Gratitude

Forgive me for taking this opportunity to speak about something that is not entirely food related.

I know. I'm nuts.

But I just got off of this amazing week at camp (see here and here to read about the camp), and I wanted to write about something I learned. A note to the disclaimer, there will be food mentioned periodically in this post, so don't you worry.

There is this amazing feeling you get to experience when you have accomplished something. For a cousellor where I work, a Friday brings with it much of this feeling. In fact it comes in bounds; there is enough to go round, believe me. Everyone works so hard from Sunday to Friday, like sprinting a long distance race. We do it because the campers deserve nothing but our very best, and because, with God's strength, we can.




Truthfully we (the counsellors and staff) all know and will admit that we have so much to give when we try, and when given the chance, we show kids real love. So much so, that they never want to leave!


Of course they do, thank goodness.

And Friday comes! And we are soo happy because despite all of the amazing times, we get to head back to normal food and life. You don't understand how removed you can be from civilization until you literally remove yourself from all it usually is, and live in a camp 'bubble'.

It is a brilliant thing this 'bubble', all self-concerning and aloof, but silently powerful. (I don't know many other places where the gospel can be shared to 300 children all in one loving, supportive, 'get to know you--for real' place).

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at (and this is for you food lovies who were promised an entry that qualifies for a place on a food blog), is this feeling that I found to be really prominent at camp: gratitude. Like never before. And what I have realized, is that gratitude makes food taste better.

I know your probably like, huh? How in the world can something taste better when you are really thankful for it? Well I'm here to tell you: it does. Like to a dramatic level.

Last night, my co-counsellor and myself enjoyed one, virtually snuck in, Big Mac each, and let me just say that we have never quite had burgers like these.

Now were the burgers extra juicy? No. Were they especially well dressed? No, not at all. Do we really love McDonald's, so much so that it is our one and only vice? Nope. But we were in heaven with these burgers.

It really get's me thinking: this whole 'taste' thing really has a lot more to do with the experience than I thought! There is no way that these burgers would have tasted the same had we been in a high class resort, after being pampered all day. No, instead we had been working really hard, and hadn't had anything that was 'outside' food for 5 days (a loooong time in camp time).

So it's interesting to me, that to qualify and have the ability to experience this crazy sensation of unsurpassing gratitude and taste sensation, you actually must experience less than 'ideal' situations. You have to be in a place where you are away from the easily accessible craving fillers. You have to make it really hard to get at the food you really want.

So yes, we can be really thankful for things when we get them; truly we can try to be as thankful as possible. But genuine gratitude comes from a deeper place than the words, thank you, can reach. I have found a place in myself that has felt real joy from simpler things, and it came from going without my comforts and sources for joy for a little bit.

By appreciating the taste of food, and the smaller moments in life we can experience this real gratitude everywhere, and more often. I hope you can find this to be true, as I have.

Serious Tuna Melts

There is nothing like these tuna melts if you enjoy the classic. They take the basic concept of tuna, cheese, and bread shoved under a broiler, and make it classy enough to have at a dinner party. (Make small bite size versions of your favourite version and serve it along side other hor dourves and white wine).


The idea to deck these little babies out to the max came from my desire to get as many vegetables into my food as possible. (Not to mention as much flavor as possible). I had some bright red vine tomatoes on my counter top and the herbs outside just had to be paired with them. Plus I put a bit of corn in with the tuna, adding just a touch of crunch and sweetness.

I was really inspired by all of the things sitting around the kitchen, and played with matching flavors.

The result was three slightly different variations (in flavor- but mainly presentation), all with the same basic tuna salad base (mayo, tuna, corn (the frozen variety is fine), salt and pepper:

1. Rye bread, tuna with corn, tomatoes, basil, processed cheese, bacon, and chives:
2. Rye bread, tuna with corn, tomatoes, real cheddar, bacon, basil:
3. Rye bread, tuna with corn, tomatoes, basil, processed cheese, chives (chopped finely this time):

Camp Food (AKA what I have eaten the past 3 weeks)

Welcome to the world of almost all white flour, frozen and then cooked for 350 people, possibly refined in places, sweet and salty, made with love and care despite any other preconceptions, refills abounding, stacked on plastic colourful trays, and energy to serve an entire camp, food.

That is in a nutshell, camp food. The delicacy that I so enjoy, privileged as I am, each summer that I work at camp.

9 weeks straight of eating the same food, in the same order...you always know what's coming next.

Food becomes a trademark of camp. You work here, then you have to eat the food, and you better like it because it's coming in bounds and you ain't escaping to Subway for your dinner! No sir.

Monday means ham, and usually a few unhappy staff members. (Apparently the ham has received a bad rep over the years but I am one of the few that really don't mind it!)

Tuesday means hamburgers and spaghetti...two really great combinations for all. Not so easy to cook Tuesday meals, but...they are so well received that it is worth the effort.

Wednesday means chicken burgers and tacos...and the list for the week goes on. You learn to depend on it because, honestly, it is one of the most consistent things you can find at camp. The weather in never predictable, your cabin may be really tough, and you may find yourselfbecoming a carrier of the camp flu. But the food, that stays (for the most part) the same.

One morning when breakfast was supposed to be muffins but instead was waffles, some counselors complained that it had messed up their digestive pattern. (If that gives you any indication of our dependence on a concrete menu).

A select few staff members have the time and money to pack their own frozen entrees, but those people are few and far between.

Frankly, I enjoy the food served at camp and have made it my mission to eat the food they serve. I am blessed as it is to be at camp, and the food just completes the experience.

As of now I am 3 weeks in, and I'm still craving it. So bring on the camp food!

Care to take a peek into the life we live at camp?

We dress up for dinner in crazy clothes (depending on the theme of the day) like this:

Music DayAnd we have Superhero Day


And, uh yeah, we are normal sometimes...

...See!

Raspberry Lime Icing

It's summer time - and summer means hanging out with the friends. Because I am working at camp all summer, my weekends are the only time where a hangout is even possible. (Along with free time, daily showers, whole grains, and consistent blogging). Today I'm off to my friend Becky's house for some fun with the gang.

I decided to bring along a yummy treat: Raspberry Lime Iced Cupcakes.

I couldn't turn down the opportunity to make a new cupcake recipe, and I must say that this one has become one of my favorites. (Hello bake sale idea!) It is made with the simplest of ingredients: fresh raspberries, lime juice and zest, and finally, icing sugar.

You mash the fresh raspberries with a little bit of sugar so that they create a really fresh, red pulp. To this you add the juice and zest of one lime. This puree can stand on it's own with just a touch of sugar as a topping for waffles or pancakes. If you feel like being really fancy, put some into a piping bag and pipe a small bit into the center of a cupcake. Ice over top of that hole and your done! This could be a great afternoon activity with the girlfriends or kids.

Ingredients:

I iced 12 cupcakes. If you had more cupcakes, you can simply adjust the amounts accordingly.

12 fresh raspberries (for on top of the cupcake)
approx. 3/4 c fresh raspberries, mashed
1 lime, zested
approx. 1 1/2c icing sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Begin by sifting your icing sugar into a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mash the raspberries until fairly smooth and add the juice/zest from one lime.

3. Combine a small amount of the raspberry puree into the icing sugar (about 2 Tbsp.) and stir. Continue to add small amounts of the puree until the icing has formed a desired consistency.

4. Ice cupcakes, and top with a fresh raspberry.

Watermelon Blueberry Protein Smootie

When people feel like they are getting sick, some take Cold FX, some take echinacea, some sleep. I, on the other hand, eat. Feed a cold, my mother always told me. And so I do.

But you can't settle for unhealthy food; you have to indulge in nature's vitamins, like fruit for example. Today my remedy of choice: the blueberry. I can literally eat an entire pint of blueberries in like 5 minutes. (In case you were wondering). And I don't feel guilty at all because I know how good they are for me.

Check out this blub I found online:

The dye that is released from the blueberries' skin may well be the most valuable nutrient the fruit has to offer. The pigments in blueberries and also in red crops such as cherries, plums, and red cabbage are powerful antioxidants. They have been determined to be a much-heralded chemical warrior against heart disease and also cancer. Blueberries actually have the highest antioxidant capacity because of their large anthocyanin concentration.

Antioxidants in our food can save us from virtually everything. Most of our health misfortunes are due to the perversity of oxygen. Our cells are perpetually besieged by toxic forms of oxygen which have been proved to have fierce destructive powers. So far scientists have linked destructive oxygen reactions to at least sixty different chronic diseases, as well as to aging itself. Oxygen free radicals can attack DNA, the genetic material of cells, causing them to mutate, which is a step on the path to cancer.

One of the great revelations of the last few years, according to a massive and growing body of evidence, is that you may be able to eat your way out of this dilemma insofar as the boundaries of human life span and genetics allow. You can supply your cells with antioxidant food compounds that strike down, intercept and extinguish rampaging oxygen molecules and even repair some of their damage.

So, while enjoying the many health benefits of the blueberry, you can endulge in this refreshing power smoothie that is sure to boost your bodies immunity into high gear.

Ingredients:

3/4 c fresh blueberries
3/4 c watermelon
3/4 c milk
1 banana
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 c oat bran
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
3 ice cubes


Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a blender on high until smooth.