Edgar! At Last!

For those of you who haven’t heard of Edgar, I have to ask ‘Where have you been hiding?!’ Those around me have probably grown impatient hearing about my desire to go a café on the other side of the river. Well, I finally made it and it was worth the wait.

Marysol of She Eats Bears opened up Edgar, a nice little café, at the end of October. Unfortunately, I was in Toronto during opening weekend and couldn’t wait to return and pay her a visit. Followers knew how hard Marysol had worked towards that weekend and the delicious offerings she would have. We would read about her latest creations and drool over the pictures. Her fine-tuned culinary skills were evident in what she produced and as a result, followers awaited the opening of Edgar knowing the care and quality that would greet them.

Unfortunately, it took me two months to get there. It was torture as I read reviews from Eva, the pair at FoodiePrints, and quirky Ron Eades. Then I saw Marysol on Rogers Daytime and heard her interview on CBC. I couldn’t wait any longer. You see it really was torture for me. I have every Friday off and since Edgar’s opening weekend I’ve been planning to go for a nice lunch. But every Friday something came up – errands or a pathetic quest for jeans, or I’d be far away. With the holidays coming up and my sister in town (and my mom arriving earlier) I was finally able to go across the river. The anticipation was growing each day of the week.

Edgar is a quaint spot that has a counter in the front overlooking the street and three high-top tables along the side. The red stools catch your eye as do the fresh buds atop each table. Her café feels like warm sunshine on a bitterly cold day. You instantly feel warm upon seeing it and even warmer once you step inside and see what’s on offer.

I put my French to the test translating some items for my mom and sister and when stuck Marysol or the nice tall gentleman behind the counter helped me out (hmm, could that be Simon?). All three of us were lured by the soup: tomato & basil, sweet potato, and red lentil, and ironically we got one of each. I was so happy to be there that I had forgotten to take some pictures (darn, have to go back!). Our soup was presented with a swirl of herbed oil and the cutest little buns. Mom couldn’t get enough of them. All the soups were delicious and full of flavour so it was quite hard not to eat it quickly . The lentil soup was spicy and had some kick, but was still oh so pleasant. I hope to have that one on my next visit (mom didn’t want to share – the nerve!) as I don’t make enough bean soups myself.

As the lunch hour passed I was surprised by the number of people coming in; it was 2pm and packed with people waiting. As we began wrapping up I picked up two of Edgar’s famous date & bacon brioche for the Honey. Two of his favourite things -a sweet bun and bacon all wrapped up together in a cute little package. He was so happy the next morning at work when he opened up his little surprise.

We left Edgar to head home all warm and content on the sunny, but slippery streets. Before my gushing gets too much out of control (if it hasn’t already) I’ll say one more thing: Go to Edgar. You’ll enjoy it.

It’s so easy to find, just off Tache Blvd, across from the entrance to Gatineau Park

Edgar
60 rue Bégin (off of Alexandre-Taché), Gatineau
(819)205-1110
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

Taking Time

This week I’ve been on a reduced schedule as many of my students are still off or have training/meetings. Plus Monday was a holiday for those who work for the government, and that means it was a holiday for me too. I can’t complain and I have enjoyed having many days to myself.

Monday the decorations and tree were put away and some cleaning ensued. My little Santa babushka (nesting doll) went back in the box until next year.

I had a chance to put our new TV stand together. But like many Ikea directions, some things weren’t really clear (even though I consider myself a pro with Ikea furniture assembly) and I didn’t leave room for the cords. Well, out came the drill and a steak knife and some holes were born.

In the mornings I had off I started the day with a soy nog latte. I really enjoy egg nog, but the combined egg and milk really do a number on my tummy. Many many years ago I found Noel Nog by So Nice in the grocery stores and it tastes pretty much the same. This year it was hard to find for some reason, but low and behold, I came across some at the Metro at Lincoln Fields. Two bottles came home with me and they taste great heated up as a latte.

There are two things I love about the holiday season: The above egg nog lattes, at home or at one of the local coffee shops.

I fell in love with them while doing my teacher training in Vancouver eons ago and with all the Starbucks locations in that city, they were hard to resist. Now it seems all the major coffee shops have them, Second Cup, Bridgehead and they really taste the same. The problem this year was resisting them every day or many times a day.

The second thing I love are pomegranates. I love the flavour and colour of a pomegranate. They are only around for a short period of time so I try and get my fill.

There is no easy way to eat them unless you want to spend the time taking out all the seeds individually, and honestly, that takes too much time and effort. I prefer to dive right in. I refuse to eat them anywhere but at home. I have my routine: I wear dark clothing and have some paper towels nearby. After cutting them into quarters I peel back some of the skin and pith and begin eating. It’s almost savage-like, hence why I eat them at home, and usually alone too. The Honey once commented on my lack of class while eating a pomegranate (he’s never had one) and since then, I try to eat them alone.

With this extra time I have I’ve been hitting some of the shops on the hunt for a poster. My sister, knowing I’ve been on the lookout for a ‘Keep Calm’ poster, found an apron for me. I’m sure it’ll become a fixture in my kitchen. But I’m still looking for a poster.

While at Homesense I found a stash of boxed gluten-free goodies. I’ve seen some of them at the health food or specialty stores, but have never picked one up (I’m not one for pre-packaged mixes and the price steered me clear). Since they were at Homesense the price was a lot less and I couldn’t resist. ‘For the sake of research’ I told myself as I loaded up a basket. This is what I brought home with me

I’ll keep you posted on my thoughts as I make my way through them.

On days I’m home for lunch I can have whatever I want. One day it was gluten-free crackers and a nice creamy camembert cheese, with some sliced dill pickles on the side. Today it was a grilled cheese sandwich.

I always hear of funky fillings yet never try them so today I was living on the edge (not really but we can pretend). On my gluten-free toast was extra old cheddar, sliced cherry tomatoes, and Dijon mustard. It was yummy. It warmed me up inside as I looked out the kitchen window and saw the falling snow. A nice way to spend a Friday lunch.

Hello 2011!

Here it is, the first week of 2011. We’re all back to the grind of normalcy, or close to it. Unlike some people I did not overindulge this holiday season and I’m left a little perplexed as to why. It’s so unlike me. I don’t gorge on every little thing I see, but I tend to enjoy myself and the food around me. I did pretty well even with my favourite chocolates from Reid’s in my hometown.

I have yet to find out the reason, and while I did enjoy the food around me, I didn’t once say ‘Oh, I ate too much’ or ‘Oh, I think I’m going to be sick’. I’m especially proud of myself for not diving into the cookies that my mom and stepmother boxed and bagged from a Mennonite kitchen in St Jacobs or their own (respectively). They are full of good stuff like chocolate, sugar, and sprinkles, but they are also full of gluten. I stayed far away from them and as a result, I didn’t regret it.

I had mentioned in my last post that I had spent a lot of time in the kitchen during the holidays and so, here are some of the recipes. Everything (except the above mentioned cookies) was gluten-free. Some were traditional (mincemeat tarts) and others were not (a roasted chicken), some were elaborate (a gingerbread trifle - the reason I picked up Saveur Magazine) while others were nice and easy (frozen veggies). There are some pictures that follow, but alas, in the craziness of getting dinner out while it’s hot (and with decent lighting) there isn’t a picture for everything.

Christmas Brunch
French Toast Bake
Frittata
Smoked Back Bacon (from Saslove’s on Wellington)
Homefries
Toast & Jam (all kinds made throughout the summer)
Gingerbread Trifle
Mincemeat Tarts (nana’s secret recipe)
Cheese & Baguette (this is my French bread recipe baked in a baguette pan)
Smoked Salmon, Leek & Chevre Tarts
*Appetizers made an appearance due to the homefries taking forever to cook)

Christmas Dinner
Butternut Squash Soup
Basmati Rice
Garlic and Herb Roasted Chicken (flattened to lessen cooking time)
Cranberry Sauce
Baguette with margarine (vegan and GF)
Corn and Beans
Tossed Salad with homemade herb dressing
Gingerbread Trifle
Plum Pudding with Brandy Sauce (the Honey’s family’s secret sauce)

The following days were a mishmash of delicious leftovers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m one of those people who love leftovers so I enjoyed them as much as the first time round.

Plans for New Year’s Eve were nice and simple. Friends who had a little one invited us over for a relaxing evening and dinner was added. We decided on Indian food, a blend of home-cooked, takeout and a visit to a small Indian grocery. The evening was perfect: nice and relaxing. Here, we did eat a little too much, but the upside was that it was all healthy and again gluten-free. I took another gingerbread trifle for dessert (to use up the copious amount of custard I had remaining in the fridge) and we left it behind as no one had room for dessert, even as the countdown began.

The three dishes from the evening are so easy to put together; they are one-pot meals and if you use frozen or pre-cut veggies, your time is reduced. Then add some favourites from the grocery: papadums, pakoras and saag paneer and you’re set for a great dinner.
Curried Chickpeas
Navrattan Korma
Cauliflower Curry

Recipes

Night Before French Toast
1 loaf of gluten-free French bread, (stale if possible) cubed
8 eggs
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup cream
1 cup milk

Vanilla

½ brick cream cheese

Place cubed bread in a large baking dish (8x13). Mix together eggs, maple syrup, cream, milk, and vanilla then pour over the bread. Slice up the cream cheese and place over the bread mixture. Refrigerate overnight. In morning bake for 30 mins at 350°. When finished sprinkle with berries and icing sugar.

Frittata (everything is approximate)

1 egg for each person
¼ cup milk
Sliced peppers, onion (and any other veggies)
Cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper
Oregano, parsley, basil

Beat eggs then add milk. Beat again to aerate. Place in a large baking dish and sprinkle in remaining ingredients. Bake 15-20 for mins at 350°.

Leek, Chèvre & Smoked Salmon Tartlets
Makes approx. 24- 2” tarts
2-3 dozen pastry tarts (depending on size)

½ lb (250g) smoked salmon

1 leek, minced
1 tbs butter
½ cup goat cheese
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp salt

pinch pepper
Sauté leeks in butter until they are soft. Put into bowl & mix with remaining ingredients. Spoon mixture into tartlets then bake 15-20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Serve or freeze & reheat as needed.

Butternut Squash Soup
2 tbs butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp gingerroot, minced
1 ½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp each salt & pepper
5 cups butternut squash, chopped
4 cups veggie stock
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add onion, garlic, ginger, curry, salt & pepper. Cook until softened. Add squash & stir. Add stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes. Puree soup & serve.

Roasted Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic (adapted from Joy of Cooking)

3 ½-4 lb chicken
Olive oil
1 tsp each dried thyme and sage
Salt
½ tsp each ground rosemary and black pepper
1 lemon, sliced
3 heads garlic, top of head removed
1 ¼ cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
Place chicken in a large roasting pan. Rub the skin with olive oil. Mix the herbs together and rub onto the skin. Place lemon slices over chicken. Pour stock and wine into the roasting pan. Place heads of garlic into the pan, but on chicken so they can roast. Cover pan with foil and put into oven. Check every so often to make sure there is still liquid in the pan and add more stock or wine if needed.
*With a flattened chicken, ours took 2 hours to cook at 350°.

Pastry (for pies and tarts – from Gluten-Free Baking Classics)
1 cup plus 2 tbs flour mix
2 tbs sweet rice flour
1 tbs sugar
½ tsp guar gum
¼ tsp salt
6 tbs cold butter, cut into pieces

1 egg

2 tsp lemon juice

Mix dry ingredients then add butter and mix until crumbly. Add egg and lemon juice. Mix until dough holds together (it shouldn’t be sticky). Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until dough firms up. Roll out for pie and tarts for the size you need: Place dough on a plastic cutting board and roll out or roll out between two sheets of wax paper.

Plum Pudding (from Style at Home)
¾ cup dark raisins
½ cup sultana raisins
½ cup dried currents
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
¼ cup mixed candied peel
¼ cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup brandy
4 oz butter, softened
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ¼ cups gluten-free breadcrumbs
½ cup gluten-free flour mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup milk
Place fruit and almonds in a bowl and coat with brandy. Let sit overnight or at least 4 hours. Place butter and brown sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Combine flour, bread crumbs and cinnamon. Add to fruit mixture and mix well. Add fruit mixture to butter mixture alternating with the milk until well combined. Spoon pudding mixture into large muffin cups, filling ¾. In a larger baking dish, fill halfway with hot/boiling water. Place muffin tin into the larger baking dish, cover tightly with foil and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour at 350°. Makes 10 puddings.
*gluten free mixed peel can be found here at the Natural Pantry and No Name brand at Loblaws stores
**I substituted vegan margarine and rice milk for the dairy

 

Gingerbread Trifle (the original recipe is from Saveur Magazine, but I used a different gingerbread recipe for the cake (not included since it was overpowering) – sub the flour mix)

FOR THE GINGER CAKE:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 3/4 cups flour*, plus more for pan
3/4 cup golden syrup or dark corn syrup
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup fresh or frozen lingonberries or halved cranberries
FOR THE CUSTARDS:
3/4 cup sugar
7 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
4 cups milk
8 oz. 70 percent dark chocolate, finely chopped
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
3 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
10 oz. fresh blueberries
2 tbsp. sweet oloroso sherry
12 oz. fresh raspberries
2 tbsp. kirsch
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
FOR THE SYLLABUB:
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. sweet oloroso sherry

1 tsp. cognac or brandy

1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream
1. Make the ginger cake: Heat oven to 325°. Butter and flour an 8" square baking pan; set aside. Heat butter, golden syrup, and brown sugar in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add cream and eggs and whisk until smooth; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt; add to syrup mixture and stir until just combined. Toss remaining flour with lingonberries in a small bowl and add to batter; stir to combine. Pour into a baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. Transfer to rack and let cool. Unmold cake, cut half the cake into 1" cubes; set aside. Reserve remaining cake for another use.
2. Make the custards: Whisk together 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tbsp. cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a 2-qt. saucepan; add 2 egg yolks and 1 egg and whisk until smooth. Add 2 cups milk and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and cook until mixture thickens, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and add dark chocolate in four batches, whisking after each addition until smooth. Add 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tsp. vanilla and whisk until smooth; transfer to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and refrigerate dark chocolate custard until chilled. Whisk together remaining sugar, cornstarch, and salt in another 2-qt. saucepan; add remaining egg yolks and egg and whisk until smooth. Add remaining milk and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and cook until mixture thickens, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and add white chocolate in four batches, whisking after each addition until smooth; add remaining butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap; let cool to room temperature. Fold blueberries into white chocolate custard and set aside.
3. Assemble trifle: Arrange ginger cake cubes snugly in bottom of a 3-qt. glass trifle dish or bowl; drizzle with sherry. In a medium bowl, toss raspberries with kirsch and add to the top of the cake in a single layer. Spoon white chocolate custard over raspberries and smooth top with a rubber spatula; refrigerate until set, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the raspberry jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until loose; pour through a fine strainer set over a small bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. Pour jam over white chocolate custard and spread evenly. Return trifle to refrigerator and chill until set, 2 hours. Stir dark chocolate custard until smooth, spoon over jam, and smooth with spatula; cover dish with plastic wrap; chill for 8 hours.
4. An hour before you plan to serve trifle, make syllabub: Whisk together sugar, sherry, cognac, and lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar dissolves. Add cream and whisk until mixture holds peaks but is not stiff; spoon syllabub over dark chocolate custard, creating swirls and peaks with spoon, and chill until ready to serve.

Navrattan Korma
4-5 cups mixed vegetables (I used the pre-cut mixed bags in the produce section)
½ cup onion, sliced
1 ½ cup rice milk (or milk)
4 tbs ketchup
2 tbs gluten-free flour
2 tbs butter

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 ½ tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Precook all the vegetables, except the onions. Mix rice milk, ketchup, and flour in a bowl then set aside. Saute onions in butter until softened. Add the vegetable and sauté for a few minutes. Add chilli powder and garam masala and mix well. Once spices become fragrant add the rice milk mixture and stir well. Cook for 6-7 minutes. Serve with rice.

Cauliflower Curry
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbs butter
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup onions, finely chopped
2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
½ cup tomatoes, chopped
1 tbs garam masala
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp pepper

¼ cup ground almonds or cashews

1 tsp cornstarch

¼ cup rice milk (or cream)

½ cup yogurt

Saute onions in butter and add the bay leaves. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until browned, and then add tomatoes. Add the spices and mix well. Add almonds and yogurt and mix well. Add cornstarch and stir continuously until it has dissolved. Add cauliflower and cook until the mixture is thick and cauliflower is tender. Remove from heat and add rice milk.

Attention, Attention: 2010 is Now Leaving the Building!

Here it is, the last day of 2010. The holidays are wrapping up and soon it will be back to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Like others, I’ve been reflecting on the past year. I do this every year to the Honey’s chagrin with my Christmas newsletter. Some years are better than others and some years have many moments to be proud of. For 2010 I’m pleased with what I’ve encountered and experienced, and happy with where the year has taken me.

The month of December has flown by as I’ve been busy with lessons, meetings, and doing lots of baking. Normally I have my Christmas shopping done by October or early November (yes, I’m a freak in that respect), but this year most of it hadn’t been done by mid-December. Stress had begun to set in. My mom and sister were coming from out of town for the holidays and that meant a little more stress. I love them dearly, but my sister has a tendency to fly off the handle at the drop of a pin. As she’s matured, my sister has been better at managing her anger, but with her new stressful job she has been letting loose a little too frequently. Nonetheless, it was time to unwind and unwind I did.

Cooking relaxes and de-stresses me. When I’m in the kitchen the tension disappears. I’m lost in my thoughts or a recipe, or bopping along to a song on the radio. Since moving to our house I’ve found myself singing more and more while in the kitchen. I used to quietly hum along or mouth the words. Recently I’ve caught myself belting out the lyrics along with the radio, and while I’m far from being on Broadway, I’ve come a long way.

In the last month I’ve learnt how to make pastry; something I had always been terrified to try. As a result I’ve been making my nana’s mincemeat tarts like crazy. In past years I would just use the frozen pastry tarts at the grocery store and endure the pain the wheat protein would put on my body. But this year, I put fear to the side and went for it. Homemade pastry makes the tarts even better; just like my nana’s.

I also made my first plum pudding. In the Honey’s family Christmas is not Christmas without plum pudding. This was new to me. Although my nana was as English as they come, she made mincemeat and trifle at Christmas. The Honey’s family was all about the pudding, and being Irish, it packed a punch. I kept this in mind as I made mine, an easier recipe than soaking it in booze for weeks and steaming it on the stovetop all day. The honey and a cousin were the first to try as they had many years of tasting practice. Happily it passed. It’s not grandma’s, but it’s still excellent.

As Christmas drew closer so did some sadness. While the holiday is about happiness and enjoying family and friends, it’s also a time when we remember those who are no longer with us. As we put up our tree for the first time in years we remembered the Honey’s mom, who loved this time of year. Christmas was her favourite holiday and we remembered how she had decorated the house every year. While every Christmas is difficult, this year was even more so as see had passed away ten years ago at Christmas. And as the New Year comes around, we’re also reminded of her birthday and the death of my nana, who passed away a few weeks later. Remembering my nana is usually easier as we bring up situations that make us laugh or are followed by ‘That’s so nana!’. Remembering my mother-in-law is harder because she was so wonderful in every way.

It’s times like these that remind me to enjoy the moments and take time to enjoy the things that give me pleasure. It also reminds me to surround myself with those I care about (and care about me) and spend time with them (including my sister and her temper tantrums). Moments are created, no matter how small they may be, to be remembered.

TESL Ontario Conference 2010

Well, the TESL Ontario Conference was well over a month ago now and my bag of books and notes have finally been unpacked (better late than never).

I had taken a few out to use with my students with positive outcomes, and two arrived by courier a month ago and the last one (the one I’ve been dying to receive) arrived a few weeks ago.


The majority of my classes are private and so this One-to-One book looks wonderful. The units are very short (2 pages) and have everything you need.

Of course, supplementing the lessons is a given and you could adjust them for the student’s needs and goals. One of my students is very advanced and I couldn’t wait to try this with him.

While at the conference I saw/participated in some really great workshops. I may have mentioned before, if the session blurb says ‘paper’ or ‘presentation’, I take a pass as that means ‘LECTURE’ and from experience they are really dry and boring. I have yet to attend one that hasn’t been like that. I also take a pass at many publisher sessions. I used to think ‘Oh awesome, a chance for a free book’, but often I was disappointed in the presentation and materials. It ended up being a waste of my time. The title has to be pretty catchy and sound very interesting if I’m going to attend any of those three.


Some advice I have for those wanting to go to conferences: 1) Choose sessions that you will find interesting and benefit from. If work is paying for you to go and they want you to attend a particular session or two, you might as well as it’s their money; 2) Make time for breaks. You’ll need to visit the washroom, grab something to eat or drink, or need a breather; 3) Take something small to eat. Depending on when the session is, you may get the munchies or your tummy begins grumbling. Have something with you that can tie you over and is somewhat healthy. I discourage noisy snacks; it’s disrespectful to the presenter and those around you; 4) Take advantage of the tea breaks and water stations. You’ll need to keep hydrated and possibly need the caffeine, especially for those early morning or late afternoon sessions. And don’t worry about chugging them down quickly; you can take them into the session with you; 5) Didn’t get into the session you wanted? Stand in line at the session door and if there’s room, you’ll get a spot; 6) Talk to those around you. I don’t mean tell them your life story, but chat and talk about the sessions you’ve been to; 7) Take paper and a pen; 8) Wander through the exhibitors and check out the materials. If you’re like me, you’re never sure what to order because you don’t know what the book is really like. This is the perfect opportunity. Even if you don’t buy anything, write down the titles and authors or circle them in the catalogue. Chat to the reps as they may be able to recommend something or help you decide. The materials are usually discounted for the conference and by chatting to the reps, you may be able to obtain the discount if you decide to order a week or so later. An additional bonus of chatting with the reps: If you buy many books, they may be able to give you an even bigger discount (when one rep found out I was paying for my own materials he gave me two books free – so appreciative when they are normally $50 each).


Here’s a run-down of the sessions I attended (I tried to keep it brief). If you’re interested in one of the sessions, contact me and I may be able to send you a copy of my notes or the handout we were given:
Tania Iverson – Success with English for Specific Academic Studies As always, Tania put on a great session. Although it was based on a textbook series, she had loads of practical ideas and points that could be used with any business or technical material.
James McMullan – Developing Focused Non-Comprehension Strategies to Improve Communication I’d never heard the word ‘Muddlygump’ before, and now it’s ingrained in my mind. This was a fun and interactive workshop looking at what your students say to show their lack of understanding and strategies they can use that mimic how native-speakers really speak.
Andrew Taylor – I Can’t Believe I Learned Grammar His energy filled the room as he presented communicative oral tasks and activities to use with students to teach, practice and improve their grammar. While teachers may use communicative tasks in their lessons, not many may use the excitement and energy needed to get their students interested and excited about it. Weeks later, I still picture him Jazz Chanting ‘going to’ sentences while snapping his fingers in keeping time.
Mike Simpson – Websites and Blogs Although I often use websites for my lessons, blogs was a new one. I blog, but don’t often use them with my students. There was a new idea or two here relating to blogs, but I’m not sure if I’ll use them. However, for someone who doesn’t use either one for their lessons or with their students, they are missing a great tool. The possibilities are endless for material, activities, topics and themes, and the dreaded grammar.
Radmila Rakas – Teaching About and Appreciating Nature It was nice to see a thematic workshop showing people that one can use the usual tasks and activities for vocabulary, listening, etc with a specific topic.
Angelica Galante – Reducing Learner’s Language Anxiety This workshop discussed some of the ways anxiety occurs with our students and ways to minimize it in the classroom. It was interesting because many teachers do these things already (I assume), but minimizing anxiety may not be the goal, it’s using the suggestions for communicative practice, skills practice, grammar, etc. I found the connection with this just awesome.
Teresa McGill and Jayne Edmonds – Crucial Lessons Learned in Corporate ESL This workshop was more like a story-sharing moment for the presenters. From an administrative position it may have been great, but from a teaching point of view, not so much. The gist was not to put all your eggs in one basket: if all your contracts are with one company/department and the contract dries up or goes somewhere else, you’re screwed. It seemed like common sense, but maybe that’s because I’ve encountered that situation before at a school I worked for.
Tim Westhead – Picture That! Great Writing Prompts for Students There were great ideas presented (sadly I use them all already so didn’t learn anything new) in using pictures and visuals with your students for writing prompts, advertisements, guiding with headlines and ideas. From experience, these really work well and if your students are hesitant to write, try them out. A word of warning: Tim Westhead likes to make comments about how little teachers are paid, the school should pay for your materials, etc, etc; and if you’re like me and work in the private sector (unlike Tim who worked for a school board), this can be really annoying. I’m sure Tim would be shocked to learn the salary I survive on. So my advice, try to ignore it as the other stuff he says is pretty interesting and helpful.
Marijke Wertheim – Activities for Teaching Listening Strategies I’d heard positive things from a peer about this one – and it was really great. I took so much away with me on using listening material other ways. Tables worked together discussing strategies and ideas, and luckily, there was time for some Q and A at the end. Although I had tried things suggested before (yea me!), I hadn’t realized the benefits and outcome for the students. Here, you’re getting away from the typical textbook listening tasks. You know the ones. They just test your students on the right/wrong answers. Instead you can use them for teaching strategies, use for critical thought, the type of language used, discussion, making predictions beforehand, having students write questions to answer themselves, do note-taking, and analyze language, tone or emotion. However, to do this you have to give the students a very specific purpose (like any of those just listed) and build up to it like you would with any other task.

Mistakes

Blogs and websites can be amazing. Seeing what people are making, hearing about what’s going on, learning about certain things. Personally, I’ve come to really enjoy them. But the one thing that is missing from blogs and websites are mistakes. We all make them. No one, and I mean no one, is perfect; including Martha [Stewart] and my step-mother despite what they may think.

Last month Karina, at Gluten-Free Goddess, apologized to her readers because she hadn’t taken any pictures of her latest creations. They didn’t look good enough was her reasoning. It got me thinking: Must everything be perfect to post? Are people afraid to post their mistakes?

As an ESL teacher I urge my students to make mistakes and not be concerned with them as that helps their learning and improvement (believe it or not). I also see things I do or mistakes that happen as ways to learn. I keep a simple gardening journal to help me with this for our garden. I don’t want to repeat my mistakes in the garden as they can be costly. Mistakes help us learn either for our improvement or not to repeat what we’ve done.

There have been many fiascos in my kitchen, first as I learned to cook as a university student and now as I experiment with gluten-free baking and cooking meat. Sometimes the results are humorous (Frisbee shortbread cookies anyone?).

And sometimes they can be downright frustrating (It rose perfectly. What happened?!)

What I’m trying to say is: Don’t feel like you’re alone. Mistakes happen and everyone makes them. Especially those who you don’t think encounter them.

Have You Got The Time?

This week has been much of a write-off. Besides having my usual students, I had two government French tests to do on Friday – reading and writing.

My French isn’t too bad and I can usually pass as an intermediate, but it’s often a struggle. And don’t expect perfection. My French teacher often wondered how I could use conditionals with ease yet mess up my prepositions so badly. I take French courses here and there trying to keep it up and fresh, but ironically, I have little opportunity for practice. When I have the chance to speak with some colleagues it’s usually just the pleasantries, and there’s absolutely no chance of speaking French with my students. I’m being paid to speak with them in English, not just during class, but also before and after.

This week was cram week and it isn’t fun to cram with languages. Literature, environmental science, business, okay – doable. But languages, forget it. My teacher, who was also swamped this week, was nice enough to meet with me and give me some tips, notes, and some practice tests. I also borrowed some materials from school to help me out and dug out my notes. An advantage was that I know what the test was about, what ‘they’ are looking for, and tricks that get you (ie Anglicisms). I took the tips and tricks I give my students and applied them for myself. Doesn’t seem to bad, does it?


With a week of cramming things got a little neglected around the house. Pans from the previous weekend were left on the stove. Not as much laundry got washed, and if it did, it was on the drying rack a lot longer than usual. Papers were left on the dining room table instead of going into my students’ files, hence being left at home. And Zoba still wanted her scratches and playtime. Like a usual cat, these didn’t last too long before she got bored or tired (our critter is a little out of shape). Raspberry Roobios tea from David’s Tea helped keep my nose in the books.

Dinner was fast and easy this week. I picked up some tilapia and chicken breasts and made enough to last a few evenings. I put them on some foil, drizzled some lemon juice on the foil (not the meat), sprinkled some herbs de Provence on them all, and popped them into the oven. I had also picked up those big packaged salads, the ones in the container with all the veggies. With a homemade dressing we could still have a quick and healthy meal.

Some canned soup got me through the week too. Some of my students had cancelled due to meetings so I got to come home for lunch and get more studying done. We always have some cans or boxes in the cupboard and while I don’t usually like having them as a meal (homemade is my way to go), they are perfect for those days you forgot to put a lunch together.

With some crumbled feta cheese, fresh ground pepper, and a slice of gf bread it warms you up (and it was chilly earlier this week) and gets you going for another few hours. Or in my case, until the next study break.

And how did the tests go? Don’t ask. I’m purposely not thinking about them. We’ll see what happens with the results arrive in a week or two.


BTW, Campbells’s is introducing gluten-free labelling on their products
http://www.campbellsoup.ca/en/products/health.asp?label=glutenfree