At a holiday party last night our conversation drifted to blogs.  When asked why I do it, I proceeded to tell them that I do it because of the joy I receive from sharing my passions with others who share the same passion.  And that the relationships I have built have all come to mean something very important to me.  And how nice it is that this community of people who share the same passion also look out for each other;  we feel each others joys and our sorrows.

When I received an email from Bron of Bron Marshall telling me that she and Ilva of Lucillian Delights were  putting together a virtual hug for Barbara of Wino and Foodies, I was very honored that Chez Us was amongst the group asked to reach out to Barbara.   For those of you who do not know Barbara, you really should.  Barbara began blogging 3 years ago and used it as a way to stay connected while she was home dealing with chemotherapy.  I only came to know Barbara through her blog about a year ago.  I stumbled upon her site looking for information on Donna Hay and I fell in love with her witty stories, wonderful food and her outreach to help make a difference – she is truly a courageous woman!

When I read a post on her site, I knew her cancer came back and my heart dropped.  I have not gone through this and I can only imagine how one would feel;  but, whenever I hear of someones illness coming back it deeply saddens me and leaves me completely wordless.  This should never have to happen to anyone!  We extend our warmest wishes and heartfelt hugs to Barbara, we are there for you!

We had dinner tonight with our dear friends, Jeff and Andy.  It was somewhat ironic that we had plans with them before I even knew I would be making this special meal for Barbara, as it was just a short time ago,  that Andy finished his last round of chemo.  Definitely a real connection that all so many of us feel. On to our meal ……knowing that Barbara likes Moroccan flavors I knew exactly wanted I wanted to send her way, a Merquez flavored roast pork loin.  When I am under the weather nothing spells comfort more for me then spicy but comfortable food – foods that cook slowly and warm the house not only when heat but good scents.  I wanted to keep the meal simple for her so I only added yellow Yukon potatoes and baby carrots to roast along side the pork loin. I served a simple salad of butter lettuce and pomengrates drizzled with a dressing that I made out of canola oil, white wine and freshly grated ginger to help combat the nausea that comes with chemo.  Andy made a wonderful butternut squash & yam puree that was flavored with shallots, Processco and cinnamon.  Dessert was a delicious white chocolate cake (home baked) with a cranberry, cherry filling and frosted with a sweet butter cream which was also made by Andy …. delightful!