This is the new form of torture; a few bars of this song and I’d be ready to confess anything, just to make it stop.
My friend Julie Van Rosendaal, cookbook author, writer, chef, food blogger and intrepid traffic reporter [whom, astonishingly, I've never met in real life,but all that will change February 24th when I attend the Farm Table Dinner at Forage] has pulled off something incredible. What an amazing woman! Thank you Julie for being the hands and feet of Jesus, as the expression goes.
In just under three weeks she taken on a monumental task and has co-ordinated food bloggers from all over North America to contribute recipes for the Blog Aid Cookbook, convinced West Canadian Graphics and Blurb.com to donate their services, and sat with her friend Catherine countless hours to design, compile, and edit The Blog Aid Cookbook as a fundraising effort. 100% of the proceeds of this will go to support earthquake relief in Haiti. $50 gets you a hardcover edition and $25 gets you a softcover edition. With recipes from the likes of Michael Smith, Dana McCauley and Emily Richards and of course, Julie Van Rosendaal herself, this compendium will be a welcome addition to any foodie’s cookbook shelf, and make awesome gifts for the cooks in your life. I personally can’t wait to try Snickers Bar Pie from Recipe Girl, and the Korean BBQ’d beef from Savory Sweet Life. Huge rounds of applause to all who participated.
Matching Donations:
from http://blogaidforhaiti.blogspot.com/
The proceeds from book sales will go straight to Haitian relief via the Red Cross and Doctors without Borders, and get this: both West Canadian AND Blurb are matching the dollar amount of the proceeds raised, to TRIPLE those dollars going to Haiti. And of course until February 12th, the Canadian government will match that.
Ordering information: http://www.blurb.com/books/1172809
As of 10:00 a.m. this morning, with matching donations, almost $10,000 for Haiti has been raised from this! Good on ya!
Click on the below link to access 60 minutes video on the traumatic conditions in Haiti.
[video.php?v=wshh74PTeYT3IKR8XWEr]
Haiti Benefit Concert, January 20th, 7 pm
A couple of ways you can help:
Center Street Church in Calgary will be hosting a benefit concert to raise funds for the earthquake in Haiti. This coming Wednesday (January 20th) at 7:00 pm to Center Street’s main campus in Calgary, to hear artists Carolyn Arends, Steve Bell, Jon Bauer, Corey Doak, Kelsey Plowman and more! A freewill offering will be taken. All proceeds will go to Samaritan’s Purse to aid the relief for Haiti.
Furthermore, my friend Julie has just launched Blog Aid, http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2010/01/14/blog-aid/ and is reaching out to her friends in the food blogging community, to put together a cookbook, with all proceeds going to Haiti. Items of art are also being donated.
She has a website http://blogaidforhaiti.blogspot.com where you will soon be able to order cookbooks and purchase food-related art items. I’m thrilled to have been chosen to be part of a team of editors to help with this cookbook.
I found out yesterday I have to have cataract surgery–it’s good and bad news. I see the ophthalmologist next week. This is both good and bad news. The good news: my crappy, crappy vision that I’ve had since birth will get waaayyyy better post-surgery. The bad news: the surgery itself and my total squeamishness about anything to do with eyes.With the wait times in this Province, and cutbacks on the number of cataract surgeries, I’m told it could be 2 years before I get surgery. My mother in law had cataract surgery last year and they did the eyes about 6-8 mos. apart or so. I’m informed, however, that if one is still of working age, there is a possibility of “fast-tracking” the surgery — but my worry is that may not reduce the wait time significantly. The cataract in the R. eye is quite advanced, and in both eyes my distance vision is quite affected, so of course I am concerned about how much my vision will be compromised by the continued growth of the cataracts.
I have known about these cataracts but my last appt. in Nov. 2007 they were not advanced enough to warrant an operation. I’m alarmed at the rapid progression in just over two years.
Also according to the optometrist, there is the possibility that I will be referred to another specialist [a retinal specialist?] because of my myopia (nearsightedness), something in the eye is already stretched and fragile and the cataract surgery may be a little trickier b/c of that. The ophthalmologist will make that call when I see him.
GOOD TIMES I tell ya GOOD TIMES.
PS – Update January 21, 2009 – the opthalmologist saw me January 19. There is a weak spot on my retina, so I will be seeing a retinal specialist before the cataract surgery. If the retinal specialist deems it necessary, there may be a surgery to correct the weak spot. I’m told this is similar surgery to a laser surgery. The opthalmologist has informed me that it will be 10-12 months for the cataract surgery. It may be less. The government hands down quotas to the cataract surgeons in April of each year and there may have been some changes.
Chronic in the Kitchen
Posted by: Kathy
January 6th, 2010 >> Chronic in the Kitchen - my cookbook, food
My cookbook “Chronic in the Kitchen — When You’re in Too Much Pain to Cook Too Much” which contains over 100 recipes that are easy, tasty, and healthy has been pitched to a publisher, Whitecap Books. An acquaintance of mine, Julie Van Rosendaal, helped me tremendously with the “pitch letter.” Julie’s a cookbook author, chef, caterer, blogger www.dinnerwithjulie.com, writer, TV star and intrepid traffic reporter. Whitecap’s published her cookbooks and Julie helped me with the pitch letter and gave me a contact at Whitecap to direct my inquiry to.
Here’s the “pitch”:
About Me
Allow me to introduce myself – I like to eat, cook and bake. I’m also a person who happens to have a chronic pain condition. I’m a former administrative assistant who now has a home based writing and web design business with my husband.
Previous publishing credits include acting as a reporter for a non-profit organization’s bi-weekly publication, and the publication of a short story in a local writer’s magazine. I’ve been writing since I was in my teens and blogging since 2008.
About My Cookbook
I found that a lot of recipes – while tasty – had a lot of preparation and were quite time- and energy-consuming – to make. To help people in the kitchen who, like myself, cope with chronic pain, I’ve written, adapted, compiled and developed “Chronic In the Kitchen – When You’re in Too Much Pain to Cook Too Much,” which contains over 100 recipes. Recipes that are easy, healthy, and time-saving, designed for those who suffer from extreme fatigue, pain and low energy. Those who experience pain in their hands from repetitive strain injuries, arthritis or fibromyalgia will appreciate the small amount of preparation required. Most recipes take 30 minutes or less counter-to-table.
Granted, there are many cookbooks that have fast, easy to prepare recipes. However, with my cookbook, I’ve tried to minimize the amount of processed foods used as it’s possible that, for some people, certain preservatives or additives can exacerbate chronic pain. It’s also chock full of tips to help those with chronic pain be awap (as well as possible.)
Regarding photographs, while I have a high end point and shoot digital camera, I am not sure that it is up to the task of photographing the quality images required for a book.
Note, too, that I stand ready, willing and able to handle the promotion of this book via media appearances and other marketing as necessary to help this cookbook succeed!
About Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than 6 months.
According to www.iasp-pain.org:
1 in 5 adults and 1 in 3 seniors suffers from chronic pain. The prevalence of chronic pain increases with age.
Statistics from the Canadian Pain Coalition show that 13 – 30% of Canadians cope with chronic pain.
(Statistics included to show that there is a market for this cookbook.)
Let’s hope this pitch is a home run!
Note – if anyone would like purchase copies of this cookbook, please contact me at kathyatbignoise-enterprises.com.
Blu’s is one of the stores I’ve always been intimidated by. Holt Renfrew is another. I get what I call “Reverse Pretty Woman Syndrome.” You know the scene in the movie where the character Julia Roberts plays is going into these high end stores on Rodeo Drive and the sales people are shining her on because, based on the way her character looks, the sales people feel she’s not good enough, or rich enough, to shop there. Until she enters one boutique where they treat her well, and she spends all of the money Richard Gere’s character gives her. Afterwards, she returns to the boutique that snubbed her with her bags of purchases and asks the salesperson if she remembers not helping her yesterday. After the salesperson responds in the affirmative, Julie Roberts’ character asks if she works on commission and the sales woman answers that she does. Julia Roberts’ character waves the bags of clothes in her face and says “big mistake, huge.”
I have that in reverse–I feel I’m not good enough, or rich enough, to shop there.
The sales people likely don’t care.
Blu’s is having a up to 80% off sale – starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday, January 10, 2010. I love a deal so maybe I’ll be able to over come my Reverse Pretty Woman Syndrome enough to go there!
This story, from http://gracewalkministries.blogspot.com/2009/12/shot-of-bourbon-outpouring-of-grace.html is a great illustration of the measure of God’s Grace. What we can afford, or what we think we deserve, is no comparison to the immeasureable mercies of God’s grace.
It was Christmas Eve and the biting cold had driven two well dressed men into the street side city bar. One man was the highly respected County Judge, the other the Bishop of the Local Diocese. As the two men pulled up their bar stools they looked through the plate glass bar front window and saw one of the local vagrants shuffling along. He was poorly dressed, obviously cold, dirty, thin and frail. “Poor soul”, the Bishop said, “he probably has no family and no place to go.” The Judge said, “You know its Christmas Eve, I’ll bet he’s like nothing better than a good shot of Bourbon.” After a long pause the Judge continued, “What do say Bishop, Why don’t we invite the old fool in and buy him a drink… after all it’s Christmas Eve.”
The wide eyed Bishop nodded his approval at the suggestion and stepping to the door called out to the homeless man, “Come in, …come in out of the cold we want to buy you a drink.” The astonishing offer stopped the old man dead in his tracks….”get out of the cold”;… someone wants to buy me a drink!?” He moved through the open door with labored step and positioned himself standing at the end of the bar several stools away from the Judge and Bishop. He didn’t speak. He just stood, head down, waiting for the life giving shot of bourbon that would ease the pain for awhile.
“What will you have Bishop?”, the old bartender asked. “Jack Daniels, neat, one finger*”. Next the bartender faced the Judge, “How about you, Your Honor. What will the Judge have on Christmas Eve?” “You’re right, it is Christmas Eve, and I think I’ll treat myself. I’ll have two fingers of Woodford Reserve (very expensive) neat!”
The bartender poured their drinks and then turned to vagrant. “What will you have?” The old man just shrugged his shoulders. This Bishop said, “Give him what I have” and the Judge said, “It’s Christmas, make it two fingers!”
The bar tender put the glass on the counter and reached for Blanton’s 1792 Bourbon, the finest bottle in the house. To the amazement of all he poured the glass full to the very top! “My God man! I said TWO FINGERS!!!” and the Bishop added, “…of Jack Daniels!!!” The bar tender smiled and held up two fingers horizontally against the glass and then moved his two fingers vertically showing them running from top to bottom of the glass. Two fingers straight down… a full glass.
“Don’t worry gentlemen,”the bartender said; “this old man’s drink is on me. You bought what you thought you could afford or what you thought you deserved. I gave this broken man what he could never imagine.
The way I understand Christmas is that God so loved us that He gave His only Son as a gift to us. And then He poured out His life for us and His life into us!
Gentlemen that’s two fingers … straight down and it’s very expensive.”
*That’s bartender language for one shot of bourbon in a glass with no ice. If you lay one finger horizontally across the bottom of the glass and pour to that level it will be about one shot of liquor.
Leo Babauta, the author of “The Power of Less: the Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential – in Business and in Life.” has made available on his website a free e-book: Thriving on Less: Simplifying in a Tough Economy. To download, click here: http://thepowerofless.com/2008/12/free-ebook-thriving-on-less-simplifying-in-a-tough-economy/
from the Power of Less:
With the countless distractions that come from every corner
of modern life, it’s amazing that we’re ever able to accomplish
anything. The Power of Less demonstrates how to streamline your
life by identifying the essential and eliminating the unnecessary —
freeing you from everyday clutter and allowing you to focus on
accomplishing the goals that can change your life for the better.
This is a book I am interested in reading because I sometimes feel the unimportant is taking over my life, crowding out what’s really important-relationships. It’s okay to let myself off certain hooks – i.e. no-one will really care if the food I bring to our weekly potluck is home made or from a store except for me. It’s perfectly fine not to go into a baking and cooking frenzy at Christmastime — we don’t need the extra calories from Christmas baking anyways.
There’s only so much energy in the energy bank for me –the trick is to not feel guilty when I say no. I will get phone calls from organizations that know me asking me to volunteer my time and I wonder sometimes if people often think that just because I work from home I have the time and energy to volunteer. My days are pretty full already.
Simplify, simplify, simplify–my new “mantra” for 2010. That requires a sea change from my current thinking. I need to find more hooks to let myself off of and hopefully this book will help me to do that.
My favorite Christmas carol is “Oh Holy Night.” Here is Carrie Underwood singing it: