Happy New Year

Happy New Year 

to all my blog friends

and families!

I've been reflecting on 

New Year's past,

on the traditions and superstitions.

Did you, as a child, have 

any of these?

My mom used to tell me

not to clean the house on New Year's Eve,

to leave some dust and dirt

to carry over into the New Year.

I assumed to leave the dirt

in the vacuum would be O.K. - right?

Another thing I remember as a child

was waking up on New Year's Day

to a small gift from the "New Year's Baby"

I don't know where this tradition

came from but it was fun at the time.

I've read about some other traditions

and superstitions such as:

Eating good luck foods:

12 grapes - 1 for each month

Black Eyed Peas and Greens - bringing good luck

and prosperity

Leaving bits of food on your plates to carry

over into the New Year to ensure never going hungry.

Pork is a good luck food while

lobster is not (because lobsters walk

backwards apparently).

Lentils which represent coins ensuring prosperity

in the New Year.

This inspired me to make
a Kale and Lentil Salad
for lunch today...
If nothing else, it sure will
be good for my health.

Other:

Kissing at midnight to ensure affection

over the next 12 months.

Not to cry on New Year's Day - this could

bring unhappiness in the new year.

Pay all your debts before New Year's Eve

to have a "clean slate" in the new year.
(I also like the idea of forgiving all debts?)

Open the doors at midnight to let the bad

from the previous year out.
It's super cold over here right now so
don't leave the door open too long!

Make loud noises to scare away any evil spirits.

Don't do the dishes in case you

would break something which is bad luck.

(I think I'll leave the dirty dishes in the sink - no problem with that one! Leave some dirt in the house - this is the easiest one! Make lots of noise at midnight, and kiss the farmer even though he has a bad cold tonight).

What are some of your New Year's 

traditions and superstitions?

HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

I want to thank each and everyone of

you for your support over

this past year. 

I love reading your blogs and your

comments and it's been such an

inspiration to me on SO many levels!

Much happiness and health

to you and yours in 2014.....
The Lord is good!

Kale and Lentil Salad Recipe:

1 bunch Kale, stemmed and sliced

1 shallot - chopped or thinly sliced

3 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 Cup EV Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Cups cooked lentils

1/2 Cup crumbled Feta cheese

1/2 Cup dried cranberries

Whisk together the vinegar, honey and mustard.

Gently whisk in the Olive Oil and

season with salt and pepper.

Pour over the kale and shallot - tossing

and stirring roughly to gently bruise the kale.

Toss in the lentils, feta cheese and cranberries.

Cover and marinate for 1 hour before serving.

Balmy Lips

The weather outside is frightful the pits

and the dry air inside 

hurts my skin and lips!

I know that doesn't really rhyme

but it does tell the truth....

It's almost officially winter here

and my heels, hands, and lips

are longing to be ocean side

on a warm and balmy southern beach.

In the meantime, I've been

experimenting with making lip balm 

(next best thing to being on the beach - not).

I think I've finally got the 

recipe that works....

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Sweet Almond Oil

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Olive Oil

25g coconut oil (solid kind)

20g organic beeswax

15g cocoa butter (solid kind)

Dash of Peppermint Essential Oil

Melt oils and beeswax in

a small container over a double boiler

(I used a 2 Cup glass pyrex measuring cup

over some gently boiling water in a saucepan)

Keep stirring till melted

Remove from heat and add essential oil

Pour into 10-12 small (15ml) containers.

I purchased these at the Dollar Store.

Let stand till solid before putting on lids.

That's all there is to it

and now my lips feel amazing and 

practically balmy ....

These will make great stocking stuffers

and purse stuffers.

Till next time ....... be careful out there. The weather forecast really IS frightful!!!!!  I've got candles ready to go, the wood is stacked by the fireplace, and extra water in pails in the laundry room. Praying for safe travels as our kids fly home tomorrow.

Fried Apples

I'm always thinking about

what to make for supper on 

the way home from work!

Can you tell - I don't plan ahead too much?

When nothing comes to mind,

I like to stop in Wellesley at the little

grocery Pym's and pick up

something quick like schnitzel or sausage.

Nothing tastes better with schnitzel

than some warmed apple sauce

or

best of all ....

Mom's Fried Apples - so easy and delicious

and no recipe required!!

Here's how you make them:

Just halve, peel and core some apples,

wet them with some water,

toss them in some flour,

melt a pad of butter in a saucepan/frypan,

place those "dusted" apples onto the melted butter,

fill each core hole with a touch of brown sugar,

and a sprinkle of cinnamon

Cover and fry gently till tender,

adding a splash of water if needed

and voila ... you have a great side dish to schnitzel.

Easy Peasy!

Did your mom ever make

fried apples?

Till next time ...... just a few more sleeps!!

Eating the Cookie Crumbs

Things are looking up!

Christmas music is playing,

snowflakes are falling,

The biscotti is made

(click on Baking Biscotti

for the recipe).
Having some tea and
eating the cookie crumbs.

The sugar cookie dough is 

chillin'

the Nanaimo Bars are

hiding coolin'

the Nuts 'n Bolts
(with Bugles)

are made and

stashed away

Slowly but surely my

Christmas baking list

is getting checked off

and

I feel much better - smile.

12 more sleeps till 

the kids arrive home.

Spotted a Snow Bunting

in the back yard.

Feeling thankful....
looking up really works!

Now for decorating the tree,
finishing the shopping,
wrapping,
keeping the house in order
and staying positive.

How are you doing?

Blue Christmas

It's beginning to look

a lot like a Blue Christmas....

The twig tree is lit,

the planters have been filled

with boughs and sticks

The holly is in full bloom

and I'm ready to give the

inside decorating a go this weekend.

I'm taking Vee's advice and 

cranking the Christmas music loud

as I whirl around the house

making merry!!!!

There may even be some
sweet smells of baking cookies
wafting from the kitchen
before the day is 'ore!

Looking up and staying calm.

Perhaps it won't be so Blue after all.
(even though I love the colour blue)


Oh, but one more thing,
we'll be spending Christmas at
"Blue" Mountain ...

Lasagna Rolls with Turkey, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach

I'm experimenting with some

Turkey casseroles for our

Christmas on the Ski Hill Dinner...

My plan is to roast the Turkey

the week ahead and then come up with

a make ahead casserole

to take with us to the slopes.

I really like this recipe and

it's a twist from regular lasagna.

I made a half batch of the recipe below
with delicious results:

12 - 14 whole wheat or spinach lasagna noodles (I used the Spinach ones)

 - cooked till tender, rinsed and placed flat on a damp tea towel

Filling:

2 tsp. Olive Oil

1 small yellow onion - chopped

2 cloves garlic - minced

2 Cups leftover turkey (I used roasted chicken thighs) - chopped or shredded

1 - 2 Cups fresh spinach - chopped

1/2 Cup Sun dried Tomatoes - drained and chopped

1 small container low fat cottage cheese - pureed till smooth in blender

6 oz. goat cheese - softened

1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese - divided

1/2 tsp. dried chili flakes or 1 jalapeno pepper chopped

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

2 1/4 Cups tomato sauce (I used Tomato/Basil Pasta sauce)

1 - 2 Cups mozzarella cheese

Heat Olive Oil and saute the onion, add the minced garlic and saute for an additional 1/2 minute. 

Add the turkey/chicken and heat till warm. Transfer to a large bowl.

Stir in the spinach, sun dried tomatoes, 1/4 Cup of the Parmesan cheese, cottage and goat cheeses, seasonings and mix thoroughly.

Assembly:

Put 1 Cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking pan.

Spread 3 heaping Tbsp. of the mixture onto each lasagna noodle. Roll from the short end as tightly as you can and place each roll seam side down onto tomato sauce layer in baking pan.

Top the rolls with the remaining tomato sauce.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese and the mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 - 15 minutes.

Till next time .......... what are your favourite left-over turkey recipes?

Stay Calm and Begin

It's begun....

Came home from work at noon,

started cleaning the bay window area,

that's where I always start!

Set up the tree,

Sorted out the mini lights

half of which were not working....

Added a few new strings.

Thoroughly (as in dusting

and washing windows, vacuuming,

and straightening all things)

cleaned the living room

and now the sun is already setting.

The tree still needs to be "trimmed"

plus all other things -  but,

It's begun ....

Are you starting your Christmas decorating this weekend?

The hardest part is to Start!

I'm beginning to get into the Christmas Spirit.

The lists have begun too!

Till next time ..... have a great weekend, put on the Christmas music, burn some incense and stay calm!

Pesto Sun-dried Tomato Cheese Torta

This cheese loaf appetizer

is a family favourite.

I first tasted this at my

nephew's wedding - made by his mom,

my sister-in-law Charlene!

She's a great cook

and always comes up with the best recipes!

This is a keeper ....

Cheese Mixture:

250 g feta cheese crumbled

1/2 lb butter cut into pieces (I use ¼ lb. butter and 150 g soft unripened goat cheese instead)

250 g cream cheese - softened

2 cloves garlic

few drops of hot sauce

Combine in food processor or whip with electric mixer until creamy.

Layer Ingredients:

1/2 Cup pine nuts roasted

2/3 Cup minced sun-dried tomatoes (pat oil off if using oil packed)

1 Cup Basil Pesto - or less (I just used enough to "dollop" it onto the layers).

To assemble, line 4-5 Cup bowl or loaf pan with plastic wrap (mold it tight to the container leaving lots hanging over the edge), sprinkle with the pine nuts first then spread on some pesto, then ½ the sun-dried tomatoes. Cover with half the cheese mixture, remaining pesto and tomatoes then remaining cheese mixture. Fold over plastic wrap and press down gently to compact layers, refrigerate to chill and set. When ready to serve, invert onto platter, remove plastic wrap and serve with sliced baguette or crackers.

 Warning - this makes a very large

appetizer so sometimes I cut the recipe

in half and make

smaller individual ones

molded in custard cups.

Warning #2 - if your food processor

is 40+ years old and it begins to smoke

while mixing this - you may need a new one.

Just saying ....

Happy Thanksgiving to all 

those celebrating this week!

May we all pause to give thanks

wherever we may be,

before the Christmas season hustle and bustle begins!

Till next time ..... are you dreading the Christmas frenzie or do you look forward to the hustle and bustle?

30 Years Young

30 short years ago

this little sweetheart/ray of sunshine

 came into our lives.

She is the apple of our eyes,

the icing on our cake,

the answer to our prayers,

and the best thing that ever happened to us!!!

These 30 years have been the best

years of our lives and

the next 30 promise to be the best of yours too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

and

BLESSINGS

to our wee Bex....

Love you lots and lots!

Soapifying

For a long time,

I've been wanting to learn how to make soap,

but the process of using caustic lye had me afraid to try it!

It all sounded so complicated and

I didn't even know where to buy lye and needed to get

a better kitchen scale before even considering to

attempt this process.

This Fall while visiting our friends in Kentucky,

I was gifted with a beautiful piece of  handmade/handcut

soap and this got me going - finally!

I well remember my mom making a huge cast iron kettle

full of homemade soap. She used rendered lard and

fat drippings that she saved throughout the year.

Nothing cleaned the laundry like this soap!

I had the house to myself for the evening so
I gathered up the ingredients

and tools:

The Oils and Fats

9.6 oz. of Vegetable Shortening

9.6 oz. Olive Oil

6.4 oz. Lard

6.4 oz. Coconut Oil

An old Crock Pot,

a digital scale,

and a Stick Blender

The "flavourings":

1/2 Cup Oatmeal - ground fine

1 Tbsp. honey

1/2 oz. of Lavender Essential Oil

1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

The "scarey stuff"

4.463 oz. Lye crystals - eek!

12.16 oz. distilled water

(I used RO water from our tap)

Oh - and don't forget the 

rubber gloves!!

The "fancy" molds

Real molds are expensive!

O.K. - now I'm ready to start....

Melt the fat on low

Mix the scary stuff into the water

(caution - never add water to lye - always

lye to water)

I opted to mix this outside on the deck remembering

to lean back from it to not breath in the fumes.

This get's hot so be careful.

You should wear goggles as well as rubber gloves.

I don't have goggles but those who know me know 

that I have some cool kitchen glasses which sufficed.

Turn crock pot off and

blend with stick blender till

mixture traces (is thick like pudding and leaves a trace when stirred)

This takes about 10 minutes.

Cook on low - stirring on occasion

till the mixture looks like thick, waxy,

mashed potatoes (takes about 1 hour).

The temperature of the mixture will

be close to 200F when soapified!

You can use a PH strip test which

should read around 7 but I didn't have

one so I did the Zap on the Tongue test

to see if it was finished.

The smell of this soap as it cooked

reminded me of mom's soap!

Turn the crock pot off

and stir in the flavours.

Oh - now it smells really good!

This is where you can get really 

creative with different scents,

colorants and additives.

The combinations could be 

endless and fun to try!

Now it's ready to "glob" into

the fancy molds.

Tap them sharply

on the table or floor to make sure 

all the soap settles into the mold.

Cool and wait patiently (3 hrs. or overnight)

till the soap cools completely and hardens,

before removing from the mold.

WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART!

A piece scraped from the crock pot - it really is soap!

While I waited I went outside and rescued our

patio furniture from the crazy high winds we've

had here in the last couple of days - nothing compared

to our friends to the South - such devastation!!

I can only hope that all my blog friends from

Indiana and Illinois are O.K.!!!

Praying for all who have experienced this devastation.

Till next time ...... have you ever made scarey homemade soap?  I think I could get into this.....

First attempt at making Oatmeal, Honey, Cinnamon and Lavender Soap