melted

1 3/4 cups cake flour

For the cake:

1/3 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup cake flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. For filling, slice rhubarb 1/2 inch thick and toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices, and slat into melted butter until smooth. Then, add flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. It will look and feel like solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of a small bowl and set aside.

To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.

Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over rhubarb; it does not have to be even.

Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Garden!- Week One

It's still 14 degrees and raining in Vancouver. Spring, where are you!? I decided to try my luck and run away to the East Coast for the entire month, but it rained there too. Really.

I got home on Monday and was delighted to find that my dad had planted the vegetable garden. Apparently, it was sunny and warm for a weekend, and our garden (which normally is planted a month earlier) finally beckoned to be planted. And so plant he did. Three varieties of beets, three kinds of lettuces, two varieties of carrots, and some kale and swiss chard. As promised, I plan on charting the garden's progress. Here we are at week one:

Markers, letting us know what is what! I picked these up at Chapters, believe it or not. But you can find them anywhere. My dad normally just uses popsicle sticks, but I was looking for something a bit more cute this year. If you are planting a huge garden, I suggest you use markers. Things get confusing otherwise! And it's always nice to be organized.

This is what the garden looks like right now. Nothing growing yet! But with a bit of sunshine and a whole lot of whispered sweet nothings, there will be a lot growing soon!

We're growing a lot of fruit this year as well. Blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and apples! Here we have real live blueberry blossoms! This is a good sign! That means that we will have real live blueberries soon. These bushes were planted last summer, at the end of the growing season so we were unable to harvest any. Blueberry bushes are a nice option for those looking for a bit of aesthetic appeal during the winter. The branches of the blueberry bushes turn bright red in the winter, providing a bit of much needed colour during the most drab months of the year. Then, in the summer they bare luscious, plump berries. Win!

And look! I found some apple blossoms. Last year we also planted some apple trees in the backyard. Each tree contains four different varieties of apples. Seriously! Don't question! The tree didn't produce any apples last year, but it looks like this year will be a different story! Blossoms = baby fruit!

And then we've got a plethora of fresh herbs! We are growing rosemary, thyme, chives, basil, cilantro, and mint (pictured below). If you are unable to grow a garden due to your living circumstances (ex: you live on the 50th floor of an apartment building), herbs are a great option that allow you to feel as though you are capable of being a real life gardener. They grow really well and don't take up much space, which is perfect for those with tiny living areas! Plus, fresh herbs always ALWAYS taste better than dried! To recap: they look gorgeous, smell fantastic, don't take up much room, are easy to grow, and taste DELISH.

So this is where we're at right now! Watching everything come to life is really quite special and magical. I'll be back soon, with lots of yummy things to share (triple chocolate scones, yes!). But in the meantime, plant something! and watch it grow. Really, it's incredible.

Alive again

I finished my final essay for the semester at 2 am last night. When I woke up this morning, it was as though, on cue, all my joy and all my creative energy returned, back after a 4 month hiatus. And finally, I feel I've been brought back to life.

I'm so looking forward to this period of time where I'll have a bit more time to focus my attention on other areas of my life. Friends, for example, who so graciously put up with my stress and inconsistency during the school year. You all deserve a huge high-five and an award for being genuinely awesome. And let me tell you, I've got a lot of catching up with myself to do. Over the course of the next four months, I hope to learn and grow in more than just an academic sense. I am going to challenge myself, work on being more patient, clean up my language, and get in touch with the creative side of my brain again. You know, that kind of thing.

I'm happy to report that I'll be writing in this space more frequently now, giving you updates on the vegetable garden, farmer's market treasures, and of course, more insanely yummy recipes. But for now, I'm leaving you with a list. Yeah, another list. It's time to get the ball rolling and a list is the best place to start.

Summer Self Project

-Perfect my banana bread recipe : Kyran bought me some banana bread from Whole Foods the other day and I was absolutely delighted by it's comforting simplicity. Truly sometimes, less is more.

- Perfect my coconut macaroon recipe : I like coconut in all forms, but after some extensive trials of macaroons all over North America, I realize I've still got some work to do. Trust me, I'll let you know when I find it.

- Read these books : Finally, finally, freedom to read what I want!

- Continue going to the gym 4-5 times a week, and when the time is right, do the Grouse Grind once a week: Not only is working out an excellent way to relive stress, it elevates your mood when you aren't feeling so good and it makes you look better. Woo!

- Continue eating in a way that nourishes my body and makes me feel good: Eating well = feeling well.

- Start sewing again and doing more diy projects: A friend of mine who is a gorgeous designer has been inspiring me beyond belief to break out my sewing machine and make some pretty things.

- Get back in touch with the people who matter most: Tis the season for biking through the streets at midnight, bbq's in the backyard, and laughing like madpeople

- Take photos of everything : There is nothing more inspiring than the light at this time of year. Long, sunny days make for beautiful pictures.

- Write : a novel, a masterpiece, a journal entry, a thought, an idea, a blog post. I can make sense of almost anything once I've written it down on paper.

- Successfully grow a multitude of heirloom tomatoes: I've grown one or two plants every year with mixed results. I always manage to successfully grow the heirloom grape varieties, but the larger ones have not met my standards yet. This is the year for huge, juicy, sun-ripened heirlooms!

- Make homemade brioche burger buns - Burger buns are typically the most disappointing part of a burger. People neglect to give the bun any respect, but I'm telling you: IT IS IMPORTANT. The best burgers I have had come sandwiched between impossibly light and buttery brioche buns and I'm making it my mission to achieve these results.

And there is so much more, but for now, finally, it is time to sleep and dream.

See you soon.

Sunday Night Traditions

Home made pizza: prosciutto, peppadew peppers, onions, spinach, and fresh mozzarella

Soundtrack: John Coltrane "A Love Supreme"