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International Apple Pie

I’m a Canadian. I live in North America. It’s not always cold here (it is usually cold here). I don’t play hockey. I don’t own a pet beaver. I don’t have a maple tree in my backyard (there is one in my front yard). It doesn’t always snow here (although it’s starting to hail right now). I don’t own a toque.  I don’t live in an igloo. I don’t ride polar bears to school (that’s only in Manitoba). You understand now, eh? I am a Canadian.

Cinnamon apple pie with a Bailey's caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and maple syrup caramel.

It sure is cold outside right now though. The hail is starting to cover the grass and the leaves that have fallen to the ground. Soon, as all Canadians know, the fields of green will become fields of white. Snowmen will be built, slush will be on the roads, and cocoa will be made. Canadians all over will step out of their homes to go to work and shiver. Yes, we shiver in the cold. We’re Canadians, but we’re still human.

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“Eggs with Toast”

Uhg. It’s only eleven in the morning. Back to sleep I go. Noon? I could do a bit better. And then, at one, I rise. It’s cold. On the windows there’s condensation and I see the grass covered with frost. I shiver. Is it winter already? I put on a long-sleeved tee-shirt and a pair of track pants and head off to brush my teeth. Back and forth, back and forth. Up and down, up and down. Still tired, I creep down the stairs and have fried eggs with a bagel (also known as pure bliss). My dog scratches. I threaten to scratch him back if he doesn’t stop. He doesn’t stop. I scratch him back.

Trompe l'oeil "eggs and toast" with Meyer lemon pudding, lemon curd, and cinnamon cake

Hmm… what to do next? I lie down on the couch and my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel lies on top of me. I feel warm as I watch a movie. I pet my dog and lie there happily  in my family room. Life’s good. Around 4pm I realize I have an English assignment due and run to my computer. I stare at the blank word document before me and wonder how writers do it. Perhaps they use SparkNotes?

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Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

The world became a better place when hazelnuts met cocoa powder. It became better when hazelnut paste was mixed with cocoa and poured into a jar. It became better when jars of Nutella became bigger, a “bulk” size if you will. In reality though, it’s only a single portion. Nutella is not just a spread. It’s not just refined deliciousness. It’s magic. It can be eaten with a spoon, a fork, or with a finger. It can be eaten with bread, in a tart, or in a frosting. It is the definition of midnight snacking; it is bliss.

Chocolate-hazelnut sponge torte with praline chocolate crunch, nut ganache, and a hazelnut mousse.

How then can one function, or even survive when their Nutella supplies are depleted? How can one not break into tears when only grams of the chocolate-hazelnut spread are left? After all, I would climb a mountain for another jar of the delicious spread. Ferro Rocher is even filled with Nutella, as they’re made from the same company, and they’re delicious as well.

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