A Life, Lived

Meyer Lemon Thyme Martini

For the past three years a group of bloggers from the slowtravel community have taken up the challenge - to blog every day for a month. Some of us are obsessive and do this already (yes, 'tis me!). For others this was a HUGE task. It is now my tradition to celebrate my fellow bloggers with a martini upon completion of this massive undertaking.

After the first year it was a Banana Cream Pie Martini.

In 2009 it was as Espresso Martini.

When I was thinking about what to make to honour my fellow bloggers I decided to make something that was lemon based. Easter is just around the corner . . . others may think that chocolate is the flavour of Easter. They are wrong. Lemon is the fresh flavour of renewal, spring, the time ot pack the snow shovels away for another year . . . combining lemon with thyme sounded truly refreshing so I went to town . . .

So, for Sandra, Sheri, Nancy, Candi, Annie, Eden, Barb, Debbie, Ann, Deborah, Palma, Angie, Marta, Susan, Kim, and Sandi - the third annual blogging challenge celebratory martini! This one was particularly celebratory because Sandi and I were texting while I was mixing it up. Equally inspired, she quickly poured a cosmo and we toasted our collective success together. Friendship in the technological era!

Meyer Lemon Thyme Martini

2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1 handful fresh thyme sprigs
1/2-cup lemon-flavored vodka, such as Citron
1/4-cup Lemoncello
candied lemon rind, for garnish (optional)

Directions for the herb-simple syrup for this drink (make ahead to save time):

Combine the water, sugar and lemon zest in a pot over medium heat.

Gently simmer for 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved, swirling the pot over the heat now and then. Do not allow to boil or get dark.

Put the thyme in a mason jar or glass container and pour the sugar syrup on top; allow to steep while it cools for 1-2 hours to infuse the herb flavor into the syrup.

Strain to remove the solids.

Direction for the martini:

In a martini shaker filled with ice, combine the vodka, Lemoncello, and 4 tablespoons of the herb-syrup.

Shake well until frothy and strain into 4 chilled martini glasses. Float candied lemon rind in each glass for great presentation.

Candied Lemon Peel
from Myrecipe.com

This recipe is very quick and easy. You will find yourself wanting to make more of these.

1 large lemon
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon water

Carefully remove rind from lemon using a vegetable peeler. Cut rind into 1/8-inch-thick strips; set aside.

Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and water in a 2-cup glass measure.

Microwave at High 1 minute; stir in rind strips.

Microwave at High 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and toss well.

Spread rind in a single layer on wax paper; let stand at room temperature until dry. Store in an airtight container.

1000 Posts!

I opened up the new and improved (it seems as if new and improved happens every six months) Typepad to work on today's blog post and noticed an auspicious number . . . Posts 999

Not bad for a blog that got started back in January of 2007 in the haze of a New Year's hangover. At the time it was a challenge  . . . blog for a year. As all good challenges seem to go we are now in the midst of year three and I am not bored in the least. I'm not so sure about those who pop by for a visit . . .

In that time 255,142 folks have visited the blog - an average of 257.7 a day.

There have been 4649 comments - although many are from me because I like to respond to those visitors who are polite enough to leave a comment.

The most popular post of all time is the Jamie Oliver Slow Roasted Pork. On an average day google delivers about 35 searchers for Oliver's slow roasted pork to my doorstep.

According to alexa.com - a company that tracks worldwide blog use this is the 2,048,045 ranked internet site in the world.

woo hoo

I always wanted to be the two millionth something!

In the USA this blog is # 747,625

That is nothing, in the Philippines I am 110,488. I have no idea while so many folks from the islands come here but they generate 17 % of the traffic.

Over the years my blog has evolved.Originally it was to be a spot where I indulged in ranting away about the many things that caused me angst. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I'm incensed about far fewer things than I ever imagined. Yet I am stuck with this flipping title (I could rant about THAT!)

Instead I think my blog title should be A Life Lived. That is what the blog has become . . . a record of my life. . . food, drink, travels, celebrations, things that make me happy and thinsg that make me mad, entertainment, thoughts on the issues of the day, pontificating upon things that have caught my eye, and yes, a rant or two tossed in to keep Kendall visiting.

It is funny how this complex bit of computer 1s and 0s stored somewhere on a bit of carbon has grown and evolved over time. I wonder where it will be by the time there are 2000 posts?

Thanks for coming along on the ride!

January Searches

Long time readers of this space will know that I have a fascination with how folks arrive at my blog. If you should happen to come upon a little thing called my life - send it back. Apparently I've lost it. I am a bit late with the round up this month - I may have to start posting twice a day because I have too much to blather one about!

If I ever do that - someone take me aside and have a stern lecture . . .

Typepad has a neat feature that allows me to track how people arrive here. Lots of folks arrive here from my posts at the slowtravel website, others from links on friend's blogs, the rest through internet searches.

Here is a list of some of the phrases that people typed into a search engine, pushed return, and ended up on this site in December. More often than not they were to leave disappointed because the blog didn't have what they were looking for. You have to admit - after 743 posts there are quite a few combinations of phrases here and google searches them all.

The most popular searches by far are jamie oliver sow roasted pork. There are at least 50 of those a day. Go figure . . .

Here is a selection of the search phrases that people typed into google, pushed 'goodle search' and ended up here. Poor souls. Most were sadly disappointed.

opinions on braised pork roasts

I just don't understand this thought at all. Food is either tasty or it is not tasty. I like it or I don't. Do I need to have opinions about it now? My friends would argue that I have far to many opinions as it is, and that I spout on about them ad nauseum. If I start having in depth opinions about braised pork roasts (or any other food item for that matter) there will be no living with me. Don't get me wrong, I love food  . . . but it isn't the Arab Israeli conflict nor is it Stephen 'I've sold my soul to stay in power' Harper . . . it's food.

are golden beets same as red beets

OK. Doesn't the term 'same' mean that they are . . . well, . . . the same? One is golden, the other red. To my unsophisticated view that would mean that they are not, in fact, the same at all. 'Tis a good thing that google doesn't charge by the 'click'.

thoughts on fennel bulb

Bang. That was my head exploding. Why are we trying to make food so much more than it is. I don't want deep thoughts when it comes to food. Let's save our deep thoughts to things that really matter . . . like the importance of never voting conservative or why the guy at the gym who uses the used towels when he gets out of the shower should be banned henceforth. These things are worthy of deep thoughts . . . food? Not so much.

crabtree and evelyn chinese crap

Hmmm. I always thought that crabtree and evelyn stuff was good. Certainly the women in my life LOVE it. Truth be told, Paul likes it too. I'm not sure that everything made in China is crap. . . there was a time when people thought that about things made in Japan.

I have friends who are trying to not buy or use anything made in China . . . at last check they are living in a box under a wooden bridge and sipping maple syrup.

strawberry recipe for gout

Is that all it takes? I had an nasty gout attack last spring . . . it sure slowed me down on my trip to Italy. Had I known that all I needed to do was to eat strawberries I would have been a happier man. Why are we always looking for a quick band aid fix? You get gout from too much rich food, too much protein, and too much booze . . . if you want to get over the gout said items need to be cut out of one's diet. Leaving it all there AND eating a pint of strawberries just won't do it. Sorry folks.

do you discard sauce when making a sugo?

A sugo is a sauce. If you discard the sauce you'll just have a dirty pot and a hungry family.

can you recrisp up cookies that have gone soft

Hmmm . . . viagara for cookies? My advice - toss them out and bake fewer (or eat more of 'em) next time. Cookies aren't difficult to make.

why did my cheesecake not turn out right

The first thing that entered my mind was 'beause you are unable to follow a simple recipe'. I never said that I was a nice person. Since I have been studying emotional intelligence I have been working on impulse control and social responsibility (the two areas where I am, shall we say, lacking). In that spirit I thought a bit deeper . . . but the searcher gave me nothing to work with. Wat exactly is meant by 'turn out right'? Was it burnt, was it not set in the centre, did it fall, was it too sweet . . . not sweet enough . . . I am always amazed at folks who search the internet without being specific. If you want good information (or even slightly relevant information) you must be as specific as possible.

why are my taralli not light

You are asking the wrong guy here. My tarilli were as big as bagels and heavy like rocks. Seriously, they could have been used to fill potholes. They were tasty though. If you want light taralli you should ask my pal Palma, she was a genius with the taralli.

making cloth christmas tree napkins from half circle'

I thought that I knew some obsessive folks but wanting to know how to turn a half circle napkin into a Christmas tree in January is just preplanning gone out of control. Do what I do . . . bunch your napkins into a napkin ring . . no folding . . . no fuss . . . no stress needed in January.

"thanks for the time we spent together"

Is it just me but is this sad? No good can come from this.

fat man

This was just hurtful. I blame genetics. You can't fight your genes, can you . . .

Happy Second Birthday Blog!

I can't believe it has been two years since this bit of drivel started on a bizarre whim. Like so many such whims it has taken on a life of its own. When I started blogging I never knew that I would require 'blogging time' built into my daily schedule. I had no idea that I would have to start dragging a lap top with me on vacations so that the blog would be current. I certainly never anticipated that I would receive e-mails from folks with the message 'this would make a good blog post . . .'. I never imagined that challenges I'd experience searching for Internet cafes in Italy or the joys of an European keyboard!

Yet, through it all this blog has grown . . . post by post, comment by comment. The latest tally is 740 posts and 2753 comments. According to Typepad the blog has received 140,863 visitors with an average of 190 a day. According to the counter I added midway through the first year people from 142 countries have visited the blog. The top five countries are: the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Italy. The bottom 5? It varies - there are about 15 countries at 1 and the come up in a different order all of the time - right now it is: Iraq, Ethiopia, Fiji, the Faeroe Islands, and Kazakhstan.

The blog has been a new way to reconnect with friends and a way to make new friends. It has been a way to reach out to folks in a manner I never knew was possible.

The blog has been a tool for me to release my inner frustrations - yes, there are a few.

OK, many!

The most popular post by far last year was for Jamie Oliver's slow roasted pork. I probably get about 500 hits a week via Google for this post alone. Apparently people out there love slow roasted pork. I know we did. because we followed it up with slow roasted pork belly and the a pizza with slow roasted pork. YUM

The second most popular post (according to the 'good' folks at google) was for the french martini. I know it isn't a true martini! Goodness, the 'martini police' can be a vigilant crew. It is good. Judging by the number of hits that post had prior to new year's I think it was featured at many a new year's party.

My favourite posts of the year:

The time someone at work ate part of my lunch and put the lunch bag back in the fridge. Tragedy was to strike later in the year when I left my lunch bag behind on the train.

The post I wrote about some of the characters I meet whilst commuting is funny. I still feel sorry for Joanne.

I loved this wild boar sauce!

I was intrigued by the OBay ad campaign. I spent far too much time trying to figure it out and was happy when the mystery was solved!

I started blogging about the way people were arriving at the blog through google. Apparently I am in desperate need of a life!

It is always fun to use the cats as a target for humour.

Our return home from Italy was an adventure. It was bloody stressful at the time (delayed ticketing, continent-wide PC crashes, diverted flights, emergency landings . . . .) but now we can laugh about it. It is funny how time makes trauma amusing, isn't it?

Paul's favourite ice cream was this fresh mint ice cream from David Lebovitz's book the Perfect Scoop. It had a wonderful fresh taste!

The day we spent visiting wine country with my mom and my sister who was visiting from Nova Scotia was fun. As always, great food, wine, and lots of laughs! Rose really should visit more often.

My favourite experience of the year has got to be the day we went ballooning in Tuscany! It was even better because we got to experience it with our friend Sandi. Now if only I could figure out how to edit our video. ARGH

This bizarre day I experienced was very popular with folks who seemed to relish in my trauma! In hindsight, it is rather funny.

I still can't believe this story!

This business trip I experienced with a colleague was an adventure. It sort of sums up my approach to life - in the midst of annoyances . . . trying to find the fried things in baskets we love, a walk on the beach, or a beautiful sunset! Hell, Nancy and I still talk about it!

Then an election was called in Canada. This caused me to write many posts about what a cynical, manipulative, tyrant Stephen Harper was. The post setting out why I wouldn't vote for him and his cronies was popular with google as well - although strangely more after the election then before. Sadly, 5,208,796 did vote for Harper. Clearly the idiots had NOT read my blog.

Later there was a political crisis in Ottawa the likes of which we Canucks had never seen! I LOVED it.

We celebrated the US election results with our friends south of the border.

This was a bad day but I still found laughter in it! Hmmm . . . perhaps I am the crazy one!

We had some great trips:

Our long weekend in California to get together with the slowtravel crew in Paso Robles.

We really enjoyed the slowtravel get together in Savannah ! It was brilliant to visit the city, hook up with many old friends, and to make new ones.

Our trips to Italy to celebrate our tenth anniversary was an incredible experience. It was wonderful to return to Italy. It was a challenge to blog from the road but we made the best of it. We made new friends and reconnected with old friends. It would be self-indulgent to link all of the posts (but we know I LOVE to be self-indulgent!) but they start here.

We did some camping in up-state New York. Given the way the economy is going I predict more camping and fewer trips to Europe. *sigh*

Then we had another vacation to California. This time we enjoyed some time in San Diego and then headed to Palm Desert to stay with Palma and Brad for a bit. As always, there was great food and fun with friends!

It was after many of our trips in the year that I made my discovery. Paul and I single handedly control the value of the Canadian currency! This held true when I went to Washington for a conference and we went to PA for some shopping too!

I enjoyed working through baked treats, ice cream, and soup with the sunday slow bakers, sunday slow scoopers, and the sunday slow soupers. It caused me to try things I might never have given a second look and to expand my horizons as a cook.

I joined the blog event 'photo hunt' here. Soon there won't be enough days to post everything.

WOW - I am tired thinking about the year we had. I also know why I have no money in the bank. I am sure that 2009 will be an adventure as well . . . now to get thinking about future blog posts . . .

Thanks for travelling on this journey with me!

Season's Eatings - Malted Milk Date Bars

Have you voted in the photo contest? Only 4 days to go!

Four of our trip pictures have been entered in a photo contest run by the good folks at easycar.com. Oh happy day - all four photos are currently in the top 10 out of 371 photos. You can vote for each by clicking here, (remember 10 is a good vote! *smile*)  here, here, and here.

Yes, you CAN vote for all four photos.

You can only vote once from any given IP address - this means you can vote once for EACH pic from both at home and at work! If you have two computers networked at home, you can only vote on one of them, however. If you have a Blackberry though, that is a third vote. If you send these links to friends, relatives, or people who bug you with unwanted e-mails - just think of the of votes! It boggles the mind.

Heck, do what I do - vote at every hotel, conference centre, and friend's house in which you find a PC attached to the internet. Don't be shy at all. :-)

---

The wonderful Katie, owner of Thyme for Cooking, arranged a unique secret santa event for food bloggers. We e-mailed her our name and address. She paired people up and sent us an e-mail indicating to where and to whom we should mail our treat. We were encouraged to send some local delicacy or ingredient as well as a recipe that would assist the happy recipient in using it.

There you have it, secret santas for the digital age.

I received Barb, from Art n Barb Live in Italy, as the person i was to send to. Thank goodness she was in the US for a few weeks over Christmas and asked that her parcel be sent there. Whew - dodged a postal bullet there! LOL I sent her some maple syrup made by a friend from work, and some of our homemade fig jelly with balsamic and rosemary and some wild blueberry and grand marnier jam. She posted about her parcel here.

I was so wrapped up in the bustle of the holidays that I forgot about this until a package arrived at the door while I was in the basement wrapping gifts. When I opened it I had to laugh - my secret santa was my good friend Palma! Palma lives in the desert so I was curious to see what she had sent. Ever one to tackle a challenge with style - she sent some dates from the desert as well as a jar of prickly pear marmalade.

She also sent along a recipe for Malted Milk Date Bars which I made today. Palma is a talented cook so I had no reservations attempting the recipe, well except for one. I've never been a fan of dates! LOL However, as a dedicated food blogger I know it isn't about me and what i like it is about the event! I whipped these up this morning (and had to pick Paul up off of the floor when he discovered me doing more baking!), let them cool while I ran errands and iced them this afternoon. I am happy to say that these are delicious - a dense, almost brownie-like square with a delicious vanilla butter cream icing.

Even a confirmed date hater like myself LOVED them!

Thanks Palma.

Perhaps like so many things in life I have discovered that I actually LIKE dates . . . happily I have plenty more to explore with.

Malted Milk Date Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup sifted flour
• 3/4 cup chocolate or vanilla malted milk powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup finely chopped dates
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 square (1 ounce) semisweet chocolate, melted
• Butter Icing, recipe below

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°. In a saucepan, melt butter and add sugar; blend thoroughly. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs and vanilla; blend well. Add sifted dry ingredients, dates and nuts.

Turn mixture into greased 9-inch square pan or llx7x2-inch pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes; cool. Spread with butter frosting. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the icing and cut into bars. Note: Mix a little confectioners' sugar and water into the melted chocolate to make it easier to drizzle.

Butter Icing
Combine 1 cups confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Cream all ingredients together until of spreading consistency. Add more milk if necessary. Add a few drops of food coloring to this icing for special occasions.

I'm confused

I'm in Ottawa for a conference and head out for dinner in a bit so today's shall be a short post.

Things happen that confuse me. Sometimes a whole lot more than others.That is the inspiration for this post.

I have a huge, ugly rental car (a Ford Flex) which looks like a hearse. I drove this afternoon to pick up a colleague at a train station, traffic was bad, and I got stuck at a light. Woman insisted on rapping on my window to inform me that I was in the intersection and the light was red.

Why?

What deep well of civic duty made her feel that this is required?

Behaviour like that in LA would likely result in a road-side shooting. She was lucky I am a nice guy.

Number 2 thing that made me wonder today: today's lunch was in a food court. Don't get me started onfood courts. My colleague ordered poutine (fries, cheese curds, and gravy) - a melty, goopy mess that has more calories in a dish than one needs in a week. What to drink? A diet coke!

I don't get that!

Final thing that cause some thinking to happen today: as I was reading the paper today another thing jumped out at me and caused some mental pondering.  . . . a man in Quebec has been released from prison. Not because his time was up though. Apparently he is so fat that prison life is causing undue suffering.

Ummm . . . isn't the point of prison life to cause suffering? It isn't much of a deterrent if you're enjoying yourself, is it?

There you have three things that I spent time wondering about today . . . particularly in my last session which was far over my head to the point that I only understood half of it!