Overnight Sensation: Jan Scott's Faux Sourdough

Well holy doodle. Here I am. Is it me or was this winter just the worst? I mean, really. Here in Saskatoon I think it was the coldest winter since 1930. Extreme cold warnings filled my phone for most of February. I didn't leave the house if I didn't have to, if I'm being totally honest. I hunkered down big time, baking to keep the house warm(er). And then there was that one day when the furnace conked out in the morning and left me with a giant repair bill I wasn't prepared for. Yeah, that was sucky. So was finding out that my sweet Sunny, a senior feline at 10 years old, is diabetic. He's taking the daily insulin injections like a champ, and he and the other cats are finding a new normal when it comes to eating. No longer is the bowl of dry food a free for all, and Sunny is on quite the low carb diet. In just a few weeks, he has improved greatly, and his overall health is better than it has been in awhile. This all makes me happy, though I do fear that every time I inject him with insulin I'll hit a nerve in his neck and he will die. Maybe I'm being a paranoid and neurotic cat mom? It has been a long winter, after all.

Braised Chicken Thighs in a Mushroom Lemon Cream Sauce

It's a cold day across most parts of Canada - I know I had to throw an extra blanket on the bed last night and I don't dare go anywhere in my house without slippers on my feet.  It's a day for staying in and being cozy with your favourite people.  And, two words:  comfort food.  There's nothing better than curling up with a steaming bowl of something gorgeous and I've got just the right recipe for you.  The kind folks at Mushrooms Canada asked me to be a guest in their kitchen again, and I knew right away I wanted to use chicken thighs because 1) They're super economical right now.  2) Bone-in and skin-on thighs have loads of flavour, perfect for braising.  And 3) Chicken + Mushrooms = Together 4 Eva.  It's a great combo, especially when you throw cream and lemon juice into the mix. The meat just falls off the bone after 40 minutes of braising and the sauce, oh man, the sauce is delicious, great served over pasta or mashed potatoes.  If you are staying in and cooking for your love bug this Valentine's weekend, you'll find the recipe here.  Light some candles, pour the wine, and let love rule.     

 

I Confess: Roasted Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons

 As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness - just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breath it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm.

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder 

Over dinner a while back, the conversation turned to guilty pleasures, of the food variety.  Seeing as I was sitting with other food writers, it was a little dicey...do I tell them the truth?  Do I tell them what has, on occasion, brought me great joy and comfort?  Do I spill the beans about my fondness for....Cheez Whiz?  I did and no one shunned me for the rest of the night, as everyone else listed something sinfully similar.  But it's true.  A jar of the orange stuff has been known to find its way into my fridge every couple of years, if I see it's on sale. (I like a good bargain.)  But before you lose all respect for me, be assured I don't spread it on celery or toss it on hot macaroni.  No, the only way I eat it is on hot, heavily buttered toast, as a bedtime snack while I'm in my pajamas and slippers and something trashy is on the television and maybe I have PMS.  Something about this cheezy toast makes me happy - it was a favourite when I was a kid and my mom would even pack it in my brown-bagged lunch, where it was devoured in the noisy lunchroom at noon.  Maybe I like that it takes me back to simpler days, when my glasses were big and I had a crush on Scott Baio; when I would rush home from school and watch Little House on the Prairie, then afterwards join my siblings around the dinner table, where we'd dish the details of our day and my mom would dish out hot, delicious food. Those days are so long ago, but somehow a little processed cheese takes me back there.