Everything in its place. (Almost.)
One day of silence seemed far too long, don’t you think?
(Last night, if you’re curious, we had quiche from Manuel Latruwe for dinner with leftover baked potatoes – the ones we had trucked downtown to keep my mom’s hands warm – chopped and sauteed with a bit of butter and oil and a good sprinkle of curry and chili powders to make spicy pan fries. Leftover baked potatoes in their skins make the best kind.)
Ironically, yesterday I spent more time on this blog than any of the 366 days before. I told myself I would not post, but I really did want to get the index sorted out for you. I thought I was far enough along, having spent a few evenings on it already. Nope. I spent most of the day and evening at it - W and I watched our three Wallace and Gromit movies twice (laptop going). Last night at 10pm, having not gone to bed until 5 the night before was I curled up with a movie and something boozy like I said I would? No, I was propped up in bed trying to plow through the last 50 or so posts so that I could finish the index for January first. My thinking was that since I’m leaving this site up, you could refer to it whenever you need to, which would be made infinitely easier with an index. Creating said index would be infinitely easier if I didn’t have to do it all manually on this Commodore 64.
So now, at 1:42 am the next night, where am I? Not sleeping – sitting in the dark trying to hammer out this $#!&%!@!! index, fueled (well) by Harvest Crunch.
(One night about 20 years ago S and I bought a box of Harvest Crunch and a carton of ice-cold milk at 7-11 while walking home from the bar and ate it on a park bench. I don’t remember how, but do recall attempting to create perforations in the full-sized box so that we could open it up like a mini box of cereal. It was the best HC ever.)
It is MIND BLOWING to look at that list of recipes in the index. Makes me wonder what I’ve accomplished each year before this one?
So HERE IT IS. A modern-day catalog of receipts. (Or you could click on “index of recipes” above.) It still needs some grooming – some of the links aren’t working, but don’t worry, I’ll check through each one. For some reason about a fifth of the links I put in disconnect the links before them.
On the upside, going through each page in order to catalog it is of course stirring up (pun intended) memories of good things I’ve eaten in the past three hundred or so days, and reminding me which I want to make again. Like that crispy-buttery-cheesy Ricotta Gnocchi, or Wor Won Ton Soup, Grilled Vegetable Lasagna, Roasted Squash and Ricotta Ravioli, Brown & Wild Rice Salad with Dried Fruit and Pecans and Veggie Samosas. In fact, maybe I’ll make Samosas and Pakoras to go with the jar of Apple-Plum Chutney I still have in my fridge. This week I am going to go spelunking in the freezer and see if we can do a culinary version of Julie Van Rosendaal, this is your life – a frozen retrospective of 2008.
I’ve had so much fun writing this blog and connecting with all of you that I am of course going to keep it going - my worry was that it might lose its appeal if I didn’t post every single night like I have this year. Then again, I’m not going to do a weekly review because my brain does not retain information for that long. Plus it’s too few and far between, and wouldn’t have the same spontaneity and flavour. So how does very often sound? I’m going to aim for every second night or so, like 3-4 times a week, maybe more since it appears I can’t tear myself away that easily.
And I have ideas for another food blog.
Don’t tell Mike.
January 03 2009 01:41 am | leftovers
Elaine on 03 Jan 2009 at 7:39 am #
Huzzah! Yesterday, seeing that “Day 366″ up here made me feel a bit forlorn.
supersu on 03 Jan 2009 at 7:40 am #
you are awesome! dont worry we wont tell mike! ha
kate on 03 Jan 2009 at 9:18 am #
Thanks so much for doing this! I was just on here yesterday (missing your daily post)sifting through the grains category as I worked on menu planning. The index is so helpful!
sue d. on 03 Jan 2009 at 9:40 am #
Hooray! I’ve kept clicking on DwJ out of habit every morning…so nice to see you today. I for one am totally happy with 3-4 posts a week of my favourite blog.
mmmm harvest crunch out of the box…
Anonymous on 03 Jan 2009 at 9:45 am #
Congratulations on 366 (367) days!! It was a fantastic blog – a book version would be a big seller I think! I am always looking back for recipes I’ve used so thank you for the index. A belated Merry Christmas and I hope your new year brings you lots of love, laughter and happiness. I look forward to more entries.
Mary (Sue’s friend)
Doréus on 03 Jan 2009 at 9:53 am #
Yay!
MMac on 03 Jan 2009 at 10:18 am #
Today, while working out and over post-workout mochas, my friends and I discussed DwJ, our delight in but sadness about post #366, the recipes we were going to try or make again, our conversion to CrockPotting thanks to you, how we would definitely buy the book and how we now look at shriveled up veg in the crisper and think “What would Julie do with this?”
Not an hour later and I just got an email from one of them titled: Julie Rocks! It went on to say “Check out the blog today. Our girl is at it. And she’s done an index. I’ve decided to do her pulled pork (slow cooker) for supper. I am deliriously happy that Julie posted today…. All is right with the world!”
Couldn’t agree more. Bravo to you … and thanks!
Pat on 03 Jan 2009 at 10:23 am #
I peeked in here at 7 AM, and there you were! I kept checking yesterday, and I felt like something important in my day was missing. My son says I’m a DwJ stalker. I agree with Sue D.; 3-4 blogs a week will give you a break, yet “feed” our “DwJ” fix. I hope you feel how love and appreciated you are!
pauline on 03 Jan 2009 at 10:30 am #
Yesssssssssssssssss. I cliked on dinner with Julie and there you are. I was happy. I am going to make one of your recipes every week. I made the sausage pasta with spinach yesterday for 7 of us. Everyone wanted the recipe of course they all knew where it came from. They laugh now when I say me friend Julie. lol. Love the Index.
Marilyn on 03 Jan 2009 at 11:31 am #
Love the index!
And… knowing that DwJ will be available three to four times a week in 2009 is a wonderful post-Christmas treat. Thanks, Julie!
Sue (London) on 03 Jan 2009 at 11:59 am #
YAY! 3-4 times per week is great Julie. Will look forward to it. I am enjoying reading the comments these days almost as much as the blog itself. My family thinks I’m a stalker too when I refer to you as “you know, my friend Julie that writes the cookbooks”!!
Haven’t checked out the index yet but headed there now – good work & thanks. I’m going to start with a search for the pulled pork mentioned above!
Barbara J on 03 Jan 2009 at 12:34 pm #
Put me in the stalker category with everyone else! I checked here today out of habit and with hopes that you posted. And you did!
I have your braised short ribs going in my oven right now and my house smells fabulous.
Ann on 03 Jan 2009 at 12:53 pm #
Hooray!! I’m thrilled that you’ll be posting that often.
Thanks for all the hard work and energy you put into the blog.
Erica B. on 03 Jan 2009 at 12:55 pm #
The holidays went quickly, in a bit of a blur like the pic you posted. However, like everyone else I’ve been wondering what you decided to do and kept checking; obviously you’ve been missed! I’m glad to hear you’ll still be with us. Let us know how poor Mike takes the news
Like others, tonight’s dinner will probably be a DwJ fave – I think I’ll be making “flannel sheets in a bowl” (I can’t recall the real name at the moment)again tonight…this time with some neglected parsnips I think. Something warm is just what the doctor ordered.
Lynn on 03 Jan 2009 at 12:58 pm #
Hi Julie,
I just found your blog last week, from the article in the Edmonton Journal, and I have been looking at it every day since. I feel like I have been missing something great this past year. So I am happy that you are going to continue. I love the index – thanks for all the work in getting it set up! Keep up the great work!
Donna on 03 Jan 2009 at 1:12 pm #
Thanks Julie.
I will look forward to your 2009 posts – whatever you can manage.
Best wishes, Happy New Year
Melanie on 03 Jan 2009 at 1:13 pm #
You rock!
elektra on 03 Jan 2009 at 1:34 pm #
spelunking in the freezer. bahahaha. you can turn a phrase…congrats on a real commitment to food.
Mrs. M on 03 Jan 2009 at 1:37 pm #
Oh! I’m so glad it’s not over cold turkey..so to speak!
Hey! Could you publish this blog? Another book idea. I think it would be great!
Tina on 03 Jan 2009 at 1:47 pm #
Thanks so much for the past year of inspiration, entertainment, advice and great food. Thanks too to M and W for sharing you. I am very happy you’ll still be here.
I had planned a “spelunking” of the freezer this weekend too – bought a little white board for the occasion. Thought I’d try to keep some sort of inventory (we’ll see how long that lasts)!
Eleanor on 03 Jan 2009 at 2:28 pm #
Thanks for a great year, so glad you will be continuing a few times a week. Eleanor
Sherry on 03 Jan 2009 at 3:09 pm #
Love the index! Very helpful. Looking forward to 2009′s postings.
Betty Conklin on 03 Jan 2009 at 3:18 pm #
What wonderful news! It was just like finding that gift that got tucked away in a corner and missed on Christmas morning! Thanks for continuing on with all of us – withdrawl was not nice – even though you really didn’t quit.
Help please on your Fleur de sel carmaels….obviously there was some adjustments for Calgary altitude that I seemed to have forgotten to take into consideration – the ‘Werther’s’ hard toffee I produced was tasty, but not the caramels in the picture. Any help would be appreciated as I am going to try again. Thanks.
Rhonda Buysse on 03 Jan 2009 at 4:14 pm #
Yahoo!! Checked your blog out of habbit and here you are!! You’re amazing, Thank~you for inviting us into your kitchen,I enjoy your talented ability to write, humor and wit….. Look forward to checking on you through out the week in 2009!!
thepinkpeppercorn on 03 Jan 2009 at 4:15 pm #
hahaha – I LOVE the ending! (aka the beginning again?) Congrats on making it through the year AND creating the links too
Happy New Year!
JulieVR on 03 Jan 2009 at 4:36 pm #
Betty – sorry, there were no altitude adjustments to that recipe – that’s how I made them, right here in Calgary! I’ve made at least 4 batches, all more or less the same. It sounds like the caramel was cooked to too high a temperature. How accurate is your candy thermometer?
Nancy Gibson on 03 Jan 2009 at 7:01 pm #
I was just talking to my sister tonight about how much we were going to miss your blog and of course, you never disappoint so it should be no surprise to us that here you are again today! Thanks for keeping us in dinner with Julie recipes!
Dianne on 03 Jan 2009 at 7:11 pm #
…the world is unfolding as it should.
What an amazing accomplishment-hope you celebrate and continue.
thank you,thank you,thank you for keeping up this little ray of sunshine!!!
kelly on 03 Jan 2009 at 8:34 pm #
what an accomplishment for sure! congratulations and thanks for the blog. I will look forward to the 4 days a week too!
xx
Carolann on 03 Jan 2009 at 9:20 pm #
Thank you, thank you, thank you. It was so great to see ‘dwj’ in my in box tonite. Every so often would be great – hey what happened to that Mac you wanted for Christmas? Anyway, keep well, take time for yourself, but most of all thanks for a year of menus and letting us hear about your family.
Laurene on 04 Jan 2009 at 12:27 am #
The past year reading your blog has been a blast!! Looking forward to the next one!
Julie on 04 Jan 2009 at 10:07 am #
My teenage daughter asked for your green tea salmon for dinner tonight. She had it at my friends house the other day when she babysat. She said, “I am sure it was from Dinner with Julie”. When I logged on to look it up I was thrilled to see you will be at it again. I too was feeling a loss. You are so much fun & I love your recipes!!!
Rosemary on 04 Jan 2009 at 7:45 pm #
Yay, you’re still here! I was in withdrawal and checked back today hoping that there might be a new post – and there were two!! Glad to hear you’re going to keep this fab blog going. Thanks for all the great food, ideas and inspiration in 2008. Your blog was always a great start to my day. I’m excited that a book might come out of this and that you’re prepping a new edition of Grazing (one of my faves – used it today). Thanks again!!
Luann on 04 Jan 2009 at 7:56 pm #
Great to see you back! Yay, I get to read more posts and try more recipes!
Lindsay on 05 Jan 2009 at 6:47 am #
I’m so happy to hear you’re going to keep posting! You have no idea how much more exciting you’ve made dinner time in my house. Thanks!
jennifer on 05 Jan 2009 at 8:03 am #
woo hoo! more DwJ!!! that is great that you are keeping on keeping! you do a wonderful job with the food ideas and the comical sayings you come up with!
cheers to you and another year of interesting,fun and inventive recipes!!
you are special!
jenn from ontario!!
Jessica on 05 Jan 2009 at 3:32 pm #
Just wanted to write and say thank-you for the most beautiful blog I have ever read. Can’t wait to see the book that comes from this and am glad to hear that you will continue posting!
The Happy Slob Housecleaner on 05 Jan 2009 at 7:03 pm #
I am so glad to see you back, Julie! Your blog is just the ultimate comfort, and I found it late into your year-long blogging adventure. So, so happy to know that you’re back…seems like a lot of happy foodies would’ve been in serious withdrawal otherwise. hehe
Lana on 06 Jan 2009 at 1:28 pm #
I, too, am so glad that you are continuing with the blog. I love all of your recipes that I have tried and so enjoy your blogging “voice”. It is the best way for me to see how you are since we never seem to coordinate phone calls. Damn time change!
Maybe tonight….