Well, I am just gosh-darn excited to participate in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. Cookie swaps are one of my favourite thing, and I’ve successfully held a cookie swap for the last few years, in Vancouver and in Calgary. Getting to swap goodies with other food bloggers, well that is just darn exciting! I will be sure to take lots of pictures and post up the fabulous cookies once I bake them and I will be sure to show-off the deliciousness that I receive! Huzzah, tis the season!
Well, I’ve been MIA over the last few posting days, and I really apologize about that. I was all gung-ho about posting last week and then hit a creative-cooking block on Friday. I am going to blame it on my exciting news! I’ve been waiting to post about it until I had a chance to chat with my first internship host, Dave at The Tyee. They were wonderful all summer and were particularly wonderful when I had to bail at the end of August to be with my family. The project I was working on is on its way to being wrapped up, so I am going to pop around from time-to-time to help out, move things along, etc. Anyway, chatted with Dave today and so now I can announce that I’ve taken on a second internship with…. (drum roll sound effects here) Appetite by Random House!
Dad passed away on Wednesday, after a month in the hospital.
We are a very close family and we have spent the last month together at the hospital, solidifying this closeness, saying all the things we might need to say, loving each other. We had a number of visitors, and, though I had suspected, I really got to see how much Dad meant to so many people. The love that surrounded our family throughout this very difficult time made the road we were traveling on so much easier to bare. Dad was comfortable and not really in pain. He was happy to see so many of his friends and family and stories were shared. My sister and I finally got to meet Ken, Dad’s best friend since childhood, which was great; his love for Dad and our family is beautiful. And we spent many hours listening to another of Dad’s best friends, Mike, regale us with the ridiculous stories of his and Dad’s mischief.
Truthfully, it all still seems a little surreal. We spent some time at the hospital after Dad passed and then came home, the first time in a month that the three of us were all in the house at the same time. There are little waves that crash over us from time to time, as we look at pictures, or tell stories. Those waves are tough but important. Dad is already so missed, but we know that he lives on in us.
We are going to be making some of Dad’s favourite food, ribs, curry chicken wings, carrot cake, etc. I will be sure to post the recipes as we make them. We will also be drinking Scotch in Dad’s honour, which is no hardship for me (thanks Caelin!). I encourage all of you to have a little Scotch (Caelin, you can have a number of drinks of Scotch) to celebrate a wonderful life.
Thanks to all the amazing Not Crocker readers who’ve stuck with the site, despite my lack of posts. I will be back to regular scheduled programming starting October 13th.
To Dad, we love you forever, we love you for always.
While I have not been able to a lot of cooking or baking while here in the Yukon, as we’ve been busily ferrying between the house and the hospital, I’ve still managed to eat well. We’ve had many wonderful meals provided to us by our good friends in and around the territory, one delicious meal of spaghetti coming all the way from Dawson City! We are so thankful for the delicious food.
* Thanks to Evi for her amazing soups, she also made us some delicious moussaka, which Gen went crazy for. Evi has also passed along her recipes, so I will be sure to whip them up in her name and make sure you all get a taste of the dinners we’ve been treated to.
* Thanks to Sharon for the spaghetti, bread, and wine.
* Thanks to Karen for the tasty curry chicken, many leftovers were enjoyed.
* Thanks to Ella for the fantastic ham dinner last night (picture below). The mashed potatoes were perfect, the ham delicious, the carrot au gratin a wonderful new dish, and the corn was the perfect final touch.
I am still without my camera, so my mom’s camera and my husband’s camera work will do. Enjoy the time-stamps for accurate archiving…
The women above, and many more, have also provided us with snacks, treats, and support that has helped to keep us going. Many wonderful folks who’ve come to visit have brought along the proper entrance fee, Scotch. Dad’s Scotch supply has grown so large that it needs its own bag. We are enjoying Ardbeg, Glenfiddich, Bushmills, Lagavulin (Dad’s own), and we just polished off the Johnnie Walker Blue Label last week.
We are so appreciative for all of the support, visitors, and love from our family and friends. We are still enjoying lots of laughs and have finally found a routine that works. I am going to put up our famous family recipe tomorrow for Cheese Straws. These Cheese Straws have become a currency of sorts, paying for movie rentals, chores, housesitting, and gift certificates for Cheese Straws are eagerly received as birthday presents. They are awesome. And they freeze well, dip well, and can be spiced up (as we only discovered the need to spice them when my spice-obsessed brother-in-law came into the picture).
Thanks for coming back time and again despite my infrequent updates lately. Things will be back in swing soon.
Stacey
Hello,
I was preparing a post about a sausage pasta I had made, super simple, and I realized it wasn’t exciting enough and I haven’t had time to whip up anything else. So I’ve posted the photo and given you some instructions how to create a similarly simple and delicious meal for yourself.
I maybe be absent from the blog for a few days, if not a week. My father is not well, as I’ve mentioned before, and it has become necessary for me to fly home and help out, be with my parents, do what I can. While I am away, I will likely cook but I can’t say for sure that I will be able to create details posts. The blog takes a lot of energy and love, and right now those things need to be directed completely at the situation at hand.
So, when I can, I will post some of my favourite pictures I’ve taken over the years as some non-food related filler. And when I return, I will get back on track. Thank you for reading, Not Crocker has been a point of strength for me, focussing on something I love, that is beautiful and fun, has kept me sane. The blog, school, and my husband have been wonderful sources of joy through all of this, but I need to focus and only my husband can be part of that.
Flying windsocks and donut holes,
Stacey
Oh, and Mascarpone Pasta Sauce over Pear and Brie Tortellini and Summer Spicy Sausage and Apple Tortellini
