First, my apologies for not posting for months and months. It’s not like you’re all hanging on every post I post up anyway, I know this, but I wanted to apologize none the less. I have been getting some emails wondering why RTS hasn’t had any new posts up and felt like I needed to take a moment to explain so that I can start anew.

I was told that 2010 is the Year of The Tiger in the Chinese calendar. With that being said, if you read what a Tiger Year can do (The Year of The Tiger begins on February 14th 2010. Drama, intensity, change and travel will be the keywords for 2010.  The Year of the Tiger will bring far reaching changes for everyone.) you might understand the reason for my RTS cyber-disappearance, as it were. Tiger years bring change, and 2010 has been dishing out change for me like an all-you-can-eat buffet. And I am personally not a huge fan of change.

First, my mom was diagnosed with Melanoma brain cancer in January, to which she quickly succumbed to on May 8th. I was lucky enough to spend a good week with her after her brain surgery, making her and my dad all her favorite meals that she would cook for us, and packing away extra food for them to get them through her recovery. She was a simple cook, nothing too fancy, just tried and true recipes that she learned as a Depression Era kid. These were the staple recipes in her repertoire : Pinto Beans and Ham, Stuffed Peppers, Chicken and Dumplings, Fried Chicken, Fried Steak, Fried Porkchops, Potatoes with dinner every night, whether they were fried, baked, mashed or boiled, something called Pigs Ass & Cabbage, Spanish Chicken (which was really a Mexican chicken dish) and many more I cant remember at the moment. I think I would like to make a few of these recipes veggie and/or vegan for this blog in the future to share with you. In my minds eye these are my family’s comfort foods, the meals that conjure memories of my mothers love and her stories that went along with each dish. I have found myself frequently wanting to call my mom with a question about a recipe, but then realize I can’t. As heart breaking as this is, I am trying to find the positive in this new life I live with out my mom a phone call away and to see the good in this “change”.

Then a month after my mother died my husband got diagnosed with a severely detached retina and had to have major eye surgery. It was another emotional blow that we didn’t need at that time, but he has thus recovered and is seeing much better. Life goes on and we all manage to change with change.

All of this  has made me feel like I have been rudely awakened from a comfortable sleep…by a Tiger. I have decided that life is too short and too precious to simply sleep away. I look into what these two events have meant to me, how they have made me more aware of my own life and what I want to accomplish while I have the time. I have new goals for my future,am exercising everyday vigorously,  trips to foreign countries planned, songs to write, challenges to create, and people I want to keep near and dear to me always. I want to get back to creating new recipes and posting them here for you guys, and this post, I believe, is the first step to getting back into writing again.

I know my mom would have wanted me to continue RTS and being the creative daughter she raised. She would expect no less of me. For this I thank her…and miss her dearly.

Chef Shirle’s Vegan Brunch for January 3rd 2010!
I am very much looking forward to serving the Vegan Community again! (I was hoping that by now someone would have opened a veggie/vegan restaurant in Durham, but alas, not yet) so in an effort to help the Vegan community of the Triangle area of NC I have found a permanent home for The Vegan Brunch.

On the First Sunday of each month The Pinhook, in downtown Durham, will host the brunches. The menu will be different each month so check back here to see what’s coming up. here’s all the details.

Hope to see you there!

Event: Chef Shirlé’s Vegan Brunch

When: The First Sunday of every month, 12pm-2pm

What: a prix fix menu with coffee that changes monthly

This Months Menu: Ode to Travels to India: Muttar Tofu, Basmati Rice, Naan, Salad, Coffee

Cost: $7 suggested donation, cash

Where: The Pinhook 117 Main Street, Durham NC 27701

Features: Plenty of seating, alcohol will be served including Mimosas and Bloody Marys- cash bar. A beautiful back porch area overlooking DPAC and the Durham Bulls Stadium. Live music in the near future.

Links:

The Pinhooks Site: http://www.thepinhook.com/thebardetials.htm

Vegetarian-Vegan Meet Up of The Triangle:
http://www.meetup.com/triangleveg/calendar/11498645/

This is just a super quick post to let you all know that my blog , Rockin’ The Stove, has been nominated for Best Food Blog for the Blogger’s Choice ‘09 Awards.

If you believe RTS to be a fun, informative and worthy blog please vote here. You will need to sign up for an account, BUT it’s free and they won’t spam you.

Thanks so much!