I am currently sitting on Air Canada, en route from Vancouver back home to Montreal, reflecting upon the incredible five days we have just had. A complete whirlwind of activities, line-ups, security checks and national pride, Jeremy and my time at the 2010 Olympics was truly an experience of a lifetime. And this flight is pretty sweet too… Ah, the joys of traveling without my 16 month old, Jasper (he stayed home in Montreal with his grandparents)! Miss the kid like crazy but it sure is nice to actually watch the movie for a change!

Packing up to leave was quite a feat in itself. Between getting Jasper organized for five days at his grandparents house with clothing, essential toys, food, and playdates set up for every morning we were going to be away, and then me trying to abide by Jeremy’s strict “only carry-on luggage” rule (how oh how do I stuff my tall black boots into this tiny Samsonite I ask you??), the frenzy began the second we woke up that day and continued for the rest of the trip. From the time we arrived in Vancouver last Thursday afternoon (the 18th), our schedule was jammed pretty tight with activities. Jeremy got very lucky with the Olympic lottery system two years ago and he was able to score quite a few tickets – mostly to hockey, rightly so as he was the one selecting the events, but also men’s curling and ski jumping up at Whistler. We were so psyched, and our national pride was brimming from the second we landed.

Upon arriving at Canada Hockey Place for the Slovakia v. Russia match-up, we realized very quickly that we might as well have been naked unless we were dressed head to toe in Canadian garb. Although Canada wasn’t even playing that night, looking out in to the stands was a sea of red, white and maple leaves and we had nothing! First order of business we decided was to hit the Hudson’s Bay the next day and load up. “Good luck with that”, we were told by a nice old man sitting in front of us, “they are all sold out of everything. You’d have better luck buying stuff at home where you came from!” Nonsense, I thought, they must be selling this stuff everywhere, this is the Olympics for crying out loud! The game was intense, edge of your seat hockey, and despite the jet-lag, we sat riveted into overtime and then the stressful shoot-out. Slovakia scored, got the upset win… very cool to see!

Being on east coast time and all, the next morning we were up, literally, at the crack of dawn, so we thought it’d be fun to head in to downtown Vancouver to check out where all the events were going on before the rest of the city had the chance to wake up. And perhaps pop into the Bay (which was set to open at 9) to get some Canada gear. Robson Square was already brimming with bodies by the time we arrived, and already we could see lines forming throughout the area, people clearly who knew what they were doing. “What are you guys lining up for?”, we ignorantly asked a group of girls way at the end of a long snaking line, three rows deep. “Zip-line”, one of them responded happily, “should only be a 3 hour wait from here!”

“Three hours??”, we cried incredulously.

“That’s nothing! Yesterday my brother waited for 7!”

As we walked away, dumbfounded that anyone could wait for ANYTHING for 7 hours in line that didn’t include a million dollar jack-pot or possibly a kiss from Brad Pitt, it dawned on us that our fellow Olympic revelers had a lot more stamina that we did, and a lot more patience.

“Maybe we should walk over to the Bay, just in case there is a wait to get in”, I said to Jeremy. It was 8:45. As we rounded the corner of Granville, our hearts sank. “Is that line-up to get in to the Bay?” I asked glumly, although I was pretty sure I already knew the answer. Flashbacks of horrible boxing day shopping popped in to my head as we found ourselves at the end of the queue that must have snaked over three blocks. And after around 5 endless minutes, we threw in the towel. Novices, I could hear the people in front of us thinking with disdain.

“Pssst!”, whispered a pan-handler as we walked away, resigned to the fact that we would have to live without our Canada hoodies. “You should go out to Oakridge Mall, no line to get in and they have the same stuff.” I felt like we were being passed top secret government intel from Deep Throat. “Thanks”, I muttered, eventhough I was sure as hell not going to drive all over Vancouver just for a stupid sweatshirt. Jeremy, meanwhile, was buzzing back to the car, tapping away on my IPhone’s Google maps trying to find the exact location of this illustrious mall. I couldn’t believe it. I can barely get the man to buy himself a new pair of shoes when his are falling apart at the seams, and all of a sudden he wants to drive a half hour away to go the Bay?? What has happened to my husband?? Olympic fever, that’s what.

The frenzy at Oakridge Mall was bad but nothing like downtown Vancouver. I had to laugh as I saw Jeremy wrestling an old lady for the two remaining Hudson’s Bay tartan Canada scarves (he was victorious!), and groaned in unison with the rest of the crowd as it was announced that the hoodies were all gone. With our scarves and the much sought-after red mittens in hand though, we left happy.

Watching the men’s curling that afternoon was awesome. Though neither of us knew the first thing about the sport going in, it was very easy to catch on (think a cross between bowling and bacci on ice), and it was so neat to watch Canada dominate so significantly over Denmark. Who knew this sport could actually be fun to watch? And I gotta say that seeing the Norwegian teams’ pants was worth the price of admission alone.

Our next few days were a whirlwind of more hockey games (Switzerland v. Norway, Finland v. Sweden) but the biggest event was finding somewhere to watch the best match-up of the week, Canada v. USA. Bars and restaurants were packed throughout downtown, stuffed to the gills with crazed fans from both countries, and we got lucky with prime seating in front of a huge screen, so big we felt we were actually there. You could hear a pin drop in Vancouver during the 2 hours that they played, and sadly we all know the results… But that just makes the gold medal game all the more exciting!

Late that night, after the Finland/Sweden game, we hit the road to head up to Whistler for the next morning’s ski jumping. The weather had been on our side all week and that day in Whistler had to be the most spectacular. Sun blazing, not a cloud in the sky, we watched excitedly as Austria set a new Olympic record for distance and basked the beauty of our surroundings. Ski jumping, it turns out, is not exactly Canada’s strongest event (we placed 12th out of 12) but it didn’t matter – it was our favourite event of the week.

Spending the day in Whistler Village was great too. The vibe and energy there was so different and much less frantic than Vancouver. Bands played open-air concerts outside with no queues that snaked kilometers long and though the village was packed with bodies it was still very easy to get around. It was great to check in again at the Hatley store, where they have launched the new Spring line and it looks fantastic. In retrospect we wish we had spent more time up at Whistler, but it was time to go home and see our boy who we have been missing incessantly.

All in all, our Olympic 2010 experience was truly a once in a lifetime event. It was so great to be here in our own country, taking in all the energy and witnessing such national pride. Really special. Too bad Jasper was too little to come along, if he were a few years older I think he would have been in heaven. As the games now wrap up, and the final showdown between the Canada/USA hockey looms on the horizon (for men’s and women’s), it’s time we all get back to real life again. I’ll have to put my maple leaf mitts away till 2014…

We are now well in to the second week of February and it is right about now that winter really seems to feel endless. With the Christmas rush long gone, and the post-New Year’s glow so last month, February really seems to be the time when everyone has had it with winter. Enough with the snowstorms, the minus-20 (without windchill) unbearable cold, the days where the sun doesn’t really appear till 8 AM, only to vanish again so quickly at 4:30, and wrestling my wiggling son in and out of his puffy, one-piece snowsuit 3 times a day! Enough already! It’s depressing, and I’ve had it!

This winter has seemed especially rough because of all the flues and colds that constantly seem to be going around. Perhaps they have always been there and I just haven’t been as exposed as I am now. But along with the wonderful joys of motherhood comes much sickness, I am now discovering. Jasper’s running nose has been a constant accessory this winter, and unfortunately, the stomach flu has made 2 stops at our house in the past month, which as you imagine is not a pretty sight. It would almost be comical if it weren’t so nasty and disgusting to watch all three of us fall victim to this horrific bug, (thankfully never all at the same time), knowing there was nothing we could do to hide from it… It was just a matter of time before our number was up. Not fun, but (knock on wood), fingers crossed that the worst of it is behind us, that the flu shots will finally kick in to gear, and that it’ll be smooth sailing from here on till Spring!

But as the Eastern U.S. gets pummeled with yet another huge snowstorm, it really seems like Spring is years away. My only solace is that it gives me a perfectly legitimate excuse to hunker down, light up the fireplace and make some real comfort food…. pasta dishes in particular. No matter what time of year it is, pasta tends to be my go-to meal. I am always in the mood for it and it never disappoints. In the summer, my deep affection for pasta comes with some guilt and criticism as it is not typically considered a very “light” summer dish, but no matter what time of year it is, I will always be happy with a heaping bowl of linguine in red sauce, loaded with Parmesan. Seeing as how I am now five months pregnant, this love affair with Italy’s national dish has only gotten more severe – much to the dismay of my dear husband, who despite his Sicilian roots, finds pasta for dinner 4 to 5 nights a week “too heavy”. Pe-shaw, I say to that! One of the few perks of being pregnant is that I tend to get my way when it comes to food!

One dish that Jeremy will never thumb his nose at is my Linguine with Hot Italian Sausage and Arugula. It is so easy to throw together and always hits the spot, especially on a cold blustery night like we had here last night. The way I make it may be a bit too spicy for the little kids (Jasper’s palate is a little too delicate for this one yet), but you could easily tone it down with milder sausages. It freezes well too so make up a big batch and freeze it in smaller portions to pull out on those nights when cooking is the last thing you feel like doing. Just make sure to set aside what you plan to freeze before adding the cooked pasta to the sauce.

I hope this recipe helps you fellow Pastatarians out there get through February and the rest of the winter! Next week Jeremy and I are off to the Olympics to cheer on Canada and visit with the crew up at the Hatley store in Whistler. Will report from the road!

Linguine with Hot Italian Sausage and Arugula

1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 hot Italian sausages, casings removed
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
1 pinch of hot pepper flakes (optional – only use if you don’t think the sausages have enough of a kick!)
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups pureed tomatoes
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried black olives, pitted and chopped (optional)
1/4 cup cooking cream (15%)
salt and pepper to taste

1 package of dried linguine (454 g)

For serving:
4 balls of bocconcini, chopped into chunks
2 cups of baby arugula, washed
1 handful of fresh basil leaves, ripped
a heaping bowl of freshly grated Parmesan

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausages, breaking them up with a wooden spoon as they cook. If much fat renders off of the sausages, drain it off into a bowl.

Once the sausages are starting to brown, add the shallots, garlic, mushrooms and chili flakes (if using). Cook gently over medium heat until the shallots are clear and the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine, and bring the heat up to medium high. Once the wine has cooked down a little, add the pureed tomatoes, parsley and olives (if using). Return heat to medium low and let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a big pot of water to the boil. Salt the water and boil the linguine for the appropriate time, just until al dente (about 8 – 9 minutes).

Once the sauce has simmered, turn the heat down to low and stir in the cream. Season well with salt and pepper to taste. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and toss in to the sauce, using tongs to really incorporate the sauce with the noodles.

To serve, divide the pasta amongst 4 plates, spooning lots of sauce on top. Add a chopped bocconcini ball on top of each plate as well as some ripped basil, and then divide the arugula evenly on top as well. Let each person garnish at will with the fresh Parmesan. Enjoy!

Serves 4