My blog is back!

Whew, I've been frustrated and disappointed about losing my blog recently, and I tried to find out how I could get it back. I got one email saying that they would delete my blog after x days, and I thought it was spam, and it was not. Who knew?! So, when it wasn't there, I started searching for it. I guess you don't know what you're missing until it's gone, right?! I have been writing it in much these days, especially as I am supposed to be writing in the TV show blog more about what's happening in my life, which will be released in the fall with the show, but like a good friend, I like to know it's there in case I need it.

I used to always feel like that about my journal growing up as well. It seemed to be like my blankie and I would go there and write when I was up or down, but mostly down. Funny how there is so much more emotion when we are down. Perhaps it touches the deepest core and soul of who we are and when you stir that up, then in there is all the memories, hopes, dreams, failures, and all things you could never imagine coming back up again. And, that's what opening a restaurant brings up. I'm not down, but it's certainly a roller coaster of emotions and you feel you can't stop until the ride is over or the doors open.

And, when you follow your heart and dream, it's wonderful and the only way to go, but it also does stir up emotions that you never knew you had or were hidden, buried way back, like those deep seated fears of failure of a test or no one showing up to your birthday party or not being popular or cracking under stress like when I went out there for my jazz dance recital and froze on stage. Those memories may fade but I think they stay in our cells forever and we trigger them when we go through similar emotions later in life.

Anyway, all this to say, I'm back and I'm going to enter what I was going to awhile back, the latest ZenKitchen newsletter, and will try to stay on track and treasure my blog, my friend. Caroline

ZenKitchen Newsletter - May 27, 2009

Special Events/Projects:
- Sunday, May 31 - Ottawa Veg Fest 2009, 10-5 pm, free admission (we'll
be there!) http://www.ncva.ca/Home/ottawa-vegfest-2009
- Friday, June 5 - ZenKitchen closes registration for Community
Supported Restaurant (CSR) stakes

ZenKitchen Classes:  
July 7 - Zen and the Art of Cooking with Seasonal
Produce, LCBO Cooking Demonstrations www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses
Media Coverage:
- Saturday, May 30, CBC Radio (91.5 fm) "In Town and Out" with Michael
Bhardwaj, somewhere between 8-9 am www.cbc.ca/intownandout
- May 13, CBC Radio (91.5 fm) "All in a Day" and the "D is for Dinner"
segment with Adrian Harewood  
http://www.cbc.ca/allinaday/features/disfordinner/index.html
-"The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave" on the W Network,
coming this fall

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friend of ZenKitchen,

Well, we've followed our dream and it's been a crazy, exhilarating and
exhausting restaurant ride. Bank loans and financial spreadsheets,
endless meetings, and wondering how we'd get everything done, and lots
of filming to top if off.

But the construction work has finally begun this week with the
restaurant looking like a war zone, and Dave and I couldn't be more
excited by it all. Finally, after all our efforts in planning with our
designer Heidi, who has continually assured us that the construction
work and colour are the last steps, I feel that we are finally giving
birth to our restaurant.

Yes, we realize it's only just the beginning but this landmark has given
us so much encouragement, like the support of our ZenKitchen friends,
who have provided words of encouragement and assistance in so many ways
to carry us through the roughest of patches and make us feel like we are
not alone.

So the big question you may be asking and we ask ourselves everyday...
when are we opening?

Right now, we are planning around June 20 but we'll know the exact date
once we are further along in the construction work, and we'll certainly
let you know as soon as we know!

Prior to the official opening, we are having a series of special dinners
for ZenKitchen supporters so that they are one of the first to
experience a dinner in our new space, and it's a chance for us to have a
dialogue with you and get your feedback on key aspects of your
experience. First priority seating will be given to the people who have
this benefit as part of their Community Supported Restaurant (CSR)
package they have purchased.

We're delighted to announce that the CSR project has drawn incredible
support and funds, raising about $16,000 and 320 stakes to date, which
is really helping with the incredible flow of money that is going out to
pay for a sometimes overwhelming number of start up and opening costs.
Our heartfelt thanks to those who have contributed to this number - we
couldn't do it without you and when you enter  ZenKitchen you'll know
that your money has gone into paying for everything you see around you!

If you haven't purchased your CSR package and would still like to, we're
selling them until Friday, June 5. For more information and instructions
on how to sign up for a package by cheque or credit card,  please visit
the www.zenkitchen.ca web site.  If you have questions, please don't
hesitate to contact us at info@zenkitchen.ca  For those of you who have
previous gift certificates for the monthly gourmet dinners or credits, 
rest assured that we'll honour them at the restaurant like the stakes.

We are delighted to be participating in Ottawa's first Veg Fest this
Sunday, May 31 at the Glebe Community Centre, organized by the National
Capital Vegetarian Association. It's from 10-5 and there is free
admission. I'm be doing a brief cooking demo in the afternoon, and then
I'll be at our ZenKitchen table for most of the day with Dave. I hope
you'll drop by for a sample and to say hello. We miss our  ZenKitchen
dinner guests and clients and look forward to opening soon so that we
can see you all again!

I was at Herb and Spice early this morning to go shopping with the host
of  CBC Radio's In Town and Out show, Michael Bhardwaj, and talk about
the Veg Fest. The interview will air sometime from 8-9 am this Saturday
on CBC Radio One, 91.5 fm, and it will be on their web site
www.cbc.ca/intownandout. Last week, I was interviewed by Adrian Harewood
on CBC Radio "All in a Day" and the "D is for Dinner" segment, so I
brought him some phyllo triangles to try and we spoke about the
ZenKitchen restaurant opening  - it was fun. If you want to hear the
interview, go to the CBC "All in a Day" web site:
http://www.cbc.ca/allinaday/features/disfordinner/index.html.

Many of you passed through the Chelsea Club when attending our monthly
gourmet dinners, and had the chance to experience such a beautiful piece
of our history in our city.  As the club has been finally sold, I
attended a farewell party last week. While it was sad to see the closure
of such a lovely space, the Chelsea Club gave me the opportunity to buy
some of their kitchen and dining room supplies, and so I feel good that
we will be taking a little bit of the Chelsea Club to ZenKitchen, and I
like to think that the brave independent women that founded the Chelsea
Club, including Charlotte Whitton, might be happy about that they are
supporting me. Here's a link to an article in the Ottawa Citizen on the
closing of the club... 
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Chelsea+Club+bids+fond+adieu+venerable+home/1622000/story.html

In case you are a facebook groupie, just to let you know that Dave and I
are both on there and we have set up a ZenKitchen group to keep in
better touch with you. We've also announced that we are  opening on
other sites such as foodies.com. We are pleased to see that there is a
lot of interest in and buzz about us opening. If you know of other sites
or groups, we encourage you to spread the word that ZenKitchen will be
the opening the doors to its restaurant very soon!

We continue to do lots of filming and while it is sometimes difficult
for me to have a camera following my life, especially when I am not at
my best, at the same time, when I try to relax and be myself with all my
faults and realities, I learn a lot about myself in the process and I
hope by this action people can feel like they can be who they are as
well. I went to the Leonard Cohen concert this week and I think Leonard
sang to me when he said... "Ring the bells that still can ring, forget
your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that's how the
light gets in". May we let the light get in. Warm regards, Caroline