Livin' La Vida Donya

 When the holidays come around and you've got a trifle bowl to fill. Every time I hear "trifle" I immediately think of that Friends episode. Yes, the one where Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) mistakenly mashed-up 2 recipes in her attempt to contribute to the holiday spread (she basically flipped through 2 recipes - English trifle and a Shepherd's Pie 😨).  I love making trifles. They're pretty, showcase- and photo-ready, and they're difficulty level is entirely up to you. You can make it as simple as dumping everything in, or as complicated as making each and every layer exquisitely unique. Unfortunately, I don't have any process photos for this. I was too excited (and frankly, distracted) so all I can offer is a photo of the finished product. Don't worry, it's easy as pie. I seem to have some infatuation towards desserts of English and French origin. Yes, you guessed it. The trifle originated in England, as early as the 1600s. It's gone a long way ...

When you're craving chocolate but you want to convince yourself you're "eating healthy" so thinking "flourless" would do the trick. Haha. Sucker. This was very easy to make. I've always wanted to make a chocolate torte but for some reason, I would get this image in my head that it needed more attention and effort than required. Nope! As long as you have your handy mixer, you're good! Even if you didn't have one and just has a whisk, you'd be fine.  Some people think that because something is "flourless", it's instantly considered as "diet food". You have to understand the components of a dish. Especially if you're going flourless or ultimately low-carb. Yes, flourless foods are almost synonymous to "gluten-free" because well.... there's no gluten developed if there's no wheat. But it doesn't mean it's "healthy". Even though this torte is flourless, it does contain sugar and a lot...

  I don't even know where to begin. The last conversation I had with Mom was on November 11th. And the last thing I ever sent her was a "thumbs up" emoji. I guess that was it. My calls to her on the 14th were left unanswered. Mom was rushed to the hospital on the eve of the 15th. And she became our angel on the morning of the 18th. That was way too fast, Mom.  Being so far away was the hardest. So very, very hard. When my brother (together with my dad) finally called me and my sister (from Halifax), that was it. I don't think I've ever cried out so hard and so painfully before. I don't ever wish for anyone to feel this pain, this emptiness. And for the first time, I didn't know what to do. The void left was just too much. I just cried and cried and cried. And sometimes, I'd forget to breathe. Good thing my husband kept a good eye on me and my water bottle, always filled. Thank you, Carl.  Mom messaged me before when I had surgery earlier this year, ...