Detox Days 10 & 11

I couldn't blog about it yesterday - I simply couldn't. I had window-washing arm fatigue. Oh, it was horrible. I wasn't even sure I'd be able to chop up veggies for my salad, but I persevered.

Not sure where all the energy came from, but I went to town with my spring cleaning yesterday. I hadn't realize that could be possible without the aid of a cappuccino. Live and learn, eh!

Our family was paid a surprise visit from my in laws yesterday. They were kind enough to offer us an ice cream excursion. Don't think I didn't consider it, because I did. Not only did I consider it, but I had actually made a conscious decision to CHEAT by indulging in a kiddie cone at Paloma Gelateria & Cafe. I had even decided that I would get Donatella (that's the Nutealla flavoured goodness that is pure evil....oxymorons rock!).

When we arrived at Paloma, the detox diva in me couldn't do it. Nope. I didn't do it. I sat there, waiting patiently for everyone to finish their gelato (as my eyes nearly popped out of my head & I salivated like a tiger in a butcher shop). Then I went home & had my rice cake & apple butter snack with a lovely chamomile lavender tea. How'd ya like them apples?

Day 10
breakfast - funky cereal w/ banana & almond milk
lunch- brown rice pasta w/ grilled chicken breast
snack - mango
snack - pistachio nuts & an apple
dinner - salad w/ tuna
snack - rice cakes w/ apple butter

Day 11
breakfast - oatmeal w/ bananas
lunch - Mediterranean quinoa salad
snack - apple sauce & almonds
dinner - curried butternut squash soup & 2 rice cakes w/ apple butter
I'll have another snack later on... maybe some grapes & nuts. Not grapenuts (hahahahahahahahaha) ehem.

Detox Day 9

If ever there was a day when I was entitled to cheat my detox into oblivion, it was today. From a wild goose chase for Miss 6's ballet slippers (which have disappeared into thin air, along with her brand new sun hat) to madness at the mall, it was hellish to say the very least.

What is wrong with people in shopping malls? When you park your vehicle, do you leave your brain behind as well??? Bloody hell! Watch where you're going, for starters. If you're walking northbound, then don't be looking eastward - LOOK NORTHWARD! I can't tell you how irritating it is for me to have to move out of your way because you're too busy looking at a puppy dog quilt while charging full speed ahead.... Now you understand why I was so tempted to cheat. I needed an iced, tall, soy, chai tea latte BADLY. But. I didn't do it. Nope. It nearly slayed me, but I held fast.

However.... Giada's cookbook proved to be a different story. I couldn't resist making her Prosciutto Mozzarella Pinwheels for dinner tonight (for my family!). Quinoa Mediterranean salad was on the menu for me. Now, forgive me for being a mere mortal, but I made those friggin' pinwheels & there was no way in hell that I wasn't going to have a bite. In all fairness, I needed to be assured of the fact that I was serving up something edible to my family. That's my job (uh huh). Turns out the pinwheels were divine. Two bites was more than enough to get my guilt meter started up, so it was back to quinoa pronto.

Breakfast: oatmeal & banana
Lunch: brown rice pasta w/ grilled chicken breast
snack: 2 rice cakes w/ apple butter
snack: a couple of slices of turkey breast & a bunch (not massive) of grapes
cheat: 2 bites of the pinwheel (mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnomnom)
dinner: Mediterranean quinoa salad (w/ tomatoes, cucumber, onion, goat cheese, evoo & oregano)

I'm so bad...detox day 8

I've been sick sick sick since Monday. Anytime I've ever tried to start a cleanse, I end up getting really sick & my efforts are thwarted by illness. This time, it's full speed ahead. I'm sick (ha ha) of the sabotage. However, it did cause me to give in a little today. Bear in mind that I was feeling completely run down - not an ounce of energy & calling in sick to work was NOT an option....

Breakfast: oatmeal w/ banana & hemp seeds
Snack: Fruit: (a mix of cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries)
Lunch: Oh my God ... I really did..... a small bagel w/ cream cheese. For heaven's sake, there was a tray of them in our lunch room. I couldn't help it. Plus, I had some veggies & hummus.
Snack: Rice cakes w/ almond butter & apple butter
Dinner: A big green salad loaded w/ veggies & a grilled chicken breast
Snack: a handful of almonds & applesauce
And lots & lots & lots of herbal teas

It's been one week.... detox day 7

Wow! I feel like Rocky's theme music should be following me around wherever I go. I've made it to the one-week mark in one piece, though my sanity is in question.

Today proved to be the ultimate test. I'm not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to head into a little boutique shop that sells everything & anything to do with the art of espresso making. I know. Insane, right? Riiiiiiight. But we needed to buy an espresso maker for our branch's give-away. We've put together a contest & the grand prize is a Saeco Via Veneto machine, a Cuisinart stainless steel grinder, a set of espresso cups & a big ol' bag o' coffee beans. It was my idea.... In fact, I would highly recommend you apply for an HSBC Mastercard with NO annual fee & a plethora of perks (like my pitch?) to be able to enter a ballot for the prize. Ehm...anyway, this was my idea prior to starting my cleanse. I should have known that the proprietor would have offered me a cup. The scent seemed to be pumped through the shop - kind of like Cinnabons in the mall. I was in agony. But I survived.

Breakfast: 2 rice cakes topped w/ almond butter & banana
Lunch: brown rice pasta w/ tomato sauce (leftover from last night)
Snack: berry apple sauce
Snack 2: peppers, carrots & hummus
Dinner: Chicken, potato & salad
Mini snack: a handful of grapes & a few almonds

Detox Day 6...a.k.a. 9 days to go

If one more person asks me what's wrong, I'm going to clock 'em! And that's not the drink talking...unless you classify "the drink" as chamomile tea or water. *sigh*

Yes, I'm on my 6th day of the cleanse. In the past six days, I've had more than my fair share of people questioning me about my sanity as they cannot fathom WHY I would want to torture myself. Is it really such a sacrifice? I'm starting to feel like a monk in a hairshirt.

I also find it amusing how people have suddenly become so generous with their offering of goodies - or maybe I just wasn't noticing (read: appreciative of it) before. Just this week, the following made appearances in my workplace: 1 Bart Simpson chocolate, 1 Spider man chocolate, 1 batch of chocolate chunk cookies, free coffee (holla!) 2 days in a row (!!!), Dairy Queen Blizzards for all (hurray!), Ranch flavoured Sunchips (in their super-cool compostable bag). To all of these wonderful things, I politely declined with a "No, thanks...SABOTEURS!!!"

Righteousness & a will of steel does have it's benefits, though. My skin is positively radiant (...that's an Aveeno product, isn't it? Perhaps I should try it). I feel "lighter", though I haven't weighed myself, so I'm not sure if it's actual weight off or just a lightness of being. And finally, I haven't croaked without coffee. Incredible, no?

Breakfast: oatmeal w/ banana & hemp seeds
Snack: applesauce
Lunch: rice cakes w/ hummus & avocado slices
Snack: celery w/ hummus
Another snack: rice cake w/ apple butter
Dinner: brown rice pasta w/ tomato sauce & a honkin' big green salad
Snack: A bunch of strawberries & a handful of almonds

Cheater Cheater!!! Detox day 5

Last night, I thought I was going to croak. I was ready to start penning my good-byes to everyone. One minute I was hot. The next minute, I was cold. And no, I am not peri-menopausal! My bones ached & I had chills. It felt as though I was coming down with a whopper of a flu. This morning, I was doing a tad better, but still functioning at only about 60%. I felt crappier than crap. Mr. Hubby attributed it to the detox & suggested I eat a Nutella sandwich. Thanks for the support, eh!

I'm not sure if this is what detox does. Am I supposed to feel like the walking dead?

So far, I've heard from my mom-in-law that caffeine withdrawal can cause depression. Well, I haven't been contemplating taking my life, but I certainly haven't been my chipper self. Then, at work today, my co-workers staged a half-assed intervention underlying the thought: "this detox seems to be making you all mush & down - maybe you should quit it & eat 'normal' food".

Nay, I say. Nay! Nay!

And then, we went to that Swiss chicken place. That's when it happened. 'Twas but a dollop of sour cream. I caved. Pooh to me!

But you know what? I don't care. I suffered last night & today. Bloody aches & pains. I deserved the sour cream. It's not like I did the sour cream, a pinot grigio & fries. Nay! Nay, I say. I merely gave into the sumptuous creaminess of my baked potato topper. But I won't let it ruin what I've accomplished so far. Nay!

Breakfast: oatmeal, banana & hemp seeds (thanks Cat)
Lunch: rice cakes topped with hummus & avocado, a ton of fresh veggies too
Snack : rice cakes topped with apple butter (yes, the rice cakes are convenient)
Snack 2 : an apple - albeit a mushy apple (so very disappointing)
Dinner: Cheater's Delight... Chicken breast, baked potato...and....(cue the music)...big, bad sour cream
The day's not over. I may have some grapes. We'll see.

Detox Day 4

I didn't want to write this evening. I really really didn't. I'm completely and utterly spent. The last thing I want to do is rehash how difficult it was to sniff at the endless cups of coffee passing me by throughout my workday.

Sure, my coworkers were great about feigning their disgust as the downed their mocha java delights, but I knew it was rocking their world. I resisted & drank a couple of cups of herbal tea.

They say I'm supposed to start feeling better, but I'm not sure that's necessarily true. I'm still feeling rather peevish, though the caffeine withdrawal has eased up a bit (thanks to the kind supplement advice from Ivanka & Mirella). I've doubled my B & C vitamin intake... take THAT, caffeine monster (whom I love a bit too much).

Spreading maple syrup on my kids' pancakes nearly sent me for a loop. It took the power of an army of angels for me not to lick my fingers greedily when a drop of the sweet stuff went astray. Oh what it took! Only 11 days to go...

Breakfast: oatmeal w/ bananas (yes, it's becoming boring, but it's quick & easy)
Lunch: quinoa salad w/ tuna
snack 1: veggies & hummus
snack 2: an apple & almonds
Dinner: (please don't judge...I was tired after making the family dinner) 1 bowl of that funky allowable cereal made from whatchamacallit grains & strawberries w/ almond milk
To drink today: a ton of water, chamomile tea, green tea

detox day 3

I don't even have the energy to come up with a title today! This is day three, and from what I've been told, it's living up to the expectation of it being one of the worst days. My energy is low low low. I'm a cranky crankster. The gleaming DeLonghi espresso maker on my counter isn't making things any easier. I suppose it would have been an intelligent move to shift the DeLonghi elsewhere. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

This whole ordeal probably wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to worry about cooking for my family. Essentially, my ire boils down to having to prepare 6 meals a day as opposed to 3.

Mr. 4 is actually rather intrigued by mommy's new way of eating & will gladly try whatever I'm eating. Sometimes he'll ask for more, but mostly he'll opt for the "normal meal". As for hubby & Miss 6, let's not even go there. They weren't even willing to taste 1 "O" from my funky cereal cheerios. Mr.4 quite liked them. And yes, they aren't half bad.

Food wise, today was easier on me. I don't find myself very hungry. It appears that what I'm eating is sufficient. Plus, I'm sure all the water I'm downing is making it difficult for any hunger signals to reach my brain. I can't even begin to tell you how much Cottonelle I've used - TMI, I know.

Tomorrow might prove to be a challenge; I've got to take this detox on the road. I don't know if I can handle a workday without coffee. We'll see.

Breakfast: oatmeal & banana - earl grey green tea
Snack: grapes & a handful of almonds
Lunch: brown rice pasta w/ homemade tomato sauce & a sprinkle of goat cheese
Snack: tomatoes, cucumber & humus
super quick snack...olives stuffed with garlic (ooooh sooooo goooood)
Dinner: Leftover from last night - potato, salmon & green salad

This is good for me, right?

I awoke on day 2 of my cleanse feeling more sluggish & cranky than anything else. The pain behind my left eye was there to bid me top'o' the morn. I finally caved & took 2 ultra - strength Tylenols. Within half an hour, I was feeling a bit more like myself. I'll admit that it did cross my mind to make myself a quick cup of espresso - minus the sugar, of course. I held strong, however, and sipped my green tea instead.

My Saturday morning latte didn't happen. That kind of hurt. By now, it's become a ritual. I drop off Miss 6 to ballet & make a beeline for Centro Cafe. There's a short, dark-haired lady with glasses & a lovely smile. She makes the most divine lattes. She was there this morning & was stunned by the fact that I was only purchasing some a Vienna Loaf for the family. I'm pretty impressed with my resolve.

Dairy Queen also didn't lead me astray today. Let the kids have their chocolate dipped... I did just fine with a handful of almonds. Yup, I loooove almonds. Almonds or ice cream? Almonds all the way! Three cheers for almonds! Okay, enough with the overcompensating. I wanted the ice cream. I had almonds. And that's that.

I'm definitely feeling more cranky on this day 2 of detox. I'm sluggish, agitated...not quite myself. Let's hope for a better tomorrow.

Breakfast:
More of that funky grain cereal thing with almond milk

Lunch:
Greek quinoa salad

Snack:
peppers w/ hummus

a handful of almonds

grapes

Dinner:
potatoes & salmon w/ salad

Snack:
mango

To drink: 1 cup earl grey green tea, 2 cups chamomile-lavender tea & a ton of water

And so it begins...

Skipping my morning coffee didn't seem like such a big deal today - that is, until the migraine hit on the left side of my head. That's when I realized how dependent I've become on that hit of liquid gold each & every morning. Instead, today, I made do with a minty green tea. It was nice, but didn't quite cut it.

A few times thoughout the course of the day, I came close to slipping up. But then, I'd catch myself & I'd feel pretty darned good about it. Kind of self-righteous. Kind of like, "Look at how good I am. I'm not going through the Timmies drive-thru for a medium double-double." I was armed with a bottle of water. Yes, I did well.

And then, I was caught off-guard. The visit to my mom & dad's house was unexpected. So was their insistance that we all have ice cream. Real cream ice cream. Double churned. With specks of vanilla. Good lord! This was a a very real threat to my will-power. So there I sat, watching them happily lap up their ice cream cones. As for me? I munched on some walnuts my mom had & a small bunch of grapes. Was I happy about it? HELL NO! But I did it...and I'm proud-ish.

Off I went to our local Longos with the kids in tow. Goodies abounded! The nice lady offering cheese (which I couldn't sample because it was regular cow's milk cheese). Our cousin called us over from behind the deli counter with some samples of mortadella. Oh, the kids were in their glory! I was in agony. But I kept telling myself that this cleanse is good for me. Really, it is. It's GREAT FOR ME!!!! YESSSSSS....FANTASTIC. FAN-FRICKIN-TASTIC! (ehem)

The day's not quite over yet, but I think I've done well so far:

Breakfast:
Green tea with blue agave nectar
some weird cereal - I forget the name of the grain, but it's allowed, with almond milk (yeah, no dairy except goat's milk cheese)

Lunch: A salad with all kinds of veggies, topped with tuna

Snack: peppers w/ hummus

enforced snack at my parents' place: 5 walnuts & some grapes

Dinner: grilled chicken breast, rapini, cauliflower, broccoli & carrots

Dessert: an oreo cookie Blizzard

Okay, I'm joking about the dessert part....The reality of it is this: the migraine became so severe that all I could do to keep from trying to pry my left eye out with a kitchen utensil was go to sleep. And that's exactly what I did. I slept from 7:30pm until now (mindigh-ish). But I think I'm ready to go to sleep again.
Detox rocks! Wooo hooooo!

The good, the bad and the detox

I'm holding myself accountable here. It's been a long time coming, and finally I am ready to detoxify my body. No excuses! It's time for some internal spring cleaning. I'm pulling out all my arsenal: quinao, kamut, brown rice, fresh fruits & veggies (with some exclusions that really don't make sense to me, but I'll do my best to follow). Out with the bad stuff (though it's really oh so good). Yes, dear reader, I am going to lay it all out in it's inevitable ugliness.

Most difficult will be giving up my caffeine habit over the course of the next 15 days. Granted, I'm not as bad as I used to be. Back when grunge & plaid shirts were du jour, I could easily knock back 7-10 cups of caffeinated beverage per day. Lately, I've been indulging in a meager 1-4 cups daily. Not bad, right? So eliminating it should be rather simple, right? I'm not so sure. I'll report back on day 1 tomorrow.

Wish me luck. I need it.

Here we go....

An H1N1 Halloween

Here's a summary of a great article by Mary K. Nolan that was published in today's Hamilton Spectator:

Some moms and dads may question the wisdom of allowing their kids to mingle at Halloween parties or go door-to-door when the flu virus is already getting around quite effectively on its own.

Germy doorbells and communal candy bowls seem like ideal vehicles for helping it along.

Here's some advice:

* When kids come to the door, don't let them fish around in the candy bowl for their goodies, drop treats in the kids' bags individually.

* Wash store-bought masks before allowing kids to wear them. You never know who has tried them on ... or what germs they had.

* Homeowners should wipe down their doorbell, knocker or knobs throughout the evening; kids should wear gloves with their costumes, use hand sanitizer between homes and keep their hands away from their faces.

* Sick children should stay home no matter how much they beg; sick parents shouldn't hand out treats.

* Don't eat any candy that isn't wrapped, for more reasons than H1N1.

* No bobbing for apples, if anybody actually does that anymore.

* And no "a bite for you, a bite for me" sharing of candies.

* When they get home, kids should decide what they want to eat, unwrap it without touching the edible part, wash their hands and then dig in.

* Wash hands.

* Wash hands.

* Wash hands.

Have a happy & healthy Halloween.

Ate crow & it wasn't very tasty

I didn't realize it then, but when my nonna or mom would slave over a meal, the last thing I should have done was turn up my nose at it. This hurt look would cross their face & inevitably, there'd be talk along the lines of: "We had half an onion, half a potato & 3 beans...and that would last us THE ENTIRE DAY! We didn't have cannelloni. You kids today don't know what it is to be hungry!" And I'd listen to them drone on & on & on while I prepared myself a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. Apparently, making PB&J after rejecting a home cooked meal is the quintessential insult. Then, I'd happily eat my sandwich while the remains of my meal - a labour of love - made it's way into a Tupperware container.

Fast forward 25 years or so... I poured all my heart and soul into an Irish stew last night. In addition to that, I baked fresh Irish soda bread with caraway seeds & all. This was served up while I beamed over the fact that I was serving my family a healthy & hearty supper. That's when they shot the arrow through my heart: "This looks like pooh. It's pooh stew. We won't eat pooh." *gasp* After a few gulps of Guinness & a slow count to 10 so I wouldn't say anything rash, I scraped up the remains of their meal into a Tupperware container while my husband told them, "When you're older, you'll appreciate these things that mommy makes for you."

This morning, I awoke bright & early thinking I'd bake some fresh muffins for breakfast. Oatmeal, eggs, sugar, flour...the whole shebang. They smelled divine. I felt like June Cleaver. Surely, no one could reject oatmeal chocolate chip muffins & some hot cocoa. It's the breakfast of angels. Right? RIGHT?!?! Wrong!!!! A few halfhearted nibbles & the pushing away of the plate was enough to reduce me to tears. To add insult to injury, I heard "We'd like some pane e nutella." A NUTELLA SANDWICH OVER MY HOMEMADE MUFFINS?!?! And so, my tirade began. "You have no idea how hard mommy has to work to make these things. You don't' appreciate anything I do for you, do you?! Maybe I shouldn't make anything for you anymore! You could eat Kraft dinner for ever & ever. How would you like that? Eh? Would that be nice?" Oh....yes...I sounded just like my mom & nonna, after a babel fish translation.

And so, 25+ years on... I regret ever having turned up my nose at the cannelloni, eggplant parmigiana, slow cooked sugo, polpettone & everything else that I wish my nonna would make if she were still alive today. Thankfully, I am redeeming myself with my mom. Anytime we have a meal at my parents' house, I savour every morsel. I appreciate the labour of love that is a home cooked meal.

School daze....how did I get here???

The kids are excited. Clothing & shoes are labelled. Backpacks are packed. Lunch bags are ready. If everything is ready....then why am I not? I'm not ready for this. The start of this school year is weighing on me; making it feel like the start of a definitive new chapter in my life.

As much as last year was a biggie with daughter starting junior kindergarten, I found solace in the fact that son was still home with me. This feeling kept me going - until the other day. That's when the "OH NOOOOOOO! THEY'RE BOTH GOING TO SCHOOL THIS YEAR!" hit me hard.

These are my babies. It wasn't that long ago that I rocked them to sleep & sang them lullabies. Now, instead of rocking them to sleep, I allow a couple of "cuddle nights" per month. This is when I welcome them into bed so we can have a sleepover in mommy & daddy's room. Truth be told, it's more for my benefit than theirs...but they don't need to know that, do they?

There's a part of me that wants to keep them by my side forever & ever & ever. I'm a self-proclaimed sMOTHERer, but I'm trying to keep that instinct in check. The fact that son will have the same teacher that daughter had last year makes it a tad easier for me to let go, as it were. This teacher is a God-send! If you've ever tried to imagine the perfect teacher, this lady fits the bill: patient, understanding, welcoming, nurturing. Basically, she's everything that a nervous parent (who me???) needs when initiating their child into the education system.

And so, it is with optimism & a heavy heart that I will walk both my children to school tomorrow. I have my big, dark sunglasses for my solo-trek home. I may have to have a chocolate bar or a glass of wine...or, heck...maybe both! I will bake the "happy 1st day of school" cake for my children (an initiative I started last year). I will accept that my babies are growing up. And I will be okay.

Happy 1st day of school!

Snail tale

The teeny weeny snail is responsible for a flood of memories. We were out for an evening walk & it had been raining all afternoon. The snails were out in full force, so it was our mission to try to avoid crunching them. My son couldn't understand why we shouldn't step on them because "they make a cracklish noise". Truth is, I have a soft spot for snails. They helped me to get revenge on a childhood friend.

My grandfather & I had an after-the-rain ritual of going out to a spot by the railroad to pick baskets full of snails. I'd line the baskets with damp leaves & grass, then transplant them to their new home. They'd hang around for a while, but eventually, after I'd been called in for dinner, the snails would have a pow-wow & make plans for evacuation. Obviously, by then time I'd be done dinner & make my way to the basket to check on them, they'd have made their way elsewhere. On the day I needed them to stick around (no pun intended), they understood their assignment & hung about until it was complete.

Tony C needed to be taught a lesson. See, his mother had purchased a pea-green 1980 Honda Hatchback. About a month later, my mom had purchased a horrible two-toned, brown & beige Pontiac Acadian. Tony accused my mom of copying his mom. I accused Tony's mom of being a slowpoke driver. Tony then said he wouldn't play with me anymore. Hmmph! Enter the snails.... To make my point about his mom being a slowpoke (and by no means did I think this was true - it was the only insult I could come up with at the tender age of 7), I decided to cover the C-family's Honda Civic in snails.

I got the reaction I wanted. I also got the responsibility of having to remove my passive pals from the family vehicle after word got out that I was the mastermind behind the stunt. Ashton Kutcher's got nothing on me.

Sleepy-time Sissy Steph

A sissy is a person regarded as weak or cowardly. That just about sums up my disposition when it comes to sleep habits in my family.

As I type this, I currently have both my children in their respective rooms...sobbing...respectively. Why? Because I'm a sleepy-time sissy.

When they were teeny tiny babies, both posed problems with respect to sleep. One was colicky, while the other had GERD. In order to get some much-needed shut-eye, I'd let them sleep with me. As John Lennon once said, "Whatever gets you through the night"...and that quickly became my motto.

Fast forward to now & I think I've been way too lax. Getting the kids to sleep in their own beds is a constant battle of wills. Lately, their wills appear to be much stronger than my own. I've accommodated their whims: they lie down with me in my bed, I shuttle myself between all beds, they lie down on the sofa when it's not a school night until they conk out, etc. But tonight, I'm gonna win this. I don't care if I have to pop extra-ultra-mega-strength ibuprofen! I'm reclaiming my bed! And I'm not going to drag my sorry butt out of my toasty-warm haven at 3:34am when either child starts whining about needing me to lie down with them because they're having a dream about SpongeBob SquarePants (though I must confess to finding him rather creepy as well). Nope! I'm staying in my room. They'll have to cry it out. That's all there is to it. Finito.

Am I being mean? I feel mean. I'm not mean, am I?

They're still crying... In the amount of time it's taken me to type these paragraphs, they're still crying.

I'm not going to break my resolve. Mind you, it may be a different story if this continues on for another 2 hours. Well see...

Mamma Steph's Saturday-Night Pizzeria

I blogged about crying over a piece of dough around Easter last year. It's happened again. I sobbed. Tears of joy streaming down my face. Joy abounds!

In the past few weeks, we've had earthquakes levelling towns in Abruzzo, the swine flu pandemic, a small earthquake in L.A., wildfires spreading in Halifax, and a few attempts by yours truly at homemade pizza dough which resulted in something similar to cardboard. Actually, I'm exaggerating a bit. My attempts tasted more like construction paper, with a hint of salt.

But then came The Sopranos Family Cookbook as compiled by Artie Bucco. Sounds like I'm putting you on, doesn't it? It's actually a decent reference point for traditional Italian cuisine. The zeppole in the Bobby Baccala section were to die for! So after sifting through recipes from Epicurious, Allrecipes, The Food Network & more, I picked up my Sopranos cookbook after quite the hiatus. Here's the recipe for the perfect homemade pizza dough, aka "Ah' Beetz'" adapted from Charmaine Bucco's section entitled, "Cooking for the whole famiglia":

"Ah' Beetz'"

1 envelope dry active yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp)
1 1/3 cups warm water (105 - 115 degrees F)
1 tsp sugar (not listed in the recipe, but my mom told me to do it, so I did!)
3 1/2 - 4 cups all purpose flour (I used 3 1/2)
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil (again, this wasn't called for in the recipe, but I added it anyway with great results)

In a bowl, stir together water & sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the water & let it stand for 1 minute, or until the yeast is creamy. Stir until the yeast dissolves.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture & olive oil & stir until soft dough forms. It may not all come together, so I dumped it out onto a board & began kneading it all together. Knead the dough for 10 minutes or so - until becomes smooth & elastic.

Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it once to oil the top. Cover with a clean, damp dishtowel & place in a warm, draft free place. I like to set the oven the the lowest temp beforehand & then turn it off. This gives the oven enough warmth to allow the dough to rise. Leave it in the oven for 1 - 1/2 hours, until it doubles in volume.

Lightly grease a large pizza pan (I used the jellyroll-style pan). Punch down the dough in the bowl, then transfer to the pizza pan. Stretch out the dough, then loosely cover again with plastic wrap & let it rise for 1/2 an hour - 1 hour so that it becomes puffy.

Top with your favourite toppings. I like mine simple - fresh, homemade tomato sauce, fresh basil leaves, mozzarella di buffala or fior di latte (Santa Lucia brand is fantastic!!!).

Bake in an oven, preheated to 450 degrees C for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!!!!

Sprinkle the yeast

Growing up too soon

At 10pm, last night, I picked up a recorded message from my daughter's school principal. The news was bad. Not "Your daughter clocked a kid" kinda bad. This was indescribably bad. A student in the school had died & families were being advised that there would be grief counsellors at the school over the next few days. I told you in was indescribably bad.

I mulled this over in my head for a while. How do I explain what's happened to my children? Will I frighten them if I try to explain this first thing in the morning, before school? I decided to let it play out on its own. I didn't have enough information to deal with the situation properly. Did my daughter know the student? Was it someone in her class? Was it an accident that occurred at school? Was the child ill? So many questions that I wouldn't be able to answer, so I let it be. I filed it under my "to dos", to be handled after I had contacted the school for more information.

The receptionist only told me that the young boy was in the 4th grade. It happened at school. A note would be sent home to advise us of when the memorial service would take place. I didn't have the heart to ask any further questions. I'd find a way to explain this with the information I had...once I got home from work.

I asked my daughter how her day went, prepared to discuss the loss of a fellow student, but she beat me to it. "Mommy, it was a sad day today. A boy in my school died. Mrs. Peacock told us & we had a special guest come to tell about the boy who died." Her eyes were wide & full of question. She looked as though she needed to hear that even though this poor child was taken away far too soon, that things would turn out okay. I wasn't quite prepared to tell her that & fluff it over. No, she had been exposed to the fragility of life & there was no going back. I held her close & prepared myself to deal with an onslaught of questions, but there was only silence.

I still remember the first time I was exposed to death. I was the same age as my daughter & my cousin, who was only a year older, had passed away. I remember the tears & uncertainty. That day, I grew up a little. I remember that feeling & wish so much that I could protect my children from it. Sadly, I cannot. All the bubble-wrap in the world won’t protect them from the hurts to come. All the camomile tea in the world won’t sedate me enough to make it through this part of parenthood unscathed.

And through all these emotions & questions, I send my prayers of comfort to a family who lost their little boy...friends who lost a buddy...a school that will always remember the time a shadow befell it, one tragic March day.

Zeppole Time!!!

These months are renowned for the depressing weather & constant onslaught of snow, snow & more snow. Fortunately, we have the return of "zeppole"! The production of these tasty treats usually starts around the beginning of February & ends around the feast of St. Giuseppe on March 19th. Walk into any Italian bakery & chances are you'll see glorious trays full of zeppole.

The tradition started back in Sicily (or so I've been told). There had been a long & hard drought; farmers were at their wits' end with worry. With nothing more to do than pray, they pleaded to their patron Saint, San Giuseppe, to send them some rain. The prayers did not go unheard for it is said that the rains came along, quite heavily. In thanks, the people prepared a great feast, including zeppole, to honour St. Joseph. To this day, on the feast day - March 19th, zeppole are given as gifts, to be shared among friends & family. There are many markets in Naples that have street vendors frying their zeppole fresh, upon request. Yum!

The zeppole we know today are slightly more refined than those of the Sicilian farmers that prayed for rain. They're made of a bigne' pastry (or choux pastry), often filled with a custard cream or a cannoli filling that includes ricotta. The topping always involves a dusting of confectioner's sugar, a few dollops of cream, and "amarene" (tart, preserved cherries), or maraschinos. The pastries are either fried or baked. Everyone has their own preference. Mine? Custard cream & amarene with some of the amarene syrup! I don't care if it's fried or baked...just give my my zeppole!!!

That brings me to zeppole in the Vaughan region. Believe me when I tell you the trouble isn't in finding the zeppole - it's in selecting the place you trust to churn out the very best.

Where do you get your zeppole???

CityTV did a spot on Sweet Boutique about a year ago, claiming they sell "the best zeppole in the GTA". There are a few other places (some that may surprise you) that churn out some pretty decent zepps. Here's my shortlist:

Aida's Pine Valley Bakeryin Woodbridge
Centro Bakery Deli in Maple
St. Phillips Bakery, with locations in both Maple & Woodbridge
...and I'm going to have to do my zeppole research at Emily's Bakery in Woodbridge. I've never had their zeppole, but they have the most delectable breads in Vaughan, so I'm hoping the pastries fall in the same league.

Happy almost-San Giuseppe day! And if you have a recommendation for an awesome zeppole-experience, I'd love to hear about it.

What's in a name???

I've been avoiding it for the past six years, but now it's time... I must renew my passport & while I'm at it, might as well take care of a few other documents. It's been playing on my mind ever since the ring made it's way onto my left hand... do I finally adopt my husband's surname or keep my beloved maiden name?

For all intents & purposes, I HAVE adopted my married name - just make things easy. Anywhere I go (my child's school, the doctor's office, the dentist, etc.), I"m referred to by my married name, but I clung on so desperately to my maiden name by keeping it on all my documents...except for one...my driver's licence. I must have been drunk when I went to renew - or in the throws of newly wedded bliss. I brought my marriage certificate & changed it legally to reflect my married status on the spot. But, rethinking the complexity of the official name change, I backed down on everything else.

Perhaps a part of me didn't want to change it. Why? Well, I've had my maiden name all of my life. From the moment my parents brought me home. At the same time, I'd like my kids know that mommy has the same surname as theirs & daddy's...in an official capacity.

You might now be asking, "So where does "Stephanie" come in???"

Enter Mrs. Fitali...St. Maurice, Junior Kindergarten. "STAY-FAY-NEE-UGH, you're name is much too difficult to say, so from now on, you'll be 'Stephanie'. I'm sending a note home to your parents.". And in my then-broken English, I said, "OH-KAI MEESUS FEE-TAH-LEE!"

That certainly didn't deter people from using my original Stefania. In fact, most of my close friends (paesani) will still call me Stefania or Stefa'. Others use Stephanie, but they're in the minority. And the majority will call me Steph (for that matter, Stef would work just fine too!!!).

So I could go back to Stefania, the name originally intended for me when mamma & papa brought me home, while the world still calls me "Steph/Stef" & all would be well in my world...except I still have to figure out my married name/maiden name dilema. Keep in mind, in Italy, women don't change their surnames when they marry... (YES, I'M FULLY AWARE OF THE FACT THAT I DON'T LIVE IN ITALY - I'M JUST SAYING, OKAY?!?!). I do, however, live in Canada & the same rule applies to Quebec. So...

I now face having to either change my driver's licence back to it's former state, or leave it as is & instead, change every other document to my married name. Bear in mind, that means I give up my original birth certificate & get a new one with my maiden name listed only as a nee. AND I'd have to get used to the new OHIP which has to be renewed every so often...whereas my old one is so uncomplicated!

I'm at a crossroads & I don't know which way to go...I'm very much waffling...can you show me the way??? We already had the debate over Christmas lunch & I left with an even bigger headache that what I started with. What would you do....and why???

I will keep you apprised of the situation...stay tuned!