Sometimes. You Make Soup.

Sometimes you set out to make soup and realize that you don't have an immersion blender and you don't have your regular blender and you make it anyway. Sometimes you add and you make do and you stir and you taste and it's a beautiful thing.

Sometimes it doesn't all work out. Sometimes your plans of taking in a local music festival that everyone has been telling you about don't work out. Sometimes it rains all day. And the four walls seem very close. Sometimes only the littlest one naps and everyone needs you. Right now. 

Sometimes you get in a funk and it's hard to shake it. Sometimes you can play the Pollyanna game really well and sometimes, you just can't. 

Sometimes you decide to make soup. 

It's a longer process because the kitchen is outfitted with the barest of tools. 

Chop, peel, chop, peel. Roast. Stir. Taste. Stir. Simmer. Taste. 

The familiar routine is soothing. The smells fill the house with warmth and texture like no furniture or pictures ever could. 

Smiles and hellos are exchanged with a neighbor. Autumn rain becomes a friend, pressing the four of you together and you realize the gift you have been given. 

 Accompanied with piles of crusty bread, this soup is a perfect antidote to any day. Good or bad. 

Butternut Squash, Apple and Bacon Soup 
(inspired by this recipe)
Serves 2 adults, and 2 little girls with leftovers for another rainy day. 

Ingredients:
 1/3 lb bacon (more if you like bacon), chopped
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
2 apples, peeled and cubed (I used a Gravenstein and a lonely Macintosh that was kicking around the fridge, for best results use a cooking apple)
1/2 c apple juice
Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Method:

Peel and cube squash and apples. Toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast in a 400 degree oven until very tender. 

Meanwhile, in large soup pot, fry chopped bacon. Once bacon is nearly done, add the onions. Fry until they are translucent. 

Once squash and apples are tender, mash them with a spoon (or blender, if you have one), and add to the bacon and onion mixture. 

Stir in apple juice and enough water to make a thick soup, about 4 cups.

Let simmer with the lid off for about half an hour, stirring every once and while. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. 

Serve hot with a spoonful of greek yoghurt and lots of crusty bread. Rain and fog, optional. 

What do you do when nothing seems to be going well?

Happy Food: Energy Balls {a recipe}

It's happy food. Simple food. Equally enjoyable at 4 pm for a snack to stave off hunger pains of little tummies or at 10 pm after a session of homework, practicing, and teaching.
They come together super fast, and are a great recipe to make with little ones. Lots of dumping and stirring and making balls.

 They're like the cute cousin of granola bars, which I have never been happy with my homemade versions and I've tried several different 'best ever' recipes. They're as a versatile as good pair of boots with as many add-in options as you want. And they are also reasonably healthy.


There's lots of different versions out there, but the concept is all the same. Cereal grains,  something sticky to smoosh it all together, dried fruit, chocolate, and whatever other add-ins fits your mood.

Energy Balls from Smashed Peas and Carrots

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

I used chopped dark chocolate, because that's how I roll. Feel free to use whatever chocolate you like and in whatever form. Use unsweetened peanut butter and coconut flakes for a healthier version. The honey and bits of chocolate make it plenty sweet. 

 These are some other options, I want to try. The quinoa one intrigues me. This grain is showing up everywhere and I have yet to cook with it.


No Bake Energy Bites 

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Trail Mix Balls


What are some of your favorite snack ideas (I need some more)? Have you used quinoa?

Simple Pasta for Busy Days

It's the simplest of dishes. Perfect for dinner on a busy day. After a long walk winding up and down through wine country with no real idea of where you are going. The views are amazing, the air is clear, and the farmer waves at you as you pass his Holsteins.

Jared was practicing and catching up on assignments. The girls and I set off to find an new playground, the route was much like my life right now. Unexpected. Splashes of beauty. Hard hills to push the double stroller.
We came home to the sound of the university's chapel bells ringing, a call to prayer. They sound every morning and evening. When I'm quiet, I hear them. And my spirit is quieted. Even in hard times, the beauty is there.

And home is still the four of us, gathered around the table. Slurping up pasta, mashing the vegetables (that would Khaira) and sipping some wine.

Home. Together.

Simple Pasta

Start by cooking your favorite pasta. I went with a spinach fettuccine because I like the splash of green. Sun-dried tomatoes would be nice to or while wheat pasta.
While it is boiling, sauté your vegetables.
Zucchini, yellow summer squash, purple onion, garlic, red and green peppers cooked up quickly in some bacon fat.
The veggies were tossed with the pasta along with some leftover bacon from the morning's brunch.
Just before serving, I sprinkled each serving with Fundy feta. A homemade feta mixed with dulse, a seaweed that is harvested from the Bay of Fundy. I picked up the cheese from the local farmer's market and have been sprinkling it on everything.

We ate quietly. Letting the food nourish our bodies and spirits.

What good food have you had recently?

Cookies and Milk

I am a cookie snob. I thought I should just say that before writing any further about cookies. There aren't that many cookies that I actually like, that I'll actually ask someone for the recipe or that I'll select off a dessert offering. My sister makes really good cookies. My sister in law makes really good cookies. And one of our favorite cafes here in Edmonton makes really good cookies. I order one every time we go, with a cup of tea. I feel like such an old lady doing that but they are very delicious and fresh baked every time. Chocolate, cranberry, oatmeal yummy-ness. 

I'm also a sucker for interesting recipes such as Brown Butter and Fleur de Sel Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

You can't really go wrong with sea salt, brown butter, and chocolate. And so I had to try them out. 

Every time I've made them, I've been short of one ingredient. And it's been at night because that is when I most want cookies. The first time, I was short on chocolate. So my husband and brother in law rushed out to remedy this problem. We stood around munching on chocolate covered cranberries and cookie dough until the cookies were ready to be eaten. And they did not disappoint. I love the salty tang that comes with the sprinkle of sea salt. 

The next time I made them, I needed more flour. So I did what anyone else would do, I texted our landlady who also happens to live above and who also happens to be a really great person and friend. She had flour. 

The cookies got made and then eaten in a very short amount of time. I saved some dough for the next day. We baked up cookies and drank our beverages of choice, milk and tea. 

The perfect Saturday snack. 

My husband, who is also a cookie snob, loves these. And in my books, that's high praise. My daughter, who loves everything chocolate, totally loved these.

This recipe is definitely going to be made again and again in this house.

What is your idea of a perfect cookie?

The Tarte Tatin That Wasn't

I have been all kinds of inspired lately. And a lot of it has to do with browsing Pinterest and reading. I've been discovering the library again, requesting all sorts of books and working my way through them as I have time. Trying to open a book just as often, if not more, then having screen time. 

My latest delicious read was David Lebovitz's The Sweet Life in Paris. At the end of every chapter, he includes a recipe or two.  And after reading about tarte tatin, I decided that I really, really should start knocking off those food items on my 'to make' list. 

Tarte Tatin has long been on my list to make. And so this weekend, I did. Sort of. I don't have a cast iron pan, yet, so the key element of making the tart was not really there. So I just made up my own version based on David's recipe. And it was good. Very good. 

I used David's pastry recipe but really you could use your favorite recipe and it would be great!

The apples were picked last fall and then frozen, I've been slowly working my way through all the bounty in my freezer and the apples turned out really well. Because you caramelize them, it's okay that they get a little soft. 

If you have any leftover apple filling, it would make a wonderful topping to pancakes or oatmeal. It also makes a lovely snack while waiting for your husband to get home from his rehearsal, not that I would know or anything. 

Free-form Apple Tart
(inspired by David Lebovitz's Caramelized Apple Tart)

For the dough:

3/4 c flour
1/4 t coarse salt
1 1/2 t granulated sugar
2 T unsalted butter
3 T ice-cold water

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Cut the butter in and mix until the butter is in pea-sized chunks. Stir in the water and mix just until the dough holds together. Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in fridge until ready to use (up to 3 days).

For the apples:
8 cups, sliced apples, (I used frozen Jonagold apples)
1 T lemon juice, to toss with fresh apples, if using fresh
1 T butter
1/2 c packed brown sugar

Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and apples. Cook on low to medium heat for 20 minutes (or so), stirring to coat apples with butter mixture.

Roll out dough on flour dusted counter into a 12 inch (or so) circle, you may need to sprinkle dough with flour several times to keep it from sticking to your rolling pin and so that it lifts off the counter smoothly. Place pastry in pie pan or on a baking sheet. Fill the centre with the apples, leaving a couple inches to fold back towards the centre.
Brush the pastry with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.

The tart is best served warm with a dollop of whipped cream and piping hot cup of tea.

Do you have a list of foods that you want to make? 

Orange Cranberry Muffins: A Recipe for Wintry Days

 Oranges and cranberries. They're a favorite pairing right now. Right along with sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. It may have something to do with the fact that it's the middle of winter and garden fresh vegetables robust with flavor are still months away. Oranges are in season right now along with all their relatives in their citrus family. My new favorite orange variety is the blood orange. The flesh is a deep red color, the flavor sweet and tangy. I feel all gourmet when I slice them up for an afternoon snack.

 Here in Northern Alberta, we have (to the best of my knowledge) two opportunities to stock up on fresh cranberries. Thanksgiving and Christmas. I missed the very small window in October and made sure I stocked up in December. I freeze the bags of tart, red berries until I want them. They make a lovely addition to scones, biscotti, or muffins.

I've tried a couple different orange cranberry muffins but I've never quite been satisfied with the end result. I want to taste the zing of the cranberry and the zip of the orange. And so I made modifications after modifications until the results tasted like what I had been trying to create. Kilmeny and I made these one morning during Khaira's nap. Kilmeny is just getting to the age where with a lot of patience (on my part!) she can actually be a help to me as I bustle in the kitchen. She can crack eggs with great proficiency, zest oranges, counts along with me as I measure, and is a top-notch dumper of full measuring cups. And she makes a great taste-tester!

                                                        
                                                           Orange Cranberry Muffins

 (a vintage box creation)

2 c flour (I used a mixture of spelt, hard red and soft white wheat flours)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c cranberry sauce
3/4 c sugar
1/2  c unsweetened applesauce (if sweetened, lessen sugar amount)
1 orange, peeled and minced
4 T orange zest or peel of an orange
 1 1/2 c cranberries (fresh or frozen)


Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Combine and add fruit, stir until moistened. Spoon batter (will be lumpy) into greased muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 or until they test done. These are best served warm but they also freeze well, perfect for a little something with a cup of steaming tea!

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Your family will love you. Your guests will be impressed. You may not want to share. 

But you will. Because you can't keep all the warm, blueberry goodness to yourself.

My husband made this for our Saturday breakfast the other weekend. He also took all these pictures. He's rather amazing like that. 

Scramble up some eggs or make a frittata while you wait for it to bake. Or serve it up by itself, accompanied with some freshly ground, freshly pressed coffee.
We made it with whole wheat flour for extra nutrients, it was also the only flour we had in the house. It still tasted fantastic. You could even swap out the blueberries for some cranberries or raspberries or even strawberries to make a festive breakfast treat for Valentine's Day.  

She liked it. We all liked it. The last piece was split between all of us.

Find the original blog post for the cake here, it's not mine but it'll be made again and again in our home.

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake (from alexandracooks.com)

Serves 6-8
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk
* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.


What's a favorite breakfast you've had lately?

Family Weekends and Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Sometimes we have lovely weekends where family comes to visit. We stay up well past midnight both nights, fueled by the quiet and invigorating conversation, brownies, and Starbucks. And the littles play and run and tease and scream during the day. 

They had places to go and people to see. We had great plans as well but our van didn't. It instead got towed to the shop. So we stayed home and wished them well. And Jared made coffee cake. 

We sipped our tea, nibbled on cake, and worked on projects.

Our guests returned and we visited and enjoyed watching the children interact. I got my camera out, determined to capture some moments but all I got were the two tinies. The others were a blur of almost constant motion. 

We talked late into the night while the candles burned low and continued our conversations over an delicious mid-morning brunch. All too soon they had to leave with promises of other visits. 

Sometimes we have not-so-lovely Mondays. There is laundry piled everywhere and a million different things to tend too and I ask for wisdom to know what is the most important to tend too. And my baby cries and just wants me and my toddler is fussy and whiny and wants to eat. 

And I bring out the coffee cake, served up in her own little plate with her own little cup. She is quiet. 

And then Tuesdays come and I feel more ready for the day because everyone slept well but both girls wake up crying and they both need food and I just want coffee. Breakfast is coffee cake with fresh Jersey cream and more peaches. And I know that this day will be good, one moment at a time. 

Buttermilk Coffee Cake (from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook) 

2 1/2 c all purpose flour (or a mixture of soft white whole wheat flour and spelt flour)

1 1/2 c  b. sugar (or less) 

1/2 salt 

2/3 c butter

2 t b. powder

1/2 b. soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground nutmeg

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/3 c buttermilk

1/2 c chopped almonds

Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside 1/2 cup. Stir b. powder, b. soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg into remaining crumb mixture. 

Combine eggs and buttermilk. Add mixture all at once to flour mixture, stirring until just moistened. Spoon into greased 9x13 pan. Top with reserved crumb mixture and nuts. 

Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until it tests done. Cool slightly before serving. 

We like it with a drizzle of heavy cream and sliced peaches (or whatever other stone fruit or berries you have). Serve it up plain for an afternoon snack or serve with eggs for a more complete breakfast.

Black Forest Trifle: A Winter Dessert

My Nana is the queen of chocolate cake makers. Seriously. Her cake has the right amount of chocolate, sweetness, and moistness. That may be due to the fact of the coffee which gives a hint of its flavor in each bite. This was probably the first cake I ever made. It has been made for all kinds of occasions and situations. It is perfect. 

 And so when I needed a cake for my black forest trifle I knew exactly which recipe to use.

It is a generous recipe. It makes enough cake for a trifle for a dinner party, two individual trifles, and random snitching which may or may not have been a family affair. 

Nana's Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 c flour 
2 c sugar
3/4 c cocoa 
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder 
1 t salt 

2 eggs 
1 c coffee
1 c sour milk
1/2 c oil
1 t vanilla 

Combine dry ingredients. Add rest and beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes. 

And then for the trifle. A delightful and very forgiving dessert. It's best if you make the cake a day ahead of time and let it sit uncovered on the counter. Trifles are traditionally made with stale cake. 
This is a great fall or winter dessert as the cherries can be canned or frozen during the summer, please, promise me you'll do that next summer. You won't regret it. I'm already wishing I had done more. To taste summer and sunshine in the winter is a delightful sensation.


If you're like me, then the first step will be to empty your trifle bowl of the pine cones it held over the Christmas season and  wash it out thoroughly. If you don't have a trifle bowl, any large glass bowl will work just as well. Punch bowls or little jars for individual servings also work well. 

Black Forest Trifle (inspired by this) 


1 chocolate cake, torn into bite sized pieces
3-4 cups canned dark cherries in syrup, I pulled a couple bags of cherry pie filling from my freezer to put this together.
4 cups whipped cream 


Layer the cake, cherries and cream in your bowl of choice. Top with cherries and shaved chocolate for garnish. Chill in fridge until ready to serve. 

Enjoy with coffee and stimulating conversation! 

 P.S. Thank-you all for your comments about my new adventure, you have no idea how encouraging it is to read how you are cheering me on. So grateful for each of you! 

Deep breaths and Apple Butter

I wrote this post a couple of weeks when I was feeling pressed in at all sides and just needed to process some thoughts. This is the edited version. The other version got copied and pasted to my journal. I still need this reminder. It's getting closer to Christmas, I still have some gifts to put together, baking to do for a customer, and all the regular stuff of the every day. Dishes, laundry, meals, tidythehouseagain. If I'm not careful, I'll miss it. Those precious moments, the crazy late nights, the beauty that is right here but I can't see it because I'm living three days ahead. Take a deep breath. We're running out tonight after supper to pick up two last gifts and making an event of it by cashing in a coupon for Coldstone Creamery. The girls will be out late, in their jammies, we'll eat ice-cream in December and we're making a memory. Now off to finish up stuff before the girls wake up! =) 


I took some time to breathe today. 

 I poured my coffee into my New York Starbucks mug (never mind, that it wasn't piping hot anymore, it was coffee), topped it off with some cream from my in laws' Jersey and got a piece of biscotti. Of course, I ended up pouring some of the coffee into an espresso mug for my little Kilmo-girl and we shared the biscotti. 

I carried the mugs into the living room. We sat on the floor, munching the biscotti and sipping coffee until it was all gone. I had to fight the urge to grab my planning notebook so I could jot down some gift ideas for Christmas and maybe even finish my menu planning and shopping list. But I didn't.

I just sat there, cross-legged and quiet. I listened to the prattling of my little girl and watched her big eyes get even bigger as I gave her some biscotti. I sipped my coffee and she sipped hers, the smile growing across her cheeks as she mimicked each of my actions. 

I took deep soul breaths and just lived those moments. And let everything else slide away.

I don't have all the answers for the questions that keep swirling in my head. I don't have the time each day to do all the things that I think I should or all the things that I would like too. I don't know how to always balance all the roles I play or even have the headspace to give full attention to all of them.

And will  I ever really know the answers? And maybe that is the point. That I don't need to know all the answers. I can't resolve everything or make everything all better. That  is a burden not intended for me to carry.

I take deep breaths. And I give myself some room. Room to be quiet and not get everything done each day. I give myself time. Time to just sit on the floor and look deep into the blue eyes of my baby, eyes just like her Daddy's. Time to stack the blocks and sort them according to color and cheer when my little toddler signs all the colors. Time to simmer some rosemary apple butter and let its aroma fill the house.

Rosemary Apple Butter (makes about 2 1/2 cups) {adapted from here)

• 10 apples of your choice, peeled, cored and roughly chopped.  (I used Jonagold and Spartan and just cored, and chopped them)
• 3 cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon, a healthy sprinkling
• 1/2 cup apple cider or water
• juice from one lemon (or just lemon juice if you're all out of lemons)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 sprigs of rosemary (or more depending on how big they are) (or just a healthy sprinkling of rosemary, use your own judgement)

Place all ingredients in an oven safe pot on high heat. Bring liquid on the bottom of pot to a boil and the simmer for 45 minutes stiring occasionally. Remove rosemary stems (you want some, not all,  of the pieces of rosemary to fall off and remain in the sauce....this will happen naturally as your stir) and discard cinnamon sticks.
Remove from heat, blend, if desired for a smoother consistency. Place in 9x13 glass pan and let bake in a 200 degree oven for 4 hours or until it reaches your desired thickness. Stir occasionally.

When done remove from oven and store in jars for 1 week or longer if you go through the canning process.

Enjoy!

Penguins and Cookies

I said, "Let's go make cookies."

She said, "Penguins?"

I said, "Cookies."

My plan for the afternoon was simple. Bake up a couple batches of shortbread. Since we spend the holidays with both of our families, I don't do a lot of Christmas baking. We get lots when we go home and I always do some for our annual Book Party. But some shortbread is always done. And it seemed like something simple and easy to do with Kilmeny 'helping'.

But she was still stuck on the penguin. And right there, I had a choice. To actually put into practice what I've theorized  about over the years, that sometimes saying 'no' is more for the mum's convenience rather then something that is actually forbidden.

I said yes. I made her a penguin.
I smooshed some cream cheese into an olive, placed it on a slice of carrot, put some carrot into another olive and stuck the whole thing together with a toothpick.

It was totally worth it. And totally adorable.

She thought it was oh so cute and the look of delight on her face when I let her have it at her little table on a real, grown-up plate was priceless. 

It's those little things that build memories. My girls are too young to build gingerbread houses with me and we don't decorate sugar cookies together yet or cut out glittery snowflakes to hang from the ceiling. And what I think would make a great memory might not mean the same to them.

Kilmeny might not remember me making her a little penguin but I will. And hopefully it will help me remember to say yes and choose to seize the moment and make a memory.

Here is our traditional shortbread recipe. I did make this up yesterday after the penguin was made and eaten. The shortbread pairs very nicely with an eggnog latte, candles, and Michael Buble's Christmas album. If you wanted a recommendation. 

Melting Moments Shortbread

1/2 c cornstarch            1 c. flour
1/2 c icing sugar           3/4 c butter
Mix together, form into balls, flatten if desired.  Put tidbit of maraschino cherry or gumdrop on for colour if desired.  Bake at 350 for 10 minute or until just golden brown. 

Pavlova: A taste of New Zealand

I  first had pavlova while we were staying with a family in Taupo, New Zealand. They served us this traditional Kiwi dessert on our last night with them. It was creamy. It melted in our mouths. And it was topped with the traditional kiwi fruit. 

I asked for the recipe after taking one bite.

We had it again for dessert on Christmas Day with our New Zealand family. Different cook, slightly different pavlova, same delicious refreshment.

I've made it several times since being back in Canada. It's one of my husband's favorite desserts. And it always brings back so many memories whenever and wherever I make it. 

Pavlova (from Wendy ,Taupo, NZ)

6 egg whites (2 T sugar to 1 egg white)

12 T caster sugar (regular white sugar)

1 t vinegar

2 t cornflour (cornstarch)

vanilla essence (to taste, vanilla extract)

Beat egg whites until stiff, add sugar and other ingredients gradually. Heap egg whites on wax paper on cookie sheet.(Grease the cookie sheet for easier removal) Heat oven to 300. Put in for 5 minutes or until egg whites start to turn slightly golden, then turn off and leave in oven for 1 hour.

Top with whipped cream, fruit (kiwi,strawberries, blueberries etc) shaved chocolate.

If you prefer a crunchier pav, smooth the egg white mixture out on the pan until it's about an inch or so thick. If a little crunchy on the outside with a soft interior is your preference, pile the egg white mixture into the center of your pan, making it several inches thick. My personal favorite is the latter option. Kiwi fruit are the traditional fruit topping but whatever fruit is in season and you enjoy is delicious!

Sausage Florentine

I came across this recipe a couple weeks ago when I made supper for the whole family. It was a new one but the ingredient list looked like a winner. Spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese and sausage over pasta. It comes together quite quickly, and with a few tweakings of the original recipe can be quite healthy. I love the flexibility of recipes like this. 

 Sausage Florentine (adapted from Jean Pare's Sausage, Spinach and Feta)

 (the first adaption had to be the name, something this tasty must have a more interesting name) 

Serves 4

1 1/4 lb farmer style sausage cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 T olive oil 

1 cup chopped red onion 

4 cloves minced garlic

4 cups fresh spinach leaves 

2 cups chopped tomatoes 

1 1/2 t dried basil 

1/2 c crumbled feta 

Fry sausage  in a bit of olive oil until cooked throughly, add onion and garlic. Cook until soft, adding more oil,  if needed.

 Add spinach, tomato and basil. Stir until spinach is slightly wilted. Add feta cheese, stir throughly to allow cheese to almost melt. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. 

Serve immediately over pasta or rice.

breakfast

We love doing things with flair around here. Adding those special touches, making things a little extra-ordinary. Our meals are no different. We love good food, trying new recipes and savoring each lovely bite.  

Our weekend breakfasts are when we take a little extra time and prepare something special. We were inspired by a visit to our favorite bakery here in Montreal to create a European style breakfast one Saturday. We purchased their apple raisin bread and then did a little research to find out just what we should serve with it. We found an interesting article and I realized that I really do love central European breakfasts. They have chocolate as part of the menu. What's not to love? 
We were out of eggs and milk and it's hard to make breakfast without those so off we walked to the store. 
Dark chocolate just happened to be on sale so we picked up a bar. 
We boiled eggs, fried sausages, sliced bread, poured juice and lit the candles. Actually, Jared did all of that. He often makes breakfast on either Saturday or Sunday. 
It was delicious and completely satisfying in every sense of the word. 

But Monday to Friday, we eat pretty simply and basic. A bowl of piping hot oatmeal, a toasted slice of homemade bread (or not), freshly ground coffee. 
Fast. Nutritious. Economical.  Warm.

Here's my recipe for 'Perfect' Oatmeal. 
 Serves 2
 Bring 2 1/4 cups of water and a dash of salt to a boil. Add 1 cup of quick oats, take off heat, stir until water is absorbed. 
Add brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, diced apple, nuts or dried fruit. Stir. Let set for 5 minutes. Serve with milk, if desired.  
 

What's your favorite weekday breakfast?

apple oat scones

I saw a recipe this past week for maple oat scones. It sounded interesting. After I glanced through it, I thought with a few modifications I could make it into apple oat scones. A recipe idea that I had been wanting to try but didn't want to venture too far the path of unknown, I wanted to use someone else's recipe. I was delighted with how the scones turned out, with my modifications, and am encouraged to modify more new recipes. 

We had these lovely treats fresh with creamy hot cocoa, they accompanied bowls of steaming pumpkin soup and will be enjoyed again today for our tea. I will tell you all about our tea tradition in another post, it's something we've established since being in Montreal and has nothing at all to do with Montreal, just the season of life we're in right now.

I was pleased at the small-ish amount of sugar, and the fact that they have oats and whole wheat flour in them making them a more healthy treat. They were more like an oatcake than scone but still very yummy. And they are perfect enjoyed on a grey-ish day like today. I just finished reading The Hobbit, a book I started this summer and have been reading bits of it aloud to Kilmeny. And then reading long bits by myself. Reading Tolkien always makes me hungry, if the hobbits aren't eating, they're talking about eating and they do have the most delightful descriptions. 

On to the recipe. 

Apple Oat Scones adapted from  here

1 c. unbleached flour
1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats

2 t ground flax seed
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 c. butter, cut into pieces
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 egg

1 apple, chopped

Measure flours, ground flax seed oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles large crumbs. 

Combine buttermilk and egg. Mix with dry crumb mixture until dough forms. Too much handling will result in tough scones. Turn onto lightly floured surface, knead three or four times with floury hands. Dough will be sticky. 

Shape dough into large flat round or 8 small flat rounds (it's totally your preference, I did one middle-ish sized one and four small scones)

Place scones on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees. 

Enjoy with your favorite hot beverage and a good book (may I recommend The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien?) or a good friend.

And because it's Monday, because we're feeling so grateful and because counting your blessings is a great way to banish the greyness....I'm not sure why I'm talking about the grey so much today, the skies are grey but my spirit is light. 

61-70

- glorious light on the maple trees as the sun sets

- music that speaks the truth about Christ 

- grace and provision for today, that's all we ever need 

- a vacuum 

- a washer and dryer 

- grace

- amazing and incredible, to-the-detail provision of a need 

- a brand-new month 

- the sheer delight of being an aunt to an niece, another little girl in my life

- family

3 Things that make me Smile! 

Thing 1: 

A peaceful, sleeping baby.

Thing 2:

A peaceful, sleeping baby's foot with  nail polish.

 

Thing 3:

A cold and refreshing homemade iced coffee. 

 

And another picture I found on the card when I put it in the card reader. For the record, I did not take this picture. And we were given the darling onesie. 

 And because I know you all want to know how to make such refreshing iced coffee, I'll tell you. 

Place equal amounts of cold coffee (ie. empty the press that has been sitting on the counter all day) and milk, ice-cubes and sweetener in blender. Blend until ice cubes are no longer cubes. Pour into glass. Delight in the froth and enjoy. 

You can vary this by making it stronger (add less ice), a different flavor (try chocolate or butterscotch ice-cream syrup), or simply pour the liquid over the ice cubes. If making coffee for this alone, it's best to add a bit of sugar when it is still hot so the sugar can dissolve. 

Have a pleasant evening friends! 

::::: edited to add: I was going to post pictures and the recipe to an amazing delish salad that I modified from a recipe and a dressing that I created but the pictures on one the other camera that J has with him. So I'll post that another day. These pictures (minus the Canucks one) were taken by me on the 'big' camera, the Nikon D2Xs. I'm slowly mastering it, it's been a goal for um, way too long. 

Off to savor milk and a chocolate chunk cookie and sort through pictures from New Zealand!