February

Ah, at last January is closing again for another year! I am grateful because really for the record it sucked. 1. Cancer was diagnosed for my Mother,sort of ( more tests for certainty of where and which one came first) 2. Overcome halfway through the month with a strange staph virus in my skin that left me in bed for 3 days. Its always scary when the doctor looks at you scared and says any change for the worse go directly to emergency. 3. I ended my job, I always hate that. 4. "the husband" has become a confections maker Good things are: 1. Sunnybrook hospital is fabulous and I think my mother is in good hands. 2. I got to watch the inauguration while lying in bed, then dissected via email with the sib's. 3. I hated my job and got a better one back again! ( strange but true) 4. I made croissants from scratch with the "Fine Cooking" magazine sent as a Christmas presents from "Sister #1". A true 3 day weekend project, http://www.finecooking.com/. The other strange one is that I have lost my kitchen to "the husband", but he is only making candy and chocolate. Which means I am getting fat or fatter. Also, I still have to stock and track the pantry items, except now they are never in the same place twice. "The husband's" job finished up on Friday and he is quite enjoying his reborn creativity. He made the most mouth watering caramels yesterday. There is nothing like the real thing, sweet, preservative free and made with passion. His cooking is very calculated and precise, it brings out his inner engineer. Stay back and watch the melding of the "IE" with "The artist" and the outcome is fabulous. Before you ask, yes he still cleans up the mess. I ask you, does it get better then this? I will bear it like the cross it is. He will be taking "The Mother" and "Sister #2 next Tuesday for treatment. #2 wants him to bring samples, if he fears criticism fear not, this is not a highly particular crowd when it comes to caramels. Good candy and chocolate has always provided placebo Prozac for my family, it's really just for our nerves.

January

This I think will not be a great year. I already knew that some things will be changing, "the husband" will be out of work by the end of the month. But ever the optimist it started with great promise, an interview on the first Monday back to work. I knew as soon as I entered that it was not going to be the promised land. I had to fight the urge to run screaming. Wednesday my mother was diagnosed with some type of Lymphoma which will require more tests to determine a course of action. I took her to the hospital to get the test results, which along with stupid job interview questions, had enough comic material to provide me with a one woman stand up routine. Her reaction's were priceless. Her initial reaction was, " If I knew they were going to tell me this... I wouldn't have come." On the way home she told me she always thought she would have a heart attack and someone would just find her dead. ( humm.... me I think, thanks but not something I was looking forward too.) I am I admit, a bit shaken. I made that night an adapted version of Rosemary Cake from the Feb 09' Canadian House and home. 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking power 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt 4 eggs 3/4 scant cup of sugar 2/3 cup of olive oil 1 ish tablespoon of rosemary 1 teaspoon of dried lavender 1 teaspoon of lemon zest Preheat oven to 325, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale yellow and add olive oil and whisk again slightly, add dry ingredients to incorporate. Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes. Cool and slice. It tastes better the next day the edges are slightly crispy, and even 3 days later sightly stale dipped into tea.