Taste testing French Toast for the new cookbook

It's Tuesday, my favorite day of the week and spending it with Lorraine (my sister, best friend and publisher) at work onboard the Spruceglen during Spring fit-out makes it even better. Tuesday actually became our favorite day years ago when we had the restaurant together. We had our own restaurant for 24 years in Mont Tremblant, Quebec at a ski resort, and stood side by side spinning out over a million crepes. During the busy seasons we worked 7 days a week but when we had enough staff, or it was a quieter time Lorraine and I would take Tuesdas’s off. We would always plan a little getaway and sometimes would even leave Monday night at 21h00 when the restaurant closed. We would try and go as far as we could before turning around to make it back for Wednesday morning. We had three places that we liked to choose from: Brockville (three hours door to door, when our parents lived there), Williston, Vermont (with a detour to Stowe) over 3 hours but so worth it and the final day trip was Plattsburgh NY which would often include a trip to the beach on lake Champlain. Our friend Karen, (She's an amazing artist) always commented on how much we could fit into one day. These Tuesdays off always included a stop at Costco or Sam's Club (Sam's club if we were in Plattsburgh. We used to buy our nacho chips there and Adobo seasoning in the 2lb containers, pizza sauce and a few other things for the business). We would always go out for a nice dinner and then head home. We would always stop at the restaurant at the end of our fun filled day and drop off the items we purchased for the restaurant before heading home. Since then, Tuesday has always been my favorite day of the week because I visit the memories of those days that Lorraine and I spent together. Today I suggested we should go ashore after lunch, just to make the day special. When you work 7 days a week you have to make one day special and pretend it is a day off. Monday we worked a lot. We didn't take a break after lunch so that we could accomplish everything that we set out to do. I would see Lorraine doing a task, thinking how would I ever have gotten all of this done myself.

It was so windy and cold. A real winter day as the snow started to fall.

I also made the grocery order on Monday. I was trying to stay within $10,000. Usually I go through the numerous pages of items available to me, choose what I would like trying to keep a tally in my head to stay within budget and then when I have selected everything I go back to the top of the page to see how close I am. As I scroll up to the top page where the total of my order is I often imagine I am on the game show Price is Right playing the Cliffhanger game and Bob Barker is commentating on how close I am getting to send the little hiker plunging over the edge of the mountain because I had gone over my budget. Well with the new prices on the 2024 order form, not only did I send the Price is Right CliffHanger Hiker over the edge, he didn't even make it halfway up the mountain. I was shocked when I took a look at the total and it came to over $16,000.00. I didn't even get everything I wanted. I went back to the top of the list and started to take items off, thinking that we can order on the next grocery order.

I sent my imaginary cliffhanger hiker plunging over the edge as I passed my budget that I had set for myself. I can hear the late Bob Barkers voice in my head “Ah that’s too bad, you still have a chance for the showcase showdown.”

I got it down to $14,000. It wasn’t easy

It is now Wednesday morning. We had such a busy day yesterday and going ashore didn't leave any extra time to finish writing to you. We had fun but it was so cold and windy outside. A real winter day. We considered waiting until today to go ashore but when we checked the weather we decided the snow had not accumulated on the deck yet so let's go. We had fun walking through Walmart together. One stop shopping. I was looking for fresh basil for last night's supper and an extra work shirt. I bought three work shirts and reallly like them. They didn't have any work shirts left in my size so I took that as a sign that I don't need another work shirt. Lorraine saw a cute summer top and although we had just been blown into the store by what felt like strong Arctic winds that left our cheeks red and my hair looking like a disheveled bird's nest, we placed the summery top in the cart with images of warm summer days in our heads. I suggested to Lorraine that we take an extra 20 minutes in the store and instead of making a dessert for supper we could take the drive thru at Tim Hortons and pick up a dozen doughnuts. The crew will enjoy the treat. It was an easy cooking day to facilitate going ashore. I had discovered ready heat and serve fried chicken in the freezer. There was not enough for the full crew so I thought it best to use it before the rest of the crew comes back. I had chicken gravy and heated up homefries, corn and Lorraine made her famous, delicious broccoli slaw. The second choice was a ham salad sandwich (Ham salad always reminds me of my mom, she made the best)

A quick easy lunch, heat and serve fried chicken. A gift from the freezer to facilitate going ashore in the middle of the day. It’s actually good and the crew like it.

For supper I made Thai Basil Beef over basmati rice. The recipe was inspired from a meal we used to enjoy at the "Hot and Spicy Restaurant" in Montreal. We were so disappointed when it closed and that is when I decided I would have to start making it myself. It is one of my favorites and always goes well with the crew. It was a fun day from morning until end. I have a video to share with you. Lorraine brought a cranberry orange loaf when she came. It is going into the book and she suggested we take two slices of the delicious treat and make French toast. We did and it was so delicious. I don't usually eat French toast but tried this grain free, sugar free version since it was being considered for the book. It far exceeded my expectations and would definitely look forward to having it again. Just click on the following link to witness Lorraine's first bite of the cranberry orange loaf French toast. Taste Testing grain free, sugar free cranberry orange french toast (youtube.com)

Lorraine’s cranberry orange loaf. She suggested that we make French toast with the grain free, sugar free loaf.

I had no idea I would enjoy the cranberry orange loaf as French Toast. It was so delicious. She was right!

I served the Thai beef over Basmati rice and this crew member asked for a piece of the leftover ready serve chicken.

Lorraine and I had the Thai beef served over riced cauliflower. It was so good!

I will also share the meals from Monday. We had cabbage rolls which went really well. We had some beet salad leftover and it went nicely served with spinach salad. For supper we had a special request from one of the crew; chicken parmesan. I was happy to make it and thought it would go nice with penne pasta and alfredo sauce with a side of garlic toast on homemade bread. it smelled so delicious, like an Italian restaurant.