Happy Canada Day!

Canada Day is starting off a bit soggy today.....

However, we need the rain and with all the

hot and humid weather of late,

the crops and gardens have been flourishing

and growing by leaps and bounds!

It's the perfect day to chillax on

the deck with a banana cupcake and a glass of milk....

I love long weekends!

And, I think I finally found the banana cupcake

recipe that works for me.....

It's a "Taste of Home" recipe

The only thing I changed was the frosting.

I used my mom's old fashioned 

brown sugar icing.

BTW - perhaps the trick to getting this recipe to work

might be that half way through mixing the batter,

I remembered that I was to take a snack to the church

for the morning Vacation Bible School children?

I turned off the preheating oven, covered up the half mixed batter,

grabbed the cheese and whisked off to deliver it.

1 hour later I returned to my cupcake task

and it turned out great, 

in spite of me.

The cupcakes baked

nice and rounded and didn't drop while cooling.

I think I'll keep

this recipe....

Here is the "Easy Brown Sugar Icing" recipe - it's yummy on any kind of cake or cupcake!

Easy Brown Sugar Icing

1 Cup packed Brown Sugar

¼ Cup milk - I used coffee cream

½ Cup butter

1 ¾ Cups Icing Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

Melt butter and add the brown sugar.  Cook over low heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Add milk and continue stirring until mixture comes to a full boil.  Remove from heat, cool slightly and then add the vanilla and  icing sugar– mix with electric beater till smooth - add more or less icing sugar as needed until the right consistency to spread. Spread on cake immediately while the icing is still warm.

Till next time ............ Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends and family. We are truly blessed to live in this great country!

Peony Experiment

A few weeks ago I read about how 

you can pick Peony buds, wrap them in newspaper

and keep them in the fridge for up to two weeks!!!

This was mentioned on a comment from

"Just A Little Something from Judy"

on Lovella's "What Matters Most" blog post.

We had an event coming up for which I wanted to use

some of these flowers, so I decided to 

give this a try.

June 16 - picked some buds.

Wrapped and refrigerated - so nice to have the garage fridge for this!

June 20 - unwrapped and put into water.

June 21

June 22 - beautiful and fragrant.

June 24 - fully opened!

This process totally amazed me.

It was so wonderful to see how even the leaves

came back to life after just a few hours

of being rehydrated!

I wonder ... could I have kept them this way for another week? 

Next time I'll have to try, but it will have to wait till next year

since all the Peonies have bloomed and are past their prime

as a result of our hot and humid weather these last few days!

That was fun ....

Till next time ..... enjoying the scents and beauty of these lovely flowers that have been growing here on this farm for more than 5 decades!!

Moon Flowers and Packages

It's Moon Flower time again!!!

We just had a stormy day here in SW Ontario

and the wind is still brisk

but, right on time - the moon flowers

opened their bright faces to shine through the night.

Here is the link of tonight's action:

http://youtu.be/JmIxqCZz0RE

Tonight was special in another way too....

some love came in a package from Grande Prairie, Alberta via Canada Post!

A sweet package containing

some lovely Stella and Dot

jewellery and a beautiful

cookbook "oh she glows" by

Angela Liddon

with favourite recipes tagged.

I can't wait to try these.

Then.... the best little charm of all!!
How sweet is this!?

Thanks Becky and Patrick
You're the best!!!

Toaster Oven Bread

Did you get a Toaster Oven (or two)

as a wedding gift?

We did - 40 some years ago!

Ye old GE self cleaning Toast-R-Oven

It even has that 1970's Chrysler Woodie
Station Wagon look to it!

I haven't used it for yearsdecades but got to thinking,

this might be a handy little appliance for the RV trailer 

when we are hooked up to hydro at our campsite???

What could you make in a toaster oven you ask,

especially one that old???

How about some skillet/toasted bread!!

I have my mom's well seasoned 6" teeny cast iron skillet

and it fits perfectly into the Toaster Oven.

I remember my Dad using this little skillet to fry his daily morning egg!

The recipe I used made a lovely little loaf of round bread

that was crunchy and delicious - just the right size for two.

The perfect little loaf

to go with a warm cup of soup!

The farmer really liked it and we gobbled it up while it was still warm (slathered with butter of course).

Toaster Oven Bread

1 Cup Flour plus another 1/2 Cup for kneading

1/2 tsp. yeast

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 Cup less a Tbsp. of hot water

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Warm the skillet on a hot burner for 30 seconds,

remove and add the Olive oil - set aside

Mix 1 Cup flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a small bowl.

Add the hot water and mix till flour is thick and sticky.

Turn out the dough onto a well floured surface, sprinkle

with flour and knead till no longer sticky.

Flatten dough ball to the size of the skillet and put it into the

oiled skillet - turn over so both sides are oiled, cover with Tea Towel and let stand for 20 minutes till slightly risen.

Preheat the Toaster Oven to 375F

Gently turn the dough over once again in the skillet and cook

over low to medium heat on the stove top for approx. 8 minutes or until the bottom has browned nicely (check by lifting gently with a fork or spatula).

Remove from stove top and pop it into the 

preheated Toaster Oven for another 5-10 minutes till the top

is nicely browned.

Remove and let cool - slice and enjoy!

Hmmmm - what else could I make in this vintage appliance?

Till next time ........perhaps a small Coffee Cake??  Do you have some favourite Toaster Oven recipes?

Seeding's Done

Seeds are in the ground,

both the fields

and the vegetable garden!
Better late than never....

June Flowers are blooming!

Bachelor Buttons always bloom

in time for the

Stratford Festival Opening Night!

Allium - always a favourite.

Parrot Tulips finally 
showing their beauty!













So the farmer came in from the field, 
dusted off his camping shoes
and off we went to try out our
little Escape for it's "maiden voyage"
to MacGregor Point
After all, it's Bird watching week there!

What a great time we had
with our friends
even though the farmer
had to return home for one of the
days to finishing "packing" 
the bean fields.

We discovered that 
the Spring Woodland Flowers
were blooming too.

And the birdwatchers were
everywhere!!!









Needless to say,
we had a wonderful first time out with our RV trailer 
and on the last evening, 
we set the sun whilst lounging on the solar heated rocks on the 
beautiful shore of Lake Huron!!!

I think I'm going to like camping glamping like never before.

Till next time ........... the rhubarb is growing like crazy and I can't wait to see the seeds popping their lovely heads in the garden....

Kit 'n Kaboodle

This weekend,we discovered a wonderful family
that has been practically living in our back yard
for the past approx. 5-6 weeks!

The farmer rigged up a "blind" on our old
garden arbour and we were able to get some
great shots of these little fox kits.

So far we've counted 5 kits.


Here is a video clip we took last evening.

Watch closely near the end

and in the background to see mamma fox

flying in ....



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQm5IgvISe8&feature=em-upload_owner

What a privilege to witness this

playfulness....

Guess what we'll be doing over the next little while?

Aren't they so cute??

Till next time ......... Happy Victoria Day.   And to my friends South of the border - have a wonderful week!!!

Lemons in a Bottle

Some time ago

I was privileged to attend an Italian

cooking school class

and had a taste of Homemade Limoncello.

I was inspired to try to make my own

and today was the day to bottled it.

It's in the freezer ...

...so bring on Summa'

Can't wait to try some of this lemony goodness - maybe this

coming long weekend?

Here is the recipe I used:

15 lemons - thick skinned and scrubbed/washed

2 750 ml. bottles Vodka

4 Cups sugar

5 Cups filtered water

Zest the lemons (I used my vegetable peeler) being careful there is no white pith on the peel. Place the peel into a large glass jar. Add the vodka, put lid on jar and let it "steep" at room temperature for at least 10 to 40 days (in cool dark place). I set the jar in my basement. Now the challenge is to know what to do with the peeled lemons!? I juiced them and froze the juice for future lemon-aid or maybe a lemon pie or two!!

After the 10-40 day period, make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan. Boil gently for 5-7 minutes. Cool the syrup before adding it to the Limoncello mixture. Cover the jar again and allow this mixture to rest for another 10-40 days. 

After the rest period, strain the Limoncello through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth or a moistened coffee filter. Discard the lemon peel. Pour the Limoncello into glass bottles, seal tightly and store in your freezer.
Serve ice cold from the freezer in frozen shot glasses or on the rocks. A nice little treat after a great meal. This liqueur can also be used in mixed drinks or spritzers.

Do you have anything special planned

for this upcoming long weekend?

Till next time ......enjoying this long awaited Spring of 2014!!

Braised Red Cabbage

I have a spare fridge in the garage

(which I LOVE having, by the way) and

there was a beautiful Red Cabbage out

there that I had almost forgotten

about till the other night we were 

served this delicious power food with

our meal at a local restaurant.

We love cabbage in most any form,

slaw, Nappa cabbage salad, cabbage rolls,

red, green, cooked, braised, etc.

This is how I cook

this versatile red beauty:

1/2 Red Cabbage - quartered and chopped

1/2 Onion - chopped

1 apple peeled and diced - optional

2 cloves garlic - crushed and chopped

1/8 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 tsp. caraway seeds - optional

Squeeze of lemon juice - 1 Tbsp.

3/4 Cup chicken broth

3 Tbsp. vinegar

3 Tbsp. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in sauce pan. Add and sauté/sweat

the onion and garlic over medium heat till

softened.

Add in the cabbage, lemon and caraway - toss and 

cook till cabbage has wilted - approx. 5 min.

Add the broth, apple, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Cover and reduce heat to low - simmer for approx. 15

minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve warm as a side dish to your

favourite meal.

I "googled" the health benefits

of Red Cabbage (click on this link) and this is 

what I learned!

#2 is my favourite:

 It is a brain food!

"It is full of vitamin K and anthocyanins that help with mental function and concentration. These nutrients also prevent nerve damage, improving your defense against Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Red cabbage has the highest amount of these power nutrients."

I need all the help I can get!!!

Schnitzel, Noodles and Red Cabbage

Till next time ..... what's your favourite brain food?

Stalking the Wild Leeks

Every Spring my dad would go back to 

the "home farm" where he grew up

and find his favourite patch of wild leeks!

Those pungent smelling,

full flavoured "bush onions" or "ramps"
as they are sometimes called.

He loved to eat them raw, wrapped in

a buttered slice of fresh bread.

These potent little bulbs are known to

hold powerful medicinal properties,

but,

the lingering odour is very real!!!

It's a beautiful thing!

The dog tooth violets are blooming too - so pretty!

It was a great day to stalk through the bush
and see it come alive!

Here's to good health!!!

Till next time - I'll let you know how the smelly healthy soup turns out.....

Canning for RVing

Look who came out to play!!!

We are getting so excited to finally start

using our little Escape Trailer.

Our "maiden voyage" is planned

3 weeks hence

and we're getting ready.

Spring is coming - slow but sure.
I can almost hear the rhubarb growing...

The Lady's Mantle
doesn't seem to mind
all this rain we've 
been having.

Always the first to bloom
is this old fashioned
lung wort from my
friend Ruth!
















So back to camping...

In preparation for this summer's
fun I've been starting to gather
things for the trailer and thinking
about food preparations.
It's been SO long since we've done
any camping and that was usually in a 
tent, with a canoe and primitive
cooking utensils.

Because of the convenience of having
canned foods I got busy this weekend
and canned some pork sausage to take
with us on the road.

Have you ever home canned meat?

My mom always canned pork sausage,

beef chunks and whole chickens.

Freezer space was at a premium back in the day
for a family of 10

and home canned meat was a delicious

and convenient alternative to frozen meat.

I have read many recipes on Google

which all say you must use a pressure cooker 

in order for safely canning meat.

I'm positive that my mom did not have

a pressure cooker and no one ever

got sick from eating her delicious canned meats.

However, this may be a concern and I just
may have to invest in a pressure cooker 
for future meat canning.

I simply cold packed some

sterilized jars with the

smoked sausage (if using

fresh unsmoked - it's best to

fry it or bake it in the oven for a bit)

Once the jars were packed

I put some sterilized and warm

snap lids on and

placed them in the canner

that was filled with cold water.

Steam jars for 2 hours (start timing after water comes to a full boil).  Note – 10 lbs. unlinked bulk sausage makes 7 quart jars which fits nicely into a canner.

I actually did up approx. 14 lbs. into 7 pint size jars - perfect size

 for two hungry campers,

plus 4 quart jars for larger

quantities.

After letting the jars cool

slightly and checking that

they have sealed,

I turned them upside down

to ensure the meat is

perfectly sealed in it's own

juices and fat.

To serve, simply remove the sausages and their juices from the jar and heat in a frying pan or brown on the bbq – it’s fast, easy and delicious.  I always discard the lard that forms in the jar but mother would save this fat for making her homemade soap.  

I have used this method for Chicken and Beef as well - increasing the processing time to 3 hours.

Label your jars with date of canning and try to use up within 12 to 18 months.

My SIL Pat has canned salmon, moose and venison

meats this way with great success as well. 

My brother is an avid hunter and fisherman

and she is a great and adventurous cook.

Till next time ............. do you like to camp and what are your favourite camping meals?