When I moved to Ottawa, I decided to take most of my stuff with me. I weighed the pros and cons of moving almost everthing and I came to the conclusion that I just couldn't live without most of it. I couldn't bear to part with the piles of cookbooks I own, and how could I blog without all my props and such? So, when I moved to Ottawa, I went with a lot of "baggage."

It all seemed to fit pretty well in my Montreal apartment before going to Ottawa. Trouble is, now that I'm back, I seem to be overwhelmed with too much stuff and not enough space to cram it all in. And I swear it's not because I spent my entire stay in Ottawa shopping.

I am trying desperately to get/be organized. I dream of color coordinated closets and a logically set-up walk-in, where there's no threat of purses and clutter crashing down on you at the slightest nudge. I yearn for my little kitchen island to be completely free of ANYTHING except my kitchenaid mixer. A clean, empty counter top and organized baking cupboards would be glorious.

Every day, I focus on a small, small area of my space and try to organize a little of my junk possessions.  I have no idea if I am actually capable of clutter-free living, but I am trying. As a reward for my efforts, there's lemon mousse. A little cupful is definitely a treat after all the organizing, and it's super easy to throw together: equal parts lemon curd (store bought if you have no time to make it) and whipped cream (whipped to medium soft peaks) are folded together, spooned into serving cups, and refrigerated overnight to set. Personally, I like to serve it with fresh berries (whatever I can find) and crumbled graham cracker crust. It's easy and it's yummy. Now back to organizing the chaos.

Lemon mousse

    Serves 6

• 250 mL (1 cup) cold whipped cream
• 250 mL (1 cup) lemon curd (homemade or store bought)
• 1/2 a batch baked graham cracker crust (see below for recipe), crumbled, optional
• 170 grams (1 package) fresh raspberries, optional

1. In a medium bowl, whip the cream to medium soft peaks.
2. A a dollop or two of the whipped cream and add it to a small bowl containing the lemon curd. Stir to mix well and lighten the curd.
3. Add the lightened curd to the bowl of whipped cream and fold it in.
4. Transfer the lemon mousse to serving dishes and refrigerate overnight.
5. Serve with crumbled graham cracker crust and fresh raspberries.

Graham cracker crust recipe (1 batch)

• 125 grams (1 1/4 cups) graham cracker crumbs
• 15–30 grams (1–2 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 70 grams (5 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the granulated sugar.
3. Add the melted butter and stir til the crumbs are evenly coated and clump nicely when squeezed together.
4. Transfer crumbs to the baking sheet in a mound, pressing and spreading it out evenly (don't worry if it doesn't reach the edge). You are making a giant flat cookie here basically..
5. Bake for 10 minutes, and let cool before crumbling over the lemon mousse.