Actually, I'm still on hiatus because I suck at multi-tasking.

Hey guys. This is Jen, popping in to look guilty and remorseful.

I know there are lots of other people who can maintain blogs and such while going to school or working in busy careers or raising families (or all of the above), but I am not one of those people. I went back to school about a year and a half ago to finish my undergraduate degree, and I'm still plugging away at it. I have a daughter who is growing all the time, and I try to spend as much of my non-school time as I can with her because she's such a cool little person and I love her.

While I've been getting better at keeping up with deadlines in my school life, it has made it harder for me to manage any additional (even self-imposed) deadlines in my blogging life. I've slowly dropped all of my fun projects so that I can focus on school.

I really, really hope that I can come back to this blog someday. I have had so much fun with it, and I feel really guilty each time I think about my abandoned projects. Anyway, I appreciate the great feedback my readers have given me. Please keep me in your bookmarks (if you want to and it's not too much trouble).

Maple Syrup Recipes for Canada Day

This post originally appeared in Persephone Magazine on July 1, 2011. Cross-posted with permission. 

Happy Canada Day, Readers! I'm a Canadian lady, so on this most Canadian of days I'm whipping out ALL THE PATRIOTISM! (And maple syrup.)

My recipes today come from Pierre & Janet Burton's Canadian Food Guide. (Non-Canadians: Pierre Burton was one of the most popular Canadian historians of all time. OF ALL TIME! If you don't believe me, just look at his Wikipedia page. You can't throw a microfiche reader in the Canadian history section of your library without hitting one of his books. And check out the majestic sideburns he had...)

See what I mean? Majestic!

Hiatus: Over

Dear Readers... In the immortal words of America in their 1975 hit song Sister Golden Hair:

I've been one poor correspondent

And I've been too, too hard to find

But it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind

I know I've been inexcusably terrible about keeping up to date with this blog. But let me try to excuse myself anyway...

In the time since my last blog update I've broken my arm, had surgery on said arm, recovered from surgery, packed up all the things, moved to another city, and unpacked most of the things (still working on that one)... all the while continuing to write my regular food column for Persephone Magazine (shameless plug!) and attempting to have some semblance of a social life.

Anyway, I'm sorry. I'll endeavour to be a more faithful blogging-person, or whatever.  

Oh, and yesterday was exactly one year since I posted my first recipe! My Blog-iversary! Huzzah!

So, to recap:

• So sorry.
• Been busy.
• Will re-post my Persephone content more regularly.
• Plus bonus content.

Is it a deal? Do you love me again/still?

Zesty Egg Spread

This post was originally published on Valentine's Day in Persephone Magazine. Reprinted with permission.

This image is presented in Soap Opera Vision for the romance impaired.

Ah, Valentine's Day... a day when winged babies armed with bows and arrows are flying around in the sky, maiming people at will. Romance is in the air! But what to eat? There are many foods traditionally associated with pitching woo, but sometimes you want to try something new. Something zesty...

Carrot Carousel

This post was originally published in Persephone Magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Look upon my gelatin and tremble!

Anyone can prepare a delicious meal, but it takes a special sort of foolhardiness to cook and consume (and document!) food that you suspect will be hideous before you even start. Sometimes I find recipes (especially in my older cookbooks) that look so ill-advised that my curiosity gets the better of me and I need to try them. You know… for science!

Good News, Everyone!

I've been offered a chance to do a weekly column for Persephone Magazine (daily blog for bookish and clever women)!  I've been a reader/ commenter there since they launched, so I'm absolutely thrilled to be on their writing team.  Also, the weekly deadlines and more structured posting schedule will keep me writing steadily and counteract my natural tendency to procrastinate.  

So, I've got that going for me.  

I'll be posting a link to my article later, but if you are someone from Persephone who wandered over to this blog, I welcome you to look around.  Please feel free to leave comments or send me an email.  I love getting feedback!  If you're looking for a primer on what this blog is about, you can read my introduction here.

I have permission to crosspost my work, so whatever I post on Persephone should appear on my site later in the week.  Besides re-posts of my work for Persephone, I plan to put more bonus content (like vintage food ads and cookbook artwork) up on this site.  

Now, will one and all please rise and join me in a happy dance?

Bacon Roll Sunburst

"Here comes the sun (little darling)..."

Well, now.  What do we have here?  Could it be a recipe featuring that most magical of ingredients... BACON?