Summer in April

 Spring has truly arrived.

The snow has melted,

the swans have been released and have begun nesting,

Easter came with meaningful gatherings,

the butter lamb made it to the table,

today we went from early Spring to mid Summer,

windows open,

sun umbrella is up,

garden Spring bulbs are popping!

And the Lenten Rose is abloom ...

I love it so much but am aware that cooler temps and rains are still to come.

For the weekend, tho, summer was here!

Record setting temperatures soared,

and 4 special friends came through my door.

We yoga-ed, shopped, ate amazing food, hot-tubbed,

and had many laughs, tears, and heart-to-hearts.

Then ... we had the privilege to see a live performance at the Festival Theatre.

RENT - wow!

"Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes

How do you measure the life ...

... Let's celebrate

Remember a year in the life of friends"

                                            Season's of Love by J.D. Larson

Thank you Karen, Yvonne, Sandi, and Karen 

How did I ever deserve to have such wonderful supportive friends?

I will draw strength from the warmth of this special weekend.

Lemon Loaf was my small contribution to the breakfast table.

Here is the recipe ...

It's one of those tried and true ones - probably from the 1970s...

EVELYN'S LEMON LOAF

(my sister's recipes are the best)

4 eggs well beaten

1 pkg. lemon cake mix

1 pkg. lemon instant pudding

2/3 Cup Oil

2/3 Cup Water

Glaze:

1/4 Cup Lemon Juice

3/4 Cup Icing Sugar

Whisk the cake mix and pudding together.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, add the oil and water and mix that into the dry ingredients.

Mix well - 5 minutes till smooth and shiny.

Divide batter into 2 parchment lined loaf pans and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350F

Rest baked loaves in pans for 5 minutes, then poke holes into the loaves with a chopstick

or knitting needle. Pour the glaze over warm loaves and then cool for 

20 minutes before removing from pans.

Enjoy!

I forgot to mention, probably because no photos were taken,

that 3 or our "only" daughters crashed our little party on Friday evening.

What a nice surprise ... so great to see them all again and for them to see each other as well.

Easter Sunday afternoon - Lego time!

Till next time ... treasuring my friends and family.  Happy Springtime (or is it summer) to all!

Scapes and Such

When life hands you garlic scapes,

you make pesto and whipped garlic scape butter!

A fun mum and daughter project.

Nothing tastes better on grilled cheese sandwiches or scape butter on steak!

We had enough scapes from our patch to make many batches of each.

The scapes are taken from the garlic plants to encourage better garlic bulb growth.

The bulbs will be pulled in a few weeks (as the plants die down a bit and the bulbs 

are fully developed).

Always a lot of work but so worth it for that fresh juicy Ontario grown garlic.

Not too much has happened since my last post, other than more and more

doctoring and treatments for the farmer.

We continue to be so humbled and thankful for all the prayers and love!

We have been making treatment days an excuse for patio dining, now that things

are opening up again.

After treatment treat

The crusty bread dipped in EVO and Balsamic Vinegar, 

disappeared almost immediately as we waited

for the delicious Italian entrees of

stuffed Penne and Lasagna.

I loved their oil and vinegar dispenser and am keeping a look out

for a similar one.

The Balsamic Vinegar inside the oil looks like a clump of grapes!

The waiter told us they were purchased at the Dollar Store.

Our weather has been very hot lately (not as hot tho as

my readers from the West), and the banana's needed attention.

A little hotter in the kitchen that afternoon ...

This is one of my favourite banana bread recipes:

https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/brown-butter-banana-bread/

I just added some brown sugar icing to the top - so delish. 

Also managed to make a fresh batch of our favourite granola

The peaceful Stratford Festival Gardens deserve an almost weekly Sunday visit.

Soon the "tent" will be lively with some patrons

watching an outdoor production or two. 

This is the second season for the festival being mostly cancelled

due to Covid - as is with all things!

The show must go on ...

Here we are July 1st

and the field corn is definitely knee high ... so much moisture and heat units!

We are blessed.

"knee high by the first of July" - maybe a giant's knee? #little farmers

And, July 1st brings us to Canada Day.

A somber Canada Day this year ...

Till next time .... Happy, Happy 4th of July to all my U.S. of A. friends. Stay well and let there be much

love and light in all your summer days.

P.S. Pardon my "header" picture. Can't figure out why it's so small and what has changed on blogger??? Will try to figure it out.

Mom's Strawberry Shortcake

The patch is old, the berries are small but plentiful,

the mosquitoes are hungry but a stiff breeze is keeping them at bay today!

The birds are getting their fair share but we are too.

It's strawberry season over here - yay!

It's time to make the annual batch of Mom's Strawberry Shortcakes.

Always a treat!

This is how she wrote the recipe and I copied it onto the back of an October, 1975 calendar page

while sitting at her kitchen table - oh the memories!

Tried and true, this recipe!

2 Cups flour – good and full

4 tsp. heaping baking powder

¼ Cup Lard (yes lard - the real deal)

½ Cup Butter

2 Tbsp. full sugar

Salt - 1/2 tsp.

1 Cup milk – I’ve used buttermilk as well with good results

Mix dry ingredients and cut in the lard and butter.

Gradually mix in the milk with a spoon.

Spoon into ungreased tart tins and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush tops with melted butter - an important step for that special flavour!

Serve warm and topped with sweetened strawberries and vanilla ice-cream.

Makes approx. 1 dozen.

Bake till slightly browned 

and crispy.

Brush the melted butter on the hot

shortcakes to soften the tops

and make them taste extra good.

The official taste tester!

And then this happened today ... our little schnigglefritz graduated!

Milverton Nursery School 2018/2019

Well done ........... Noa!!!

Till next time ......... savouring the strawberries while they last and spending the day with our graduate.

Maple Surple Time

Spring is in the air.

We know this:

Because it's Maple Sugaring time!

One of our favourite producers

here in our neck of the maple woods!

Apparently this has been an exceptional year

 (due to the extra warm and long summer of 2018 and perfect mild days and frozen nights this Spring?).

Because the Stratford Swans have been "piped"

and marched down to the Avon River!

Guided to the water by their elderly "keeper". A wonderful annual Spring ritual!

Best Swan Parade viewing spot!

Because the Pussy Willows are in bloom!

The farmer picked a huge bouquet for me.

Because the chives have grown an inch in the last

two days!

Because there's an urge to make Mom's special Fett Kucha (donuts) to dunk into that sweet maple syrup!

(A Swiss Mennonite Easter traditional treat - at least it was in our family)

My sister's picture is below ... she has inherited Mom's good cooking genes!

Fett Kucha by Evelyn

Because Easter preparations are underway!

Onion skins are being collected to colour the "bunny eggs".

Dinner plans for the Easter Ham menu.

Family gathering plans.

Our hearts are being prepared for this very special upcoming Holy Week.

Because the butter lamb carving needs to be put on the to do list!

The 2017 Easter lamb!

and oh so many other signs of Spring!

Even though, the temperatures are still staying quite cool

and the weather forecaster has threatened more possible snow flurries on the way.

Till next time ...... how are your Easter preparations coming along? What are some of your family's traditions? Has Spring arrived where you are?

Glamping Breaky II

We have been enjoying our vacation in Florida!

Another great breakfast is pancakes,

especially with some fresh maple syrup we brought from home.

These cakes are so fluffy and yummy.

My sister Evelyn gave this recipe to me some time ago

and it's our favourite.

She calls it their cottage pancake recipe.

I mixed the dry ingredients at home so that only the 

egg, oil and milk needs adding to prepare.

Pancakes at the Cook’s Cottage

1¼ Cup sour milk (if no sour milk, substitute by putting a cap of vinegar into measured milk and let stand for 5 minutes).

1 Egg

2 Tbsp. oil

In separate bowl:

1 Cup Flour

1 Tbsp. Sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Mix well – add the sour milk and beat.  Let stand till thickened.

Pour onto well oiled hot pan or griddle.   This recipe makes approx. 7 pancakes.

Our little piece of heaven here at one 

of our favourite Florida State Parks.
Morning walks before breakfast couldn't be more pleasant!

Grayton Beach State Park

More about this to come ....

Till next time .... 

Bright Spot!

Here we are on the Winter Solstice,

the shortest day,

the longest night!

On this short, first day of Winter - I had a bright spot ...

She was here for the day and we had so much fun.

We baked her favourite "muffins" - they are very green, toddler friendly,

and she really likes them!

Found this great spinach and applesauce recipe here:

http://www.themamamodern.com/spinach-muffinstoddler-friendly/

I sometimes substitute a ripe banana instead for the applesauce - also approved by the wee one.

It makes 8-9 regular size muffins or 16 mini muffins (which is how I bake them).

Yep, a spot of bright sunshine on this short day ....

My heart is full.

Till next time ......... may all your Christmas wishes and dreams come true! God bless us all!

BOO!!

We had a wee afternoon Hallowe'en Party,

this sweet little unicorn and I!!!

(She is the pumpkin of my eye).

While the darling magical creature napped,

we baked some pumpkin muffins

in case there are any goblins tonight.

(thankfully homemade treats are still acceptable here in the country!)

Taste test!

Pumpkin Muffins

4 Eggs

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Oil

1/2 Cup melted butter

1 ¾ Cups pumpkin

3 Cups all purpose Flour

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

½ Cup raisins

1/2 Cup Butterscotch chipits

Frost if you wish - I used a brown sugar icing this time.

Beat eggs; add sugar, oil, pumpkin and beat.  Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Stir in raisins and chipits.

Fill muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

This makes 24 muffins.

Grammie, what a big nose you have!!!!

Twinkle, twinkle little love!