Taking time to make time

Busy week, busy weekend. I have been on my own today, Dave left in the wee hours this am to do a flight. This will be the story of our lives until the olympics are done. He has missed the game today, I have been catching bits of it and editing and re-editing my paper. I should probably just submit it and hope for the best, but I like to fart around and usually end up with a completely different work than what I had 48 hrs ago. I did some great meals and desserts this week. Work is in a crisis situation, one case manager on stress leave, another went on mat leave 2 months early. Basically not enough skilled persons to handle the workload. Special care beds popping up faster than we can fill them....not enough people to fill vacation leaves....recipe for insanity. Throw in a few frontal dementia folks and its good times all around. So to compensate, I have been working hard running, baking, and having games nights and beach walks with the kids.

So I have made some really delicious favourites. The above cookie is one I usually only make at Christmas, but it has become my favourite cookie. Date and fig pinwheels. I have this recipe in two different bookies, the recipes are essentially the same, but one cooks dates, figs, walnuts, orange zest in white wine, the other orange juice, so naturally I opt for the wine : )  Basically you spread the cooled mixture on a sugar cookie like dough that has brown sugar, roll them into logs and slice and bake. The kids love them, i love them, and they freeze well.

Christmas cake cookies

These babies are a dark molasses cookie with ginger, cloves, cinnamon, golden and dark raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, lemon zest, orange brandy....all that I love about fruit cake in a cookie. They have some yogurt, I throw in 1/2 whole wheat flour, oats. Breakfast in a cookie, with some nostalgic flavours.

Herbed souffle
Some spring herbs: tarragon, chives, dill, it called for watercress that I forgot to buy, I used spinach. Parmesan cheese, cream in a fluffy souffle. It was really so good with grilled asparagus.....Tuesday supper.

I get tired of paying $5 for a loaf of artisan bread when I am quite capable. This is a dark rye bread, very simple recipe, topped with seeds, caraway seeds also in the bread. Dave has asked that I not purchase bread again after tasting this. I am in total agreement and made homemade naan bread tonight too with our tandoori chicken, channa masala, and matar pulao....soooo satisfying.

And finally, the best part of my food week.....

Chocolate tart. This is my changed version, which originally called for a shortbread crust. The filling is made from good dark chocolate, cream, eggs, sugar baked until just set in a dark chocolate cookie crust. The cooled product is topped with a dark chocolate glaze. It is like eating a slice of good dark truffles...oh my......
Just what we needed to finish off the week, just in time for chaos and the start of my research undertaking....
I was crazy busy this week, the house is a mess and Dave is still somewhere over the Pacific, but I still made so much good stuff this week. That is what I equate with a good week. The kids are calling to play a game, and then baths and bed. I should put that paper to bed too....