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Dill Pickle SoupBy Julie

Pear (or Apple) & Parsnip SoupBy Julie

Dorata’s Cold + Creamy Beet Soup (Chlodnik)By Julie

Roasted Tomato Soup with Open-faced Grilled CheeseBy Julie

Curried Red Pepper & Butternut Squash SoupBy Julie

Chanterelle Mushroom ChowderBy Julie

Asparagus + Cauliflower SoupBy Julie

Roasted Beet and Butternut Squash SoupBy Julie

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato SoupBy Julie

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dinnerwithjulie

Cook, author, writer, eater, freelance journalist on CBC radio + the Globe + Mail, cookbook author (x 13!), food access advocate, ❤️ feeding people 🌈

So I spontaneously decided to take W on an adventu

So I spontaneously decided to take W on an adventure.

It’s been an exceptionally awful month or two.. and a hard year or two (a time that has also brought immense happiness, joy, love and deeply meaningful experiences I’ve yearned for my whole life-they can coexist) for far greater reasons than hit and runs and expensive repairs and getting Norwalk virus when I only had a frozen porta potty on my front lawn in the snow. But these past two weeks have taken me down in a way I’ve never felt.

I am all for hard things-some of the best, most meaningful parts of (and people in) my life have been hard and risky and so worth any time and effort. But then there’s the kind of hard you don’t choose, with nothing on the other side except the sad accomplishment of having made it through, hopefully with a few nuggets of insight into your own values and inner workings you managed to pick up along the way.

I’ve been feeling sheepish about being honest about this version of myself here… in the thick of it, it felt disingenuous to gloss over and pretend I was ok. Everyone goes through times and seasons of deep vulnerability, sadness, hurt, regret, heartbreak, loss and despair in their lives for more reasons than any of us will ever comprehend.. it feels less lonely, I think, to know other people are navigating something similar. I try to be myself, and this is a version of me, though one I haven’t met before.

W and I both needed to get out of the house, and I needed to get out of my head... even the daily rituals I find so much comfort in -my bed, my chair, walks, music- had become comfortable homes for the painful and despondent thought patterns my brain has settled into these past weeks. I tend to perseverate on things, turning them over in my head to better understand and reconcile them. Sometimes they can’t be.

W is in between things, and I needed some time with him before he’s off into his own life. I’ve had to spend so much money this year on unexpected fixes, why not use some on something better than dentists, body shops and plumbers (as awesome as they might be) while I have the opportunity?

These winter prairie sunrises and sunsets keep tak

These winter prairie sunrises and sunsets keep taking my breath away… even from my bedroom office window.

Love doesn’t always win. It seems to less and le

Love doesn’t always win. It seems to less and less in a world that’s losing its grip on humanity. But in my heart, mind and soul, love will always be stronger than fear. The most powerful, most enduring force, and the most resilient building material that exists.

I went for a walk through the Inglewood bird sanct

I went for a walk through the Inglewood bird sanctuary with the wonderful @graydio1 yesterday, who stopped to look for the owl he sometimes chats with, and to point out a golden eagle, a pair of muskrats and a baby beaver. I forgot what a great place it is.. feels like you’re outside the city, beside Deerfoot trail.

From Pivot, by @briannawiest 💛

From Pivot, by @briannawiest 💛

I talked to CBC about grocery prices and the draft

I talked to CBC about grocery prices and the draft Grocer’s Code of Conduct today… the segment should air on stations across Canada in the coming days. In theory, a code designed to promote predictability, transparency, and fair dealing between retailers, distributors and suppliers (of which Loblaw is all three) should be a good thing… but as a member-based not for profit organization industry has to buy into (there’s no framework to make participation mandatory) I’m not sure how effective it will be, particularly with the country’s largest retailer and food distributor not on board, threatening it will cost Canadians another billion dollars on their grocery bills (without explaining why or offering input on how to make it better).

I think many Canadians don’t realize grocers don’t only make money from food sales, but from all the fees they charge vendors to be on store shelves — listing fees, display fees for better-positioned shelf space or end-cap displays, inclusion in flyers and other promotions, loyalty programs, penalties… as you know, I’m far from a financial expert, but we need more transparency, legislation and oversight around accounting practices. Are incoming fees separated through a different company so as to not have an impact on the retail profit margin they keep pointing to as evidence they aren’t making excessive profits? (This is a company that was part of a bread price-fixing scheme for over 14 years.. Loblaw/Weston became aware of the investigation and co-operated with investigators in exchange for receiving immunity from prosecution, while Canada Bread has to pay a $50 million fine for their involvement. Now Metro is accusing Loblaw of falsely implicating them in this scheme in order to claim it was “industry-wide”.)

Canadians should be able to afford to eat.

This morning the sky was a spectacular painting.

This morning the sky was a spectacular painting.

A packet of Maggi 2 minute masala noodles is 44 ce

A packet of Maggi 2 minute masala noodles is 44 cents and makes an amazing base for chaat. This was so good.

Maggi Masala Noodle Chaat

vegetable oil, for cooking
1/2 cup frozen hash browns or 1 small potato, finely diced or grated
1 pkg Maggi 2 Minute Masala Noodles
1/3 cup drained canned chickpeas
Diced tomato
Finely diced purple onion
Fresh cilantro
Plain yogurt
Tamarind chutney (or any chutney you like)
Sev (crunchy chickpea-based noodles) or more dry noodles, toasted in a skillet
A squeeze of lime (optional)

Drizzle some oil into a medium skillet or saucepan set over medium-high heat and cook the hash browns to heat through, or the potato until it’s tender. Add the dry noodles, broken into pieces if you like (the package suggests breaking the noodle cake into four) and add to the pan with a little more than half the seasoning packet, and about 3/4 cup water (or 1/2-3/4 the quantity of water your packaged noodles call for). Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the noodles are just tender, adding a splash more water if the pan is dry but the noodles aren’t yet cooked.

Meanwhile, drain and toss the chickpeas with a bit of the seasoning packet, and if you like, stir the rest into a couple spoonfuls of plain yogurt. Transfer the noodles and potatoes to a plate and top with the chickpeas, tomato, purple onion, cilantro, yogurt and whatever chutneys you like, and sprinkle over some sev or toasted plain, uncooked instant noodles, broken up into bits, for added crunch. Season with some lime juice or serve with a wedge of lime, if you like.

Serves 1 well.

One day I’ll recapture this look. 💛

One day I’ll recapture this look. 💛

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Dinner With Julie © All Rights Reserved | Website by Curious Communications

Home
Recipes
Recipe Index
Meet Julie
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Writing