Into The Woods With Kat!
My friend Christine and I went into the woods with my dad and uncle to see how that sweet golden treat real Canadian maple syrup is made! I’d tell you about it, but my mouth is full, eh! And it’s all in the video right here so you can click on it at your leisure!
A recipe for Maple Syrup:
Ingredients:
40 maple trees
40 buckets
Blissful sunshine
Roaring fire
Steady patience
Yield: 1 jar of sweet golden bliss and a lot of time to reflect on it.
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🙂
New Show Announced:Eating Disorder Awareness Week
Thursday February 4th 2016 at 7:00pm 152 Augusta Avenue in Toronto
NEDIC (National Eating Disorder Information Centre) is hosting an evening of poetry, storytelling and music and I get to be a part of it! There’s even an open mic section, so you could be a part of the show!
NEDIC is a Canadian non-profit organization that provides resources on eating disorders & weight preoccupation. They have a wealth of information on their website at www.nedic.ca  and toll-free phone lines for communication as well. Please give them a look-see and pass along to anyone you feel may benefit from their service or you may be able to help the organization by getting involved and/or donating.
Hope to see you at the show on February 4th! I’ll be revealing a bit about Myselfie. 😉
Happy healthy eating, everybuddy!
🙂
People Profile: Glady Ledesma
Meet Glady of Gladycakes: cake baker joy maker!
I have not had the sensational pleasure of having my mouth around one of Glady’s designs yet but I drool at the thought of doing so! We all have a chance! 🙂 Like, look…. I just wanna touch and taste it all!
Before Glady indulged me in flavour she indulged me in conversation! This is how it went down… like a good cupcake! ;p
What is your career? Maker of custom cakes. Bringer of sweet, delicious joy to every occasion.
What are the greatest challenges and greatest rewards of your career? Right now, the greatest challenge is balancing my time between a full-time day job (a necessity, for now), my moonlighting as a cake artist and, of course, being mom to my sweet (not a baby any more) daughter.
One of the greatest rewards of being a cake artist is seeing the amazement on people’s faces when they see their cake. I also love being people’s ‘cake lady’. It’s a pretty great feeling.
What is your advice to others embarking on similar career? Do it because you love it. One can easily burn out in this industry, so the passion needs to be there. Also, always keep learning and do your research when it comes to the business side of things. It can be tough, especially if you’re doing it all on your own, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
5 years ago, did you expect to be where you are today? Nooo…
Why, why not? 5 years ago seems like a lifetime ago; a completely different book, let alone chapter in my life. I’m happy to be where I am now, but thankful for where I was back then. How’s that for cryptic? LOL
Where will you be in 5 years? Hoping the crystal ball has me in my own brick and mortar cake studio, designing and baking cakes full-time and just loving life.
What would you say to your 8-year-old self? You’re beautiful in your body. Don’t let anybody tell you or make you feel differently. Also, keep baking. Don’t forget about it.
What would you say to your 80-year-old self? What haven’t we experienced yet? LET’S DO IT!
How lucky are you and why? Pretty damn lucky. I have a supportive partner, family and friends that keep pushing me to pursue my cake dreams and help me constantly to make it a reality.
What would people be surprised to know about you? I’m not calm and collected all the time. I have my breaking moments just like everybody else.
What makes you laugh? Moments with friends.
What is fun for you? Serious fun is spending quality time with my family. On the more frivolous side, I can spend all day inside a cake supply store or a craft store and be happy as a clam 🙂
What makes you question humanity? The lack of empathy in todays society. It’s infuriating and heartbreaking at the same time.
What is your favourite quote? One of my favourites is, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken” – Oscar Wilde
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Glady is hosting her first pop-up event called The Handmade Holiday Pop-Up Shop on December 12th! She and I are SUPER EXCITED for it and hope EVERYONE checks it out! https://www.facebook.com/events/1645257779045751/
You can getcher fill of eye cake at: www.gladycakes.ca!
I believe we can all have our Gladycake and eat it too! ;p
Happy day, everybuddy!
Love Kat 🙂
Creo | Kat Leonard’s Curry Lasagna
Just in case you were searching for my Curry Lasagna recipe, it’s been posted at the esteemed Harlton Empire!
Click here for the recipe and more from the Empire! xo
CURRY LASAGNA!
I’m not a cooker by nature, or a baker or a cleaner or a candlestick maker… but I love good food with a twist. Â When I do cook, I will often start with a known recipe and add ingredients I like while omitting those I don’t. Â I usually double the onions, garlic, butter and spice. Â Mmm… butter and spice!
Anyhooters… Today’s concoction started with an honest attempt at an established recipe, but then I got diverted by curry while searching for garlic powder! Â Mmmm… curry. Â I sniffed it. Â I thought yeah, curry lasagna, baby, coming right up! Â I started with my ma’s trusty lasagna recipe and altered it thusly:
Ingredients:
-1 lb lean ground beef (but I bet no-lean or pork or vegan substitute would work too)
-1 med onion chopped (or 4) (I also added minced garlic because I like garlic in everything. Â Probably even in cupcakes.)
-salt, pepper, garlic powder (I used salt for good measure and 2tbsp of the curry powder pictured above)
-1 (700ml) jar pasta sauce
-1 can cream-of-mushroom soup (This is my ma’s secret to a creamy mellow lasagna that will cause a warm happy hum throughout your entire being especially the mouth and belly parts.)
(I used a container of Ricotta cheese instead, in case the mushroom with curry was too much… however, I may experiment with both next time!)
(Vegans, substitute your preferred alternative to mellow creamy goodness– or stop the vegan nonsense and join the dark side pronto!)
-mozzarella cheese slices— or shredded (I use a mozza-cheddar mix because cheddar is mmmmm-mmmm-gooooood! Â Vegans, see instructions above)
-parmesan cheese (Vegans… you get the drift)
-oven-ready lasagna noodles (unless you prefer homemade or other such business you must cook beforehand)
*The 2tbsp amount of curry powder I used resulted in a very mild curry flavour that would be enjoyed by anyone, even non-curry lovers. Â I think next time I’ll double the curry amount and see how that turns out.
Directions:
Stir fry meat or like substance, onions, garlic, spices.  When meat is fully cooked, add pasta sauce with 1/2 cup water.  Stir in undiluted mushroom soup (or ricotta).  Layer in casserole dish: meat sauce, parmesan, cheese mix, layer of noodles, meat sauce, parmesan, cheese mix, layer of noodles, meat sauce, parmesan, cheese mix.  Bake 350 F one hour covered with lid or foil. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes to brown cheeses.  Mmmmm-mmm enjoy!
This is what it looked like when I ate it:
KAT LEONARD 