For the Mothers in My Life

Today is MOTHER's DAY! :)

This year I decided to honour the amazing women in my family by making some traditional family French Canadian food.

And so here it is!

First off, something simple yet delicious. These are little pastries called 'Pets de Soeur'. If you can figure out the translation you might think the name is a little funny. But they are incredibly easy. Basically you roll out some pie crust and lay a layer of brown sugar down on it. Roll it up and there you go! You can also mix the brown sugar with butter and then spread it, but I don't often do that. They take about seven minutes to cook. And TA-DA, suddenly I am transported back to my grandmother's kitchen!

Today I phoned my grandmother. My grandmama and I are really close. We talk a lot on the phone because she lives in La Baie, Québec (Canada). I love that she phones me so much because then I never feel like I'm too far from that part of my life. 

Let me tell you about my grandmaman. Her name is Gaetane (Tremblay) Simard. She is absolutely gorgeous. Here she is: 

She has many talents. She is an expert knitter (and a good teacher!). She is the best cook... I can only attempt to imitate her. She is a wonderful painter. She also cares a lot about her family. She checks up on all of her children and her grandchildren ever few days. My favourite thing about my Grandma is that she has faith in God and always encourages me to pray. 

I have always been very attached to my grandparents. When they used to come visit us when we lived close to Québec City I would cry to be able to go back home with them when they were getting ready to leave. I think it might have even worked once! Since I haven't seen her very much in the last ten years I miss her like crazy. I get to go back about once every year or two. 

Anyways, here's the dessert that I made tonight! I phoned her for the recipe. My mom is really good at making this too! My mom and grandma both have the amazing French-cooking genes. Hopefully I can carry on the tradition. 

Note to self: Make sure the caramel, syrup stuff can't spill over the edge while it bubbles (or else it will get all over the bottom of the oven haha)

SO thanks to all the wonderful women in my life! I'm proud of my grandma, my mom, my aunt, Sylvie and all the rest of my female relatives for being strong French Canadian women. Seriously, they have the strongest will. I bet they could do anything they want. 

Je vous aime! :) 

Stéfanie