In for a penny, in for a pound.

A phrase I am not too familiar with. I am not that type of a person. I don’t have an all or nothing mentality. I am fine with moderation. I am content with not taking high-stakes risks. Although sometimes you do have to take them. There are moments when the world presents you with opportunities which are all or nothing.

That’s what happened to me 2 years ago. I went ice fishing up north with my guy and said that I wanted to move there. He agreed. We wanted to leave the cities, the constant rushing around, the rat-race as they say. I jokingly began looking for jobs and realized that there were opportunities for me as a chemist in this small town in Almost Canada.

Then I got the job offer. Now things were real. It wasn’t just a dream or fantasy any longer. My guy and I had to make a choice. Do we do it? Get up and move? Change everything? Risk losing everything?

For me the risks were not that great. I had a job offer. I could easily pack up and move. My guy, however, had a house and job in the cities. He had to be willing to lose everything. We both knew that it was now or never and decided to go for it. It was time to hit the reset button.

This was easier for me. I accepted the job. I took a pay cut. I cashed out my 401K. I bought a house. I started over. My guy had a lot to lose. He did end up losing his job. And now the prospect of losing his house and credit is very real.

That was a risk he was willing to take. A risk that is becoming reality. Everything that he spent his whole life working for is disappearing.

We both went all in…In for a penny, in for a pound. I cannot thank him enough. I appreciate everything he has done. The reset button for me was fairly quick and painless. For him it has been a slow process and is still on-going. He was willing to lose everything to slow things down and move to Almost Canada with me. To actually enjoy more of life. I know when it is all said and done, by losing all these things we both are gaining so much more.

Pound Cake

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light & fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Mix in the eggs one at a time scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder all at once. Mix until combined. Add the whipping cream and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Pour into a buttered & lightly floured loaf pan. Place in a cold oven. Set the oven to 325F and bake for 80 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Rhubarb Sauce

• 3 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• ginger and/or cinnamon

Place the fruit (I used frozen) and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir together the sugar & corn starch. Stir the mixture into the fruit. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in ginger and/or cinnamon if desired (I did a few dashes of both).

Note that this recipe makes a lot of sauce. Use as a topping for ice cream or in other baked goods such as Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars which is what I did with mine.

Whipped Cream

• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Place bowl and metal whisk in freezer for 10-15 minutes. Place sugar, cream, and vanilla in bowl. Whisk until mixture forms stiff peaks. Use immediately or place in the fridge.