cabbage, carrot and apple salad

 

The best part of my life is being a mother. It's that simple.

It is the most rewarding and difficult role I have yet to fill. Balancing between who I am as an individual and taking care of my little family is a constant challenge. Millions share this sentiment no matter the continent they live in, no matter their profession or religious belief. When our children ache, mothers ache; when our children win, we win... and when they wine, we try not to wine back too much. Children are the most important legacy we will ever have.  

Yesterday, I found myself drowning in tears as my heart broke for another mother. My heart sunk deeply for Dafna Meir of Otniel, Israel. I have never written about terrorism on my blog; on the contrary, I much rather focus my thoughts on life and growth. But a young mother was stabbed in her home yesterday. She was murdered by a teen because she was Jewish. 

Dafna Meir died a hero.  She courageously fought her attacker, and spared 3 of her children's lives. She was kind, generous, grateful and humble, values we aspire to have. A holistic nurse by profession, she answered anonymous medical questions, helping women balance modern life, Jewish law and medical concerns. Her story extends itself beyond social media posts amid our desensitized culture, the words she expressed on her blog echoes the beautiful soul that she was. Reminding me, once again, to be grateful for all that I have.

I cannot write anymore, my tears are flowing too hard. On this Martin Luther King Day, I leave you with his words "every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." In memory of a light who nurtured and inspired life, Dafna Meir, Z'L. To read more articles about her, visit: Times of Israel Blog, Point of view, Haaretz.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4-6 |  PREP TIME: 30 Minutes

• 2 carrots, scrubbed, peeled and julienned
• 1½ finely chopped red cabbage
• 1 cup raw kale, washed, dried, stem removed and finely chopped 
• Handful of mint, finely chopped
• 1 large apple (or 2 small ones - I chose Gala) peeled, cored and cut julienned or sliced
• 1/2 cup of pepitas / pumpkin seeds
  
  The Vinaigrette
• 4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1½ tablespoon honey
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• pinch of black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Place the carrots, cabbage, kale, mint and apples in a large bowl.
3. Mix in the lemon juice.
4. Add the pepitas.
5. Pour the vinaigrette over the top and toss.

classic apple cake

We had a little 'disaster' this weekend at home. My daughter got a hold of a cup of flour and 'accidentally' sprinkled it all over her doll house and everywhere you can think of.. including the disproportional blond Barbies, the miniature retro furniture, the Barbie cruise line with the pool... it looked like she tried to generate a snow storm of some sort. Though it may have been cute to her, it was not so cute to me... especially after spotting a 'little' trail of flour footprints down the stairs straight into the kitchen. Oy yo yo! Needless to say, I banned barbies for a couple of weeks and I forgave her to avoid the guilt trip. After all, I just love her delicious face.

I had to take a little pause from blogging mainly because I got into hosting and co-producing a new community TV show called Give Back Montreal. It's a kinda feel-good show that features Montreal's inspirational philanthropists and the respective organizations they support. It kept me busy hence I had to hold off on the food blogging and yes, the family had to settle for countless pizza and pasta nights, until recently.

So back to kitchen business. It's a new year, a new time to share food, an opportunity to connect and a perfect time to celebrate and share those sweet things! Apples are a staple fruit on the Jewish new year of Rosh Hashanah, and I figured we can all use a full-proof and classic apple cake recipe like this one. I borrowed this cake recipe from my friend Norene Gilletz's Second Helpings, Please! I have been making this apple cake for years. It's simply delicious and so beyond easy to make.

INGREDIENTS PREP TIME 15 min | TOTAL TIME 1 hour | Yield 8-12
Recipe by Norene Gilletz

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup oil or 3/4 stick of unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons water or orange juice
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Apple filling

• 6-8 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (I like using a blend of Granny Smith, Gala and Cortland apples)
• ½ cup white or brown sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in oil or butter.
2. Add liquid alternately with dry ingredients (don't forget the baking powder!) and beat until just smooth.
3. Spoon half of batter into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking pan. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Add apples, which have been sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Cover with remaining batter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, until nicely browned.

To top it all off, be sure to sprinkle icing sugar for that special, yet permissible, messy touch ;-)