Mum in Bloom ~

Peanut Butter-Granola Balls

2011-04-22T06:51:00.000-05:00

When you need a quick snack for the kids or are just craving something sweet, these granola balls are perfect. Made with honey and natural peanut butter, they're a better alternative than Krispie squares made with marshmallows. I love how sweet they are and the peanut butter taste isn't overwhelming.

They come together quickly as the ingredients are heated on the stove, then blended, scooped onto a baking sheet, and cooled in the fridge for 15min. These would be perfect on a hot summer day when you don't feel like putting the stove on. This recipe doubles nicely as well.

PEANUT BUTTER-GRANOLA BALLS
from Everyday Food Magazine, April 2007

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup crisp rice cereal (I use Nature's Path Rice Puffs)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup dried fruit (I've used raisins or dried apricots sliced into small pieces)

In a small saucepan over medium, heat honey, peanut butter, and butter. Stir until loosened and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cereal, oats, and dried fruit.

Drop mixture by the tablespoon into mini paper cupcake or candy liners (I scoop them by Tablespoonful onto a baking sheet lined with Silpat). Place on a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Frugal Fridays over at Life As Mom and Family Friendly Fridays over at Mommie Cooks!

Enjoy!

from the book "Little Verses, A Big Golden Book"
by Miriam Clark Potter
pictures by Mary Blair
1953, Golden Press Inc.

Cod Chowder

2011-04-15T06:41:00.000-05:00

We love seafood chowder and it's a quick dinner to make. Once you're done chopping the cod into chunks it takes no time at all. This would be easy to assemble your ingredients the night before, then prepare it quickly after work.

COD CHOWDER
from Whole Foods Market Website

3 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons flour
1 pound red boiling potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch dice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I use homemade)
2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound frozen cod, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup half-and-half, heated

Heat a heavy pot over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the crispy bits and reserve, leaving the fat in the pot.

Add the onion, celery, thyme and bay leaf to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes.

Add the potatoes, chicken broth and clam juice and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender yet still firm, 5 to 7 minutes.

Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the cod and corn. Do not stir. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and allow the chowder to sit for 10 minutes (the fish will finish cooking during this time).

Return chowder to heat and stir in the cream, gently to avoid breaking the fish into small pieces. Season to taste. Bring chowder to serving temperature over gentle heat, uncovered. Sprinkle reserved crisped bacon on top and serve with a side salad of baby mixed greens.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Family Friendly Fridays over at Mommie Cooks!

Enjoy!

from "Little Verses" a Big Golden Book
by Miriam Clark Potter
pictures by Mary Blair
1953, Golden Press New York

Sharing a Morning Laugh ~

2011-04-06T08:09:00.001-05:00

You ever wake-up in the morning feeling a little "snarley" (is that even a word?)? Well, I did this morning. Not to worry my lovelies, I'm on my second cup of coffee and coming around now ;o)

I had to share a hilarious post, that had me burst out laughing and almost choke on my morning 'cuppa brew This Old House 2: Rude

Oh and while you're over at This Old House 2, take a peak at her gorgeous home...

Enjoy the Laugh!

Perfect Pancakes

2011-04-04T07:31:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love pancakes for breakfast? These pancakes are so good you can eat them plain. What makes these so special, is that they're very fluffy with a slightly sweet flavour. I love the hint of allspice added to the batter.

This recipe takes a couple extra steps, as the batter is folded into beaten egg whites. I usually make a huge batch of these, then freeze some for later. The pancakes are easily reheated in the toaster, which makes them slightly crispy.

PERFECT PANCAKES
from Family Circle Magazine, February 2009
Servings: sixteen 4-inch pancakes

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I replace 1/2 cup flour with whole wheat)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar (I use Stevia in the Raw)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Butter, maple or pancake syrup, and/or confectioner's sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees F and place a foil-lined baking sheet inside. Heat a griddle or large pan to medium heat.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and allspice. Separate eggs and whisk egg yolks in a small bowl with milk and oil.

Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Fold in egg whites in two additions until no white streaks remain.

Using a ladle, drop 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter onto heated griddle. Repeat, spacing pancakes at least 1 inch apart. Cook 1 minute or until bubbles in batter pop and remain open. Carefully flip pancakes and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Transfer pancakes to baking sheet in warm oven; repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with butter, syrup, and/or confectioner's sugar, if desired.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

Open House for Butterflies
by Ruth Krauss
Pictures by Maurice Sendak
1960, Harper & Row Publishers

Yogurt Made in the Slow Cooker

2011-03-11T07:30:00.002-06:00

It took me two years to try this recipe and it was one of the easiest things I've ever made. I have no idea why making yogurt in the slow cooker seemed so intimidating to me. Maybe I was afraid to waste 8 cups of milk if it didn't turn out? What I've come to find, is that it's difficult to mess this recipe up. It's only 7 steps!

This has worked so well that I'll be making yogurt in the slow cooker forever now. We love to try mixing in new things to flavour the yogurt. Our son loves it with honey, daughter a dash a vanilla, hubby loves it mixed with apple butter, I love it plain with granola on top, a mashed banana in it tastes delicious, your options are endless!

I used regular whole milk to make my yogurt and mixed it with Nancy's Plain Whole Yogurt which has pro-biotic cultures. Do not use milk that's be Ultra- High Paturized such as most Organic milks :( According to the comments on Shannon's blog, for lower fat yogurt, you could use fat-free half and half then strain it in a cheese cloth prior to putting it in containers to remove the extra whey. I will be doing this sometime, as I'd like to make yogurt for my mother-in-law who's on a perscribed low-fat diet ~~and will have a fit if I feed her fats~~.

The basic steps are ~

1) pour 8 cups milk into slow cooker,

2) heat on low for 2.5 hours (u want it to reach 180 degrees)

3) turn off slow cooker and cool for 3 hours with lid on,

4) take out 2 cups warm"ish" (or 110 degree) milk and mix with 1/2 cup yogurt,

5) pour milk/yogurt mix back into slow cooker and mix well

6) cover with towels and leave for 8-12 hours

7) refrigerate for 8 hours

CROCKPOT YOGURT recipe is from Nourishing Days Be sure to read the comments and recipe notes from her blog for more tips.

I also recommend to pop over to the Cleaner Plate Club's website and read Ali's hilarious post on yogurt making.

Happily submitted to Frugal Fridays over at Life As Mom and Family Friendly Fridays over at Mommie Cooks!

Enjoy!

from the "Girl Scout Handbook"

by Catharine C. Reiley,

illustrations by Eleanor Dart and Alison Cummings

1955, Girl Scouts of the United States of America

Mad Hungry: Flaky Buttery Biscuits

2011-03-04T07:01:00.000-06:00

This is my first year making sucessful biscuits and now I wonder what took me so long to figure it out? Biscuits are so easy because they don't require alot of fussing. Just throw them together, mix only until combined, plop them onto a baking sheet, put them in the oven and there you have it. Perfection. My failure at previous attempts was handling the dough way too much.

This has become our families favourite biscuit recipe. It is so easy to whip up a batch of these to have with our meals. The outside crust is flaky, yet firm, while the inside is so soft it melts in your mouth. Use any leftovers to make sandwiches the next day for lunch. I simply love these biscuits.

FLAKY BUTTERY BISCUITS
from the book Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys
Makes 12 small biscuits

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I use 1-1/2 cups spelt flour, 1/4 cup wheat germ)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter cut into small pieces
3/4 cup milk (see headnote)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Butter or line a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a fork or 2 table knives, combine the butter and flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Slowly add the milk, stirring with a fork, to the desired consistency.

For softer biscuits, drop 2 tablespoons of the dough onto the lined baking sheet. For firmer biscuits, turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and gently knead just to bring the dough together. Carefully roll out the dough about 3/4 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or sturdy glass, cut about 12 biscuits, rerolling any scraps. Place on the lined baking sheet.

(The biscuits can be frozen at this point. Freeze on the baking sheet, then remove to a resealable container or plastic bag for easier storage.) Bake the biscuits for 13 to 15 minutes (add 3 to 4 additional minutes for frozen ones), until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve warm.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Family Friendly Fridays over at Mommie Cooks! (today she shares how she made animal crackers from scratch!)

Enjoy!

Speaking of boys, this is one of our 4 year old son's favourite activities while Mum bakes. Place a scoop or two of flour on a baking sheet and let him run his cars through it. I keep a bag of cheap flour in the cupboard just for this activity. When he has a friend over, I give them each their own cookie sheet full of flour.

Azure Standard February Order

2011-02-28T06:48:00.002-06:00

Azure Standard now delivers to our area! This all-natural foods buying coop offers affordable prices on organic and natural goods. Living in the country, our choices for natural food and grocery items are very limited or very expensive. Having Azure deliver directly to our town is truely a blessing. I am not paid or told to write a review for Azure Standard, I just love them and soon you'll quickly understand why.

To have these grocery choices I would need to drive 40 minutes north and go store to store for the best prices, go to Whole Foods or shop the Farmer's Market's. While I will continue to shop the seasonal Farmer's Markets, I won't have to drive so far, take so much time, or spend so much for organic and natural items. In our town we have only two grocery stores, and one of them is Walmart.

My order total was $437.90 and below are photos of what I selected. Almost everything is organic, natural, or no spray/pesticide free. It's easy to order as you can shop online, by phone, by fax, or by mail. I loved that I could avoid dragging my kids to a grocery store, had the time to thoroughly research each product before I selected it, and add items all month to my cart online as I ran out.

Produce - organic yellow onions, organic russet potatoes, 10lbs of oranges no spray ($6.25), organic celery ($1.90/ea), 6-3lb bags of organic in-season apples ($1.90/ea).

Frozen ~ turkey bacon, brocolli, peas, grape juice, 12-1lbs. ground turkey ($52.75), 3 butter brittle ice cream.

Dry Goods ~ 10lbs. spelt flour ($15.40), 5lbs coconut sugar ($24.95), 5lbs. oats ($4.50), coconut oil (click here for a great article on Simple Organic on The Wonders of Coconut Oil), olive oil, root beer, sprouted burger buns, peanut butter, 4 bottles dijon mustard, ground mustard, 3 boxes cereal, 2 packages cereal, 4 boxes crackers, maple syrup, horseradish, 1 can olives, 3 cans diced tomatoes, 1 package Stevita sweetener packets, dog food.

Dairy ~ extra sharp cheddar cheese, 2 packages cream cheese, whipped butter, heavy cream, half & half, swiss cheese, feta cheese, 2 tubs sour cream, yogurt.

General Merchandise ~ 2 bottles coconut shampoo, 2 bottles coconut conditioner, Dr. Bronner's magic hair cream, lotion with SPF 18, Dr. Bronner's castile soap.

Want to find out if Azure Standard delivers to your area? Simply contact them by phone 541-467-2230 or email info@azurestandard.com. There's no cost to join, and you don't have to order every month or buy in bulk.

Last month I drove 30 minutes to our closest drop point to pick-up our order and asked the driver if he'd consider delivering to our area. He had his wife contact me to work out the details, he located a good spot to drop the orders to our town, and now they deliver here!

Happily submitted to ~
Gratituesday over at Heavenly Homemakers.
Works for Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family.

Enjoy!

What did you do today? Girl Scouts 2011

2011-02-22T18:03:00.000-06:00

Happy World Thinking Day 2011!

Pistachio-Crusted Pork Chops

2011-02-21T07:18:00.000-06:00

Look what my sweetie got for a special Valentine's meal. He loves breaded pork chops and pistachios, so this was a sure way to warm his heart. These pork chops are seared on the stove top then transferred to a cookie sheet to complete so the breading stays on. I served this with a side of Tomatoe Basil Soup (made using canned tomatoes as they're not in season), and Baked Potatoes.

PISTACHIO-CRUSTED PORK CHOPS
from Rachael Ray

1/2 cup shelled pistachios (this takes time so I'd do it the day before)
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Salt
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I put half filled with wheat germ)
Pepper
Four 1-inch-thick pork chops
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 400°. Using a food processor, finely grind the nuts, garlic, lemon peel and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a shallow bowl; whisk in the breadcrumbs.

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Dip each chop into the egg, then coat with the nut mixture; transfer to a baking sheet.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chops and cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side; return to the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 140°, about 20 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Mouthwatering Mondays over at A Southern Fairy Tale

Enjoy!

from the book "House and Home Papers"

by Christopher Crowfield

Ticknor and Felds, 1865

"'The lady who does her own work'"

America is the only country where such a title is possible, — the only country where there is a class of women who may be described as ladies who do their own work. By a lady we mean a woman of education, cultivation, and refinement, of liberal tastes and ideas, who, without any very material additions or changes, would be recognized as a lady in any circle of the Old World or the New.

What I have said is, that the existence of such a class is a fact peculiar to American society, a clear, plain result of the new principles involved in the doctrine of universal equality.

How to Make Cheese

2011-02-19T10:08:00.000-06:00

I think I'm ready to make cheese now. This guy is hilarious! Who knew it was so simple to make?

Enjoy!

I just ordered these gorgeous prints from Nova Scotia artist, Shelagh Duffet (aka "Alice in Paris").

I can't wait to hang them in my kitchen!

Indian Hand Pies with Lamb

2011-02-14T06:19:00.000-06:00

We've drastically cut back on the red meat that we consume, so I've decided to start experimenting with ground lamb. I wasn't sure what the kids would think of lamb, so I first tried it in these hand pies. Everyone loved them! They were so easy to make and I made enough to freeze some for later. I served these with mashed sweet potatoes and we dipped these in a homemade chutney that my friend gave me (wow! was that ever good!).

INDIAN HAND PIES WITH LAMB
Family Fun Magazine, Feb 2011

1 pound lean ground lamb
1/3 cup chicken broth (homemade is best, I used about 1 cup of broth)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 small onion, minced
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium russet potato, diced into ¼-inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1 egg beaten and seasoned with 3/4 tablespoon sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 (9-inch) refrigerated pie shells or 2 pounds pizza dough (I used bread machine pizza dough, you'll need double the recipe to have enough for these hand pies)
Egg wash (an egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water)

In a large, nonstick skillet over high heat, sauté the lamb until it's no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Pour away the rendered fat, then add the broth, all the spices, and the onion, herbs, ginger, garlic, and potato. Simmer until the potato is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peas. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and let it cool for 20 minutes. Stir in the seasoned egg until evenly blended.

Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the pie or pizza dough into twelve 6-inch rounds. Divide the filling evenly among the dough portions (about 1/3 cup per pie), making a mound in the center of each round. Brush the edges with the egg wash, then fold each pie in half and crimp its edges.

Place the pies on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash and make a 1/2-inch-long slit in the top of each one. Bake the pies until they're golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with your favorite mint or fruit chutney.

Tips: To save your pies for another meal, freeze them unbaked on a cookie sheet, then bag them up. Bake them as instructed in step 3, adding 10 extra minutes.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

These are game pieces from a Lottino game I purchased at a thrift shop for 50 cents.

I love the colours!

Braised Pork and Apple Stew

2011-02-11T06:29:00.001-06:00

This tastey stew is perfect for a snowy day, and comes together very quickly. I loved the added flavouring of the mustard. The apples didn't stay firm, but I think it's because I didn't use Gala apples as called for in the recipe.

BRAISED PORK AND APPLE STEW
from Woman's Day Magazine, Feb 2008

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb), cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks
1/4 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth (homemade is best)
2 Gala apples, cored and each cut into 8 wedges
8 very small red potatoes, halved
1 cup baby carrots
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 Tbsp honey-Dijon mustard

Heat oil in 5- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. While oil heats, sprinkle pork with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Cook pork 4 minutes until browned, turning once; remove to a plate.

Add broth, apples, potatoes, carrots and thyme to pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Stir in pork and mustard. Cover and simmer 4 to 5 minutes, or until pork is just cooked through.

Printable Recipe

Happily shared on Family Friendly Fridays over at Mommy Cooks! (go have a look at the yummy caramel apple cake she made today.. mmmm)

Enjoy!

from "The Book of Knowledge, The Children's Encyclopedia"
1954, The Grolier Society, Inc.

From Scratch: Seafood Cocktail Sauce

2011-02-06T17:30:00.001-06:00

All right everyone. I thought it timely to post this recipe now. You've decided to host the Super Bowl party and attempt to make everything from scratch. You've planned it all and made most of it ahead of time.. then someone shows up with a shrimp tray and no seafood sauce. Oh no! What's seafood sauce made of anyway?

Don't worry, I have the recipe right here and it tastes a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

SEAFOOD COCKTAIL SAUCE
from http://www.fishex.com/

3/4 cup Chili sauce
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Horseradish
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp grated Onion
dash of bottled Pepper Sauce (we use Kikoman Hot Sauce)

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Add salt to taste. Chill. Makes 1 1/4 cup sauce.

Yup, that's it. Now go enjoy the game!

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

Mad Hungry: Sour Cream Waffles

2011-02-02T10:07:00.000-06:00

This is my year for discovering waffles. Our waffle maker was a gift for my husband as I was convinced I simply could not make them. One look at a recipe and I'd automatically think I couldn't do it.. why does batter need to rest anyway? It seemed too complicated.. until I tried it. Boy, was I wrong.

Waffles are so easy! I'm exploring lots of recipes and this is one I really like to make. You'll get about 5 waffles from the batter. I place them in a slightly warmed oven as I make them, then call everyone to the table to enjoy. This keeps them crisp and warm.

These are great for making ahead as they freeze so well. I simply make a batch, cool them on a rack, then place them in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer. I reheat these in the toaster which makes them crisp again.

Now about the wonderful cookbook I got the recipe from, Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys. I've been enjoying Lucinda's show, by the same name, and couldn't wait to get the book. It's full of gorgeous photos and simple recipes.

These waffles are delicious with a dominant egg flavour as there are 5 eggs in the batter. The taste reminds me of french toast and thy're not too sweet.

Watch Lucinda make these waffles here on her show. Below is the recipe and I've linked the products which I order from Azure Standard.

SOUR CREAM WAFFLES
from Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys

5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar (I use Stevia in the Raw )
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, cinnamon, or cardamom
1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
vegetable oil or extra melted butter, for the waffle iron
1 cup berries, fresh or frozen and heated before serving

Beat the eggs and sugar together for 5 to 8 minutes. When the beater is lifted, it should trail a ribbon of batter.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and spice. With a spoon, alternately fold into the batter half of the flour mixture. the sour cream, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Lightly stir in the melted butter. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.

Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned waffle iron to medium high. Brush lightly with oil or melted butter. Pour in 1 1/4 cups batter and cook until golden, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side for a stovetop waffle iron. An electric waffle iron will beep when ready. Serve with fresh berries or berry sauce on top.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Sour Cream Waffles - Martha Stewart Recipes

Happily submitted to Good (& Cheap) Eats link-up for What's On Your Plate?

Enjoy!

from Best in Children's Books

1961 Nelson Doubleday, Inc.

"The True Book of Health"

by Olive V. Haynes, R.N.

illustrated by Harvey Weiss

Pumpkin, Barley, and Sage Soup

2011-01-11T07:02:00.000-06:00

What a lovely soup for a snowy day. This flavourful soup comes together quickly and is perfect for a weeknight meal. The spicey andouille sausage gives it some kick, but if you prefer a milder taste, sweet italian sausage could be used. I replaced the water and bouillion cubes with homemade chicken broth.

PUMPKIN, BARLEY, AND SAGE SOUP
Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, October 2010
8 oz. cooked andouille or smoked sausage links, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh sage
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup quick-cooking barley (I used pearl barley)
1 tsp. instant chicken bouillon granules (I used homemade chicken broth)
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

In 4-quart pot or Dutch oven cook sausage, onion and sage in hot oil over medium heat 3 minutes, stirring often. Add barley, 4 cups water (or chicken broth), and bouillon granules. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in pumpkin, maple syrup, and vinegar; heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

Happily submitted to Tastey Tuesdays now over at 33 Shades of Green, you'll be so inspired by this lovely blog!

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

~Look at the gorgeous kitchen~

from the book "The Book of Knowledge, The Children's Encyclopedia"

1954, The Grolier Society

I found this 21 book set in our community recycle bin!

The Girl Scout Cookies are Here!

2011-01-08T15:59:00.000-06:00

Always Buy Cookies from Girl Scouts!

2011-01-07T15:10:00.000-06:00

Turkey-Thyme Meatloaf Patties with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2011-01-06T06:45:00.001-06:00

These turkey patties are stuffed wtih fresh herbs, served with nutritious mashed potatoes and topped with a spicey gravey with citrus. My family loved this dinner. I'm going to make a bunch of these and freeze them for future meals. This is sure to become a staple meal at our house!

TURKEY-THYME MEATLOAF PATTIES
with MASHED SWEET POTATOES
from Rachael Ray Magazine

Mashed Potatoes
4 large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds), peeled and thickly sliced
1 to 1-1/4 cups chicken broth (try homemade)
Salt

Turkey-Thyme Meatloaf Patties
1-1/4 pounds ground turkey
Pepper
2/3 cup breadcrumbs (a couple of generous handfuls)
2 scallions, white and green parts only, finely chopped (I used green onions)
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful) (I used regular parsley)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 large egg
1 teaspoon whole milk or half-and-half
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Gravey
2 tablespoons butter
1 small red onion or 1 large shallot, chopped
Juice of 1 orange plus 2 teaspoons grated peel
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

In a deep pot, add the sweet potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

While the potatoes are working, in a bowl, season the turkey with salt and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs, scallions, parsley and thyme. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk; mix into the turkey mixture. Shape the meat into 4 oval patties about 1 inch thick. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until browned, about 15 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the orange peel and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour on the red onion and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in 3/4 cup chicken broth and the orange juice; cook until thickened, 30 seconds. Whisk in 2 tablespoons brown sugar, the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Mash the potatoes with 1 to 1 1/4 cups chicken broth. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar; season with salt and pepper. Serve with the turkey patties and the gravy on top.

Printable Recipe

Happily Submitted to Prairie Story's Recipe Swap Thursday and Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life As Mom.

Enjoy!

from "Fact and Story Readers, Book One"

by Henry Suzzallo

illustrated by Ruth M. Hallock and Others

1930, American Book Company

I purchased this from a thrift shop for $2.00.

Menu Plan - January 2011

2011-01-04T09:48:00.001-06:00

Whew! Are the holidays over yet? Is it me, or did Christmas come way too fast this year? I only got half of my Christmas cards out and felt disorganized most of the holiday season. I did have some success as almost everyone on my to-bake-for-list received homemade Cinnamon Buns though.

We also ate very well during the holidays. I was able to whip up healthful meals at a moment's notice as I'm becoming a skilled cook and tend to have a well stocked pantry. I guess all this practice cooking-from-scratch for the last 2 years is starting to pay off :)

One of my goals for the New Year is to become better organinzed. To start, I spent Sunday planning our meals for the month of January. Although it took me most of the day, it was worth every minute.

I began by selecting all the recipes I needed for the month and put them together in one folder. I even scanned and printed those cookbook recipes I was using so I'd have them ready in the same folder.

When I purchased our groceries for the month, it only took 45 minutes to shop and totalled only $177.00. Not bad at all!

Below is our January Meal Plan. I couldn't find any meal plan templates that I liked online, so I created my own in Microsoft Word. I didn't include many breakfast options as we tend to eat oatmeal in the mornings or plain yogurt with homemade granola. For lunch, we eat leftovers or sandwhiches.

Slow Cooker Meals
Spicy Vegetable Chili
Vegetable Pork Soup
Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings

Freezer Meals
Lasagna (back of the box recipe)
Tarragon Chicken
Savoury Chicken Pot Pies with Cream Cheese Pastry Dough
Pumpkin Waffles
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Whole Wheat Individual Pizza Dough

Soups
Curried Sweet Potatoe Soup
Pumpkin Barley & Sage Soup
Split Pea Soup with Barley

Chicken
Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Tuna
Lemon-Dill Tuna Salad

Pork
Pistachio Crusted Pork Chops

Turkey
Turkey-Thyme Meatloaf Patties

Shrimp
Shrimp Curry

Side Dishes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Steel-Cut Oats “Polenta”

Baking
Anytime Oatmeal Cookies
Fresh Apple Cake
Buttermilk Pudding
Banana Blueberry Muffins

Happily submitted to:

Menu Plan Monday over at the OrgJunkie
Works for Me Wednesday over at We are THAT Family
The Pantry Challenge over at Life As Mom

Enjoy!

from "The Golden Book of Little Verses"

by Miriam Clark Potter

Pictures by Mary Blair

1953, Golden Press Inc.

This was my husband's book when he was a boy.

Clone of a Cinnabon (Bread Machine)

2010-12-20T08:36:00.000-06:00

Yes, isn't it great when you can use your bread machine! My back went out last week (it happens to the best of us) and I needed to find a way to get multiple gifts from the kitchen out the door. These cinnamon rolls are a great way to bake for many, as each batch makes 15-18 rolls. Who wouldn't love to receive these beauties?

So far, I've made 6 batches and the recipe has been sucessful each time. To help my back out, now I roll them out on my glass top stove which actually works out great! Amy over at New Nostalgia inspired me to make this wonderful recipe (go have a peak at her gorgeous kitchen).

CLONE OF A CINNABON
from Allrecipes.com

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) (warm in microwave 45 sec)
2 eggs, room temperature (put them in glass of warm water 30 sec to bring to temp)
1/3 cup margarine, melted (I used unsalted butter)
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar (I used Stevia in the Raw)
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (I used Saigon Cinnamon)
1/3 cup butter, softened

Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from the book "Tell Me About Christmas"

by Mary Alice Jones

illustrated by Marjorie Cooper

1958 Rand McNally & Company

Simpler Times

2010-12-13T09:22:00.000-06:00

*Sigh* It's been so busy lately. I think this is what's called the "Christmas Rush". This week I'll be baking lots and will have ooodles of delicious recipes to share soon. For now, let's curl up by the fire and relax. Ahh, simpler times indeed.

Enjoy~

from the book "Tell Me About Christmas"

by Mary Alice Jones

Illustrated by Marjorie Cooper

1958, Rand McNally & Company

This book was my Mum's :)

Thai Chicken Soup

2010-12-10T06:43:00.000-06:00

My husband and I loved this Thai Chicken Soup from Food Network Magazine. I couldn't wait to make it as it was so different from usual comfort food, yet very hearty. This cconut-curry soup is packed full of flavours. It wasn't so spicey that you were breaking out in a sweat, which is the way I like it, but my husband prefers to have his mouth on fire with Thai food. Our kids found it a bit spicey for their tastes, but they still ate it.

THAI CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE
from Food Network Magazine, Nov 2010

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons green curry paste
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more to taste
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
4 ounces thin rice noodles, broken into pieces
2 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), very thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk and fish sauce; cover and bring to a boil.

Add the bell peppers and noodles and simmer, uncovered, until the noodles are al dente, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer until just cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add more fish sauce and lime juice, if desired.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Family Friendly Fridays at Mommie Cooks!

Enjoy!

from "The How and Why Wonder Book of Our Earth"

by Felix Sutton

Illustrated by John Hull

1972 Grosset & Dunlap, Inc.

I bought this lovely book at an auction.

Fruit Salad with Plum, Madarin, Kiwi & Banana

2010-12-07T07:08:00.000-06:00

Tired of the cold grey weather already? Christmas sweets and comforts foods got you down? Then make fruit salad! This is so simple and quick to make. Refresh yourself with a juicy salad that will brighten your day!

FRUIT SALAD
by Mum In Bloom

2 bananas
3 plums
3 kiwis
3 madarin oranges
lemon juice
sugar (or Truvia which is what I prefer)

Slice all the fruit into bite sized pieces, add a couple teaspoons of lemon (or lime or orange) juice, add sugar to taste and stir all together.

Yes, it's just that easy.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Tastey Tuesdays over at A Beautiful Mess.
Enjoy!

from the book "The Rainbow Dictionary"

by Wendell W. Wright, PH.D.

Asssited by Helene Laird

Illustrations by Joseph Low

1959 The World Publishing Company

I purchased this beautiful book at an auction for pennies!

HP ePrint "Happy Baby" Commercial Spot

2010-12-02T11:55:00.001-06:00

Who doesn't love this gorgeous commercial ;o) I just had to share it.
Enjoy!

Turkey Dumpling Stew

2010-12-01T07:12:00.000-06:00

Wouldn't it be nice to have this on a freezing-cold weeknight? Is it possible to make something like this after work? Sure it is! With a little planning and preparation, you could enjoy this fresh stew after a long day of work.

For the broth, prepare it in the slow cooker overnight or in the morning. Have your veggies chopped and ready to go for when you get home in the evening. If you have all your vegetables chopped and broth ready, this stew can be put together in 30 minutes start to finish. When you get home, simply heat-up the broth, throw the veggies in, prepare your dumplings, then throw them in and cook for 20 minutes. Voila! Your family will be in awe of your meal.

Leftover dumpling dough.

I baked this at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and had lovely biscuits to enjoy!

Now, let me tell you how wonderful this stew tastes! The dumplings were fluffy and packed full of fresh chopped herbs. The stew itself was a little bland but the dumplings really added a blast of flavour.

The dumplings after they were done cooking on top of the stew.

I've never made dumplings before and was very nevous to try. I was delighted with how they turned out. I think the key was not to handle the dough too much, have lots of flour on the parchment paper, and ensure the butter and buttermilk were very cold.

TURKEY DUMPLING STEW
from Food Network Magazine, November 2010

For the Broth~
1 leftover roasted turkey carcass
1 onion, quartered (I used yellow onion, skin on which makes a clear broth)
2 stalks celery, quartered crosswise (save the leaves for the dumplings)
3 carrots quartered crosswise (I didn't have any so skipped this)
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme (I just threw in some dried thyme)

Pull the turkey carcass apart into smaller pieces; set the meat aside. Put the bones in a large, deep pot and add cold water to cover, 4 to 5 quarts. (I used my slow cooker.) Add the onion, celery, carrots and the bay leaf. Tie the parsley and the thyme together with twine and add to the put, then cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. (I put mine on in the slow cooker in the morning and it was done when I got home.) Uncover, reduce the heat to medium low and cook 3 to 4 hours.

Remove the bones and vegetable with a skimmer and discard, then strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer. Return the stock to the pot and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half, 30 to 40 minutes (you'll have about 8 cups of stock). (I didn't do this last step.)

For the Dumplings~
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 cup minces mixed fresh herbs and celery leaves (I used parsley, rosemary, basil)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1-1/2 cups cold buttermilk

Whisk the flour, herb mixture, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until sandy. Stir in the buttermilk. Turn out onto a floured piece of parchment paper. Pat into 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut the dough into rough 2-inch squares with a large knife.

For the Stew~
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 shallots, minced (I used 1 white onion, finely chopped)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 to 4 cups shredded turkey meat
6 carrots thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Chopped fresh chves, for topping

Melt the buttter in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Add the shallots (or onion) and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually add the stock, stirring, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sliced carrots and parsnips, cover and cook 5 minutes.

Stir in the turkey meat, lemon juice and green beans. Add the dumplings in a single layer. Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls, top with chives.

Printable Copy

Happily submitted to Tastey Tuesdays over at A Beautiful Mess...(go have a look at this gorgeous blog)..

Enjoy!

from the book "Young Lucretia: and other stories"

by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

1892, by Harper & Brothers

A PARSNIP STEW

Ruth stood by with a dish and spoon, while her mother stirred the stew carefully to be sure that it was not burning on the bottom of the kettle. Her sister Serena was paring apples and playing with the cat, and her father and her uncles Caleb and Silas sat before the fire smoking, sniffing the stew, and watching solemnly. The uncles had just come in, and proposed staying to dinner.

Mrs. Whitman squinted anxiously at the stew as she stirred it. She feared that there was not enough for dinner, now there were two more to eat.

"I'm dreadful afraid there ain't enough of that stew to go round," she whispered to Ruth in the pantry.

"Oh, I guess it '11 do," said Ruth.

"Well, I dun know about it. Your father an' Caleb an' Silas are dreadful fond of parsnip stew, an' I do hate to have 'em stinted."

Recipe Ideas for Leftovers

2010-11-26T09:17:00.000-06:00

Painting by Alice in Paris, she's having a sale today!

I'm sure we're all surfing the internet today for recipes to use up our leftovers.

Here are a few I'd like to try:
Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole from Brown-Eyed Baker
Pilgrim Roll Ups from Ma What's for Dinner?
Turkey and Stuffing Cakes from Kraft Canada (use leftover stuffing, these are fantastic!)
Morning-After Cranberry Sauce Muffins from Serious Eats
Crunchy Pear & Celery Salad from Eating Well (great way to use up all the extra celery you chopped!)
Mixed Bean Salad from Martha and Me (use up those leftover green beans)
Pierogi with Potatoe Filling from Sweet Almond Tree
Too Much Pumpkin? from New Nostalgia

Enjoy!

Our Thanksgiving Day Menu & Prayer

2010-11-24T10:10:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Here's what we're serving tomorrow.

Oven Roasted 12lb Turkey with Sage Butter from Tyler Florence
Stuffing Casserole from Food Network website
Oyster Stuffing Casserole (my husband's recipe)
Mashed Sweet & Russet Potatoes with Herbs from Martha Stewart
Cranberry Sauce from Real Simple
Bean Salad (mother-in-law bringing)
Pumpkin Pie (mother-in-law bringing)
Apple Pie from Cooking Light Magazine

May you all have a blessed holiday :)
Enjoy!

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

Dear Father:

We thank You for the sunshine and for the rain and snow.

We thank You for the birds that sing and for the flowers that grow.

We thank You for the harvest, the good things gathered in,

The food that fills the farmer's barn, the storehouse, and the bin.

We thank Yon for our homes and for our friends so dear,

We thank You for our mothers and for our fathers' cheer.

To show You that we thank You, we will be kind and true,

And go with happy faces each day our work to do.

~Amen~

Amish Cook's Mystery Biscuits

2010-11-23T08:48:00.001-06:00

My mother is famous for her baking soda biscuits. Me, not so much. So what is one to do when you love them, but your mother lives thousands of miles away? You just gotta figure out how to do it on your own. So, I turned to my favourite Amish cookbook for a simple recipe for biscuits and found these beauties.

One of the key's to a fluffy biscuit is not to handle them too much. As these are made in muffin tins the handling is minimum. They have mayonnaise in them and the dough is very sticky. The center was soft and fluffy with a perfect crunchy crust.

MYSTERY BISCUITS
from The Amish Cook's Baking Book

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1-1/2 cups white & 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (I used Kosher salt)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking sheet or 12 muffin cups and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the mayonnaise, milk, and sugar until the mixture is creamy. Drop by the Tablespoon onto the prepared pan or fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Have I mentioned how much I adore this baking book? I have tried many cookbooks but this is the one I can easily open, flip to any page, will likely have all the ingredients on hand and all the recipes are simple to make. Does it get any better than that?

So far, I've made their Monster Cookies, Peanut Butter Swirl Bars (which I'll post another time), Banana Muffins, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Brownies (forgot to get photos of these and they were eaten in a flash). Looking for the perfect gift for the baker in your family or novice cook - this is it! (No, I'm not being paid to review or write about this lovely book either).

Enjoy!

My Aunt emailed me this link for creating a Santa message to your children.

Give it a try~

http://magicsanta.ca/

Pumpkin Pie (without Evaporated Milk!)

2010-11-22T06:44:00.000-06:00

Yes, it can be done. You can make a perfect pumpkin pie even if you don't have that can of Evaporated Milk! Although it's in every pumpkin pie recipe on the back of every can of pumpkin, you really don't need the evaporated milk. This delicious pie came out tasting exactly the same, even better the recipe is for two 9-inch pies. So enjoy one for your family, then be a kind neighbour and send the other next door and ease some of their holiday stress.

VIRGINIA PUMPKIN PIE
from The Southern Hereitage Pies and Pastry Cookbook

2 (16-ounce) cans pumpkin
2 cups sugar (I always use Truvia or Stevia in the Raw)
4 eggs, seperated
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pastry (recipe follows)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, egg yolks, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer 1 minute or until smooth.

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) until soft peaks form. Fold hites into pumpkin mixture. Pour equal amounts of filling into prepared pastry shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before slicing. Yield: two 9-inch pies.

PASTRY
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk

Combine flour and salt; mix well. Combine oil and milk (do not stir). With a fork, stir in liquid to moisten dry ingredients. Divide dough in half; shape into two balls and chill.

Roll each portion of dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place in two 9-inch pie plates; flute edges. Prick bottoms and sides of shells. Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Yield: two 9-inch pastry shells.

Printable Recipe

Happpily submitted to Culinary Evolution over at The White Blue Sky.

Enjoy!

from The Parent's Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 10, 1919

Six Orange Grove, Inc — Save 40% Charlie's Soap Ultra Dirt Fighting Combo Kit

2010-11-15T09:54:00.000-06:00

Six Orange Grove, Inc — Save 40% Charlie's Soap Ultra Dirt Fighting Combo Kit

Had to post a quick one on this amazing deal.
I love Charlie's Soap and use it frequently in our HE washer.
I'm not paid to promote this product or sale - just wanted to pass it on :)

Menu Plan Monday

2010-11-15T06:29:00.000-06:00

Oh I am so nervous because this is my first Menu Plan Monday. Why am I so stressed out? Remember I wanted to do this. It's not like we have to eat exactly what I've listed.. right?

I am a "mood cook" and love to explore recipes and try new things. So will having a meal plan still give me the freedom to cook what I want? Yes, and no. What my plan will be, is to stick to the plan as much as possible, but give myself the freedom to choose to change-it-up once a week.

MONDAY
Breakfast Pumpkin Waffles from freezer
Lunch Leftover Pizza
Dinner Panko-Breaded Pork Chops, Leftover Apple Coleslaw, Leftover Banged Potatoes

TUESDAY (slow cooker)
Breakfast Oatmeal with Applesauce Granola
Lunch Sandwiches
Dinner Hearty Potatoe Soup

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast Cinnamon Chip Scones
Lunch Leftovers
Dinner Rosemary Baked Chicken with Potatoes

THURSDAY (slow cooker)
Breakfast Pancakes
Lunch Leftovers
Dinner Turkey Pumpkin Chili

FRIDAY
Breakfast Breakfast in a Muffin
Lunch
Dinner Thai Chicken Soup

SATURDAY
Dinner Let's Go Out!

SUNDAY
Dinner Pork Loin with Pears

WEEKLY FREEZER COOKING PLAN
- Lasagna
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Meatloaf
- Pancakes
- Breakfast in a muffin
- Zucchini Bread

WEEKLY BAKING PLAN
- Oatmeal Cookies
- Applesauce Granola
- Cinnamon Chip Scones

Whew! I did it!

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time!

2010-11-11T08:32:00.000-06:00

Pasta with Pumpkin, Sausage and Spinach

2010-11-10T06:31:00.001-06:00

Get ready because your family is going to love this! Everyone at our table, including Grandma and a picky-eater friend our daughter had over, ate 2 bowls of this delicious supper.

Turkey sausage, rotini pasta, spinach in a pumpkin sauce with sage and nutmeg form a mouth-watering combination. Serve with Pamesan cheese and it's perfection in a bowl. The leftovers are even better.

This cooks up in a flash, so it's perfect for a week night meal after a busy day. If you can make spaghetti, you can make this easy meal. If you can pop a pre-made convenience meal in the microwave, you can make this meal. As Roni from Green Lite Bites says, you don't even have to tell anyone there's pumpkin in it. I'll be making this again and again and it's now added to our rotation of family favourite meals.

PASTA WITH PUMPKIN, SAUSAGE AND SPINACH
from Green Lite Bites

1 small onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic diced
1 package of mild Italian sausage (I used homemade turkey sausage)
1 15oz can of chicken broth (I used homemade)
1 15oz can of pumpkin
1/4 cup of non fat greek yogurt (I used plain yogurt)
1 tsp ground sage
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
8 oz whole wheat fusilli pasta
About 1/3 of a bag of fresh baby spinach leaves

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

While waiting for the the water to boil, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray it with non-stick spray and brown the sausage with the onion and garlic. Once brown, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Lower to medium and add the pumpkin, yogurt, sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything. Keep on medium until the sauce begins to boil again then lower to a simmer.

By this time the pasta should be done. Drain and add to the skillet with the pumpkin and sausage. Stir to coat and combine everything. Add the spinach and stir in until it wilts.

Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to
Ultimate Recipe Swap Thursdays over at Life As Mom
Family Friendly Fridays over at Mommie Cooks!

Enjoy! (I know you will)

from the book "Let's Think About Time"

written by Jane Hart

illustrated by Judy Varga

1965, Hart Publishing Company

I purchased this book from a local thrift shop.

Shepherd's Pie with Three Peppers

2010-11-01T06:47:00.000-05:00

Shepherd's Pie brings back many happy memories as my Mum made this almost every week when I was growing up. I was browsing my cookbooks searching for an updated version and came across this great recipe in my Canadian Living's Family Cookbook.

It was truely delicious with a meaty bottom layer with lots of colourful vegetables and soft potatoe crust. I substituted groud pork for the beef and it turned out great.

The only thing I didn't care for wih this recipe, was the sink-full of dishes it produced.

SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH THREE PEPPERS
from Canadian Living's Family Cookbook

4 large potatoes peeled and halved (I used unpeeled red potatoes)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
1 cloved garlic, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 lb. ground beef (I used ground pork)
1/2 cup beef stock
1 Tbsp. tomatoe paste
1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper
1-1/2 cups sweet red, green and yellow peppers (I used frozen)
2 eggs, seperated
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
ground nutmeg

In saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, cook potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender, drain well.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil over medium heat; cook onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add mushrooms, cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Transfer to greased 8-cup shallow baking dish (I used my Pyrex 9x13" glass dish); set aside.

In same skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with back of spoon, for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Add to mushroom mixture.

In same skillet, bring stock and tomatoe paste to boil, stirring contantly. Remove from heat. Stir in horseradish, mustard, thyme, 1/2 tsp slat and pinch of pepper; add to meat mixture, mixing well.

In clean skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat; cook sweet peppers for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Sprinkle over meat mixture.

Mash potatoes. Blend in hot milk, egg yolks, cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper and nutmeg to taste. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into potatoe mixture. Spoon evenly over meat mixture.

Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly and top is golden. Makes 6 servings.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

The house beautiful: essays on beds and tables, stools and candlesticks

By Clarence Cook

1878 Scribner, Armstrong and Company

Recipe: Hearty Potatoe Soup (Slow Cooker)

2010-10-29T08:16:00.001-05:00

This soup tasted so amazing. It's smooth and creamy, yet hearty enough that it doesn't need any meat at all. I like that it's not a pureed soup, and the vegetables are left nice and chunky. It's more like a chowder than a soup really.

The recipe is so simple and there's only 4 steps after you've chopped your vegetables. How easy is that? My family loved it a gobbled it right up. This would be perfect to have waiting in the slow cooker for before or after you finish your trick-or-treating.

HEARTY POTATOE SOUP (Slow Cooker)
Southern Living Magazine, November 1998

6 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 1/2 pounds)
2 medium onions, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half

Garnish: fresh celery leaves

Combine first 8 ingredients in a 4 1/2-quart slow cooker. Cook, covered, at HIGH 3 hours or until vegetables are tender.
Stir together flour and half-and-half; stir into soup. Cover and cook 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve in Italian Bread Bowls, and garnish, if desired.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Julie's Family Friendly Friday's over at Mommie Cooks! where she's featuring her Pretzel Baked Chicken today - yum!

Happy Halloween!

"Let me advise you, my dear young friend—nay, let me warn you with all seriousness, that should you leave these rooms you will not by any chance go to sleep in any other part of the castle. It is old, and has many memories, ana there are bad dreams for those who sleep unwisely. Be warned! Should sleep now or ever overcome you, or be like to do, then haste to your own chamber or to these rooms, for your rest will then be safe. But if you be not careful in this respect, then"—He finished his speech in a gruesome way, for he motioned with his hands as if he were washing them. I quite understood; my only doubt was as to whether any dream could be more terrible than the unnatural, horrible net of gloom and mystery which seemed closing round me.

from the book "Dracula"
Copyright 1897, The Country Life Press

Recipe: The Whole Wheat Tollhouse Cookie

2010-10-22T06:53:00.000-05:00

This lovely recipe comes from the Bob's Red Mill Baking Book where they've put together a healthier version of the famouse Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie. The result is a thin, crispy, buttery, chocolately, nutty, delicous cookie. Does it get any better than that? My kids went crazy for these cookies as they're perfect for dipping in milk.

THE WHOLE WHEAT TOLLHOUSE COOKIE
from Bob's Red Mill Baking Book

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (yes, that does say 10 Tbsp's)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or cover with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream the butter with the brown sugar until light in color, about 4 minutes. Beat in the egg until well incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend well. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Printable Recipe

I love to try new chocolate chip cookies recipes. Here's other's I've made:
Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nuts from Martha Stewart's Baking Book
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Whole Wheat and Soy Flours from The More With Less Cookbook
Oatmeal-Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pine Nuts from me!

Enjoy!

Today, instead of a vintage children's book, I have to share with you this adorable lady we met last weekend during our county's local farm tour. My girlfriend and I stopped by an old school house to have a peak in the windows. Within moments of us arriving there, a lady on a tractor came up to see us (and what we were up to I'm sure). She was so sweet. This elderly lady drove that tractor like she was born on it. She even made a cell phone call to a farmer to tell him about some troubles she was seeing with his cows running across the field nearby. She said she went to school in the old school house and that it closed in 1955. It's owned by the community now, and the ladies use it every 2nd Saturday night for a game night. She invited us to join them because if they don't use the building they'll lose it. My friend and our kids were facinated by this lady. What a treasure she was to meet.

Recipe: Turkey Chili (Slow Cooker)

2010-10-15T08:09:00.001-05:00

I love chili made in the slow cooker. It's so easy to dump the ingredients in and leave it all day to fill the house with wonderful smells. This hearty chili has an undertone of sweet flavouring which is exactly what I love about it. The recipe made such a huge batch that I froze half of it for later meals.

TURKEY CHILI
from Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soups Cookbook

1 pound lean ground turkey
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green pepper (I used frozen peppers)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (16 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce
1 can (15-1/2 oz) hot chili beans (I used regular)
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup frozen corn (I skipped this)
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

In a large nonstick skillet cook the turkey, onion, celery and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Drain; transfer to a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, chili beans, water, corn and seasonings. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.

Reduce heat to low; cook for 5-6 hours. Add kidney and pinto beans; cook 30 minutes longer.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Family Friendly Fridays over at Mommie Cooks! (Julie's so hilarious.. she's already started her Gingerbread House!)

Enjoy!

"The Boy Who Liked Puppets"

by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

Illustrated by Ruth van Tellingen

1954 Spencer Press, Inc.

Recipe: Amish Cook's Monster Cookies

2010-10-10T07:43:00.001-05:00

Do you love a crisp cookie? How about one made with no flour at all? The dough for this delicious cookie is made with mostly peanut butter, sugar, eggs and rolled oats. This recipe makes a huge batch of cookies (6 dozen) so you can freeze half the dough to make as-needed.

You can make these with chocolate chips, plain M&M's or both. I made mine using Smarties candy that I brought back with me from our last visit to Canada (these are similar to M&M's, not the American "Smarties" candy).

So far, I have made many sucessful recipes from "The Amish Cook's Baking Book". So much so, that it usually gets eaten long before I get a chance to get a picture of it. This is the kind of cookbook that I can open to almost any page, find a quick, easy recipe, and usually have all the ingredients for. That's a rare baking book indeed!

MONSTER COOKIES
from "The Amish Cook's Baking Book"

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
4-1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (I used old fashioned rolled oats)
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups plain M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time and mixing between each addition, the vanilla, corn syrup, baking soda, and peanut butter. Mix well until smooth. Add the oats and mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Then add the M&M's and mix well.

Drop the batter by the Tablespoon 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

Cool the cookies on a wire rack or a plate and then put into sealed containers. These cookies will stay fresh for up to five days.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Cookbook Sundays over at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen!
Enjoy!

So the House was built; a cozy room for the cooking and eating.

story "How the Home Was Built"

from the book "Mother Stories by Maud Lindsay"

Illustrated by Sarah Noble-Ives

Milton Bradley Company, 1928

Recipe: Sour Cream Apple Squares

2010-09-27T06:04:00.000-05:00

Don't you love fall? Getting back into routines, wearing flannel pajama's, chilly mornings and evenings, and making lots of apple recipes like this one.

These squares were so quick and easy to make. With a nutty shortbread crust, and soft apple topping they are a delight to the senses. I love the contrast in textures and how well the cinnamon-apple and buttery-nut crust go together.

SOUR CREAM APPLE SQUARES

from Best of the Best from the Midwest Cookbook

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups firmly-packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup chopped walnuts

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (I used 1 tsp Saigon Cinnamon)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (I used Kosher salt)

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 eg

2 cups peeled, finely chopped apples

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, and butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Press 2-3/4 cups of crumb mixture into ungreased 9x13" pan.

To remaining mixture, add cinnamon, baking soda, salt, sour cream, vanilla, and egg. Blend well. Stir in apples. Spoon evenly over base. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cut into squares. Yields 12-15 servings.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from the book

"Take Sky, More Rhymes of the Never Was and Always Is"

by David McCord

drawings by Henry B. Kane

1962, Litte, Brown & Company Ltd.

Recipe: Paprika Beef Stew (Slow Cooker)

2010-09-23T07:56:00.000-05:00

Fall is in the air and everyone is looking for some good slow cooker recipes. This is a busy time of year with school in session, fall sports, and after school activities. Coming home to a healthy warm meal, all ready and waiting, is a treat for the whole family.

While we don't eat red meat that often now, this stew is a nice treat and lamb stew meat would be a tastey substitution for beef. The sauce is a blend of tomatoe, paprika, and caraway seeds which gives it robust flavouring with a hint of sweetness.

PAPRIKA BEEF STEW
from Better Homes and Gardens The Ultimate Slow Cooker Book

2 pounds bonless beef chuck pot roast (I used stew beef)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions (3 medium)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cups of water
1 6-ounce can tomatoe paste
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
2 teaspoons dried marjoram, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped green and/or sweet peppers (about 2 large)
1/2 cup sour cream

Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 3/4-inch pieces. In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker combine meat, onions, garlic, broth, the water, tomatoe paste, paprika, carawy seeds, marjoram, and black pepper.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or high-heat setting for 4 to 4-1/2 hours. Stir in sweet peppers for the last 45 minutes of cooking. Top each serving with sour cream. (I served mine on top of whole wheat egg noodles).

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

A fallen leaf is nothing more

than a summers wave good bye

author unknown

Last of CSA After An Unsettling Growing Season

2010-09-22T07:15:00.000-05:00

Is there hope?

I received the letter below today from our farmer, Tammy, whom we bought our CSA from this year. It's been a terrible and unusual growing season and even she, who's been farming naturally for over 25 years, is at a loss of what's happening. This is unsettling to say the least.

My own raised-bed first year vegetable garden didn't produce much but our pumpkins are doing great. It did seem unusual to me to have so little come from our garden, but I found it hard to tell as it's my first year.

Has anyone else been having difficulties with growing your produce this year? Any theories on what's happening to make the crops suffer this year?

September 21, 2010

CSA Members,

It is difficult for me to announce that the rest of this growing season’s shares are cancelled.

For the first time in twenty –five years I have not preserved any food for my family. What little food we have and may be able to produce will go to restocking our pantry.

All across the nation and globally gardens have severely under produced this year and we have not been immune. We have had beautiful plants and thousands of blossoms and little to no fruit. Even zucchini that usually explodes in production failed. We planted potatoes three times, sweet corn three times, beans four and five times. The 375 tomatoes plants produced ¼ of what they normally do. Late August we started planting our fall crops in the high tunnels and other beds. I’m at a loss. The seeds are germinating at about ½ the rate they normally do and are just sitting there . . . . . not growing. Even what our goats, cow and chickens generally produce has not been normal.

This is causing me great concern.

I have been in communication with other growers here in this area and nationally and theories are flying as to what is causing this phenomenon. The most troubling part is I feel strongly that we have not seen the worst of it. I believe we could be facing food shortages very soon on a global scale. Many share these same thoughts.

I suggest you do your own research. I also strongly suggest that you store extra food that will keep for several years. Don’t be fearful . . . . . just be pragmatic and prepared. Look around you and observe what is happening with the weather patterns and how this extreme weather will affect almost every aspect of your life. Also, do research on what is causing this extreme weather, earthquakes and volcanic activity. I can voice my own opinions and thoughts but the most powerful truth is the truth you determine on your own.

Even though contractually this would be considered a “crop failure “and therefore we would share the monetary loss I feel moved to return at least 1/3 of your membership fee.

It will take me two or three months to return everyone’s portion. I will return in the same order I received the contract and fee.

I am not giving up. I will continue to experiment with seeds and procedures in growing. If the high tunnels begin to produce I will share what I can.

Thank You for being a part of the farm and even though I’m very aware this has not been a favorable experience, I hope you will not give up on supporting local growers.

Faithfully, Tammy Crandell; Foxfire Farm

Recipe: Amish Cook's Banana Muffins

2010-09-17T08:40:00.003-05:00

These muffins are perfect for breakfast or snacks on the go. They're moist, sweet, and dense with a golden crust. We had these everyday for breakfast this week, and had enough to send one for the school bus driver each day. I liked how long they lasted in the cookie jar, as my Banana Oat Mini Muffins need to be eaten within a few short days.

This delightful recipe comes from one of my new cookbooks "The Amish Cook's Baking Book" which is filled with back-to-basics baking, and gorgeous photography. Each recipe is simple, and the book includes a section for Children's Baking. Our daughter is old enough now to try a few recipes on her own and this book would provide a good start.

HOMEMADE BANANA MUFFINS
from The Amish Cook's Baking Book

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup skim milk
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 12 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.

I made a double batch. Just rotate trays halfway through baking.

In a large bowl, stir together the baking powder, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg until evenly blended. Add all the remaining ingredients, mixing only until the dry particles are moistened. Fill the prepared muffin cups 2/3 full and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to
Family Friendly Fridays over at Mommie Cooks!
Frugal Fridays over at Life As Mom
Cookbook Sundays over at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen

Enjoy!

Are You As Excited As I Am?

2010-09-13T08:08:00.001-05:00

No I am not being paid or anything to say this, but I AM SO EXCITED about the new Martha Stewart line-up on Hallmark Channel! How am I going to find time to watch all these shows? She'll have the Martha Stewart Show, followed by Everyday Food, then Mad Hungry which is a new show based on Lucinda's new cookbook, Whatever Martha and more.

The Season Premiere's start today on Hallmark Channel and I've set our DVR to record it all. Here's the link for local TV listings.

Enjoy!

Impending Storm - Need Help With Meal Planning

2010-09-12T07:49:00.000-05:00

So, I've been cooking and baking from scratch for just over a year now and have developed a good skill set and lots of great recipes to go from now what? I still struggle with having the ingredients I need on hand, or am left with a great supper but no snacks or goodies in the cookie jars and no ideas for lunches that need to be prepared for the next day. Last night I wanted chicken soup but would have to make some from scratch as I don't buy the convenience mix anymore. Something has got to give.

Solution - I need to begin meal planning. I've known this for a while now but still can't bring myself around to doing it. I participated in the Eat-From-The-Pantry-Challenge at Life As Mom in January and LOVED it. It got me outta my seat to inventory everything in the deep freeze and to find matching recipes to go with it all and to put it into one folder - perfect! I need a more permanent solution though and need advice.

I do have some goals like making meals ahead to go into the freezer such as cookie dough, pizza's, casserole's, breakfast sandwhiches, chicken pot pie, more chicken broth, and more. I would also like to get my spice mixes in order and have them ready when I need them such as homemade turkey sausage, meatloaf mix, etc. Oh dear, I'm feeling overwhelmed.

Please share with me how you do your meal planning. You can include links and any tips you like as I need all the help I can get.

Have a great day :)

Wedding Following Hurricane Earl

2010-09-10T08:34:00.000-05:00

My sister was married last weekend immediately following Hurricane Earl's direct hit in Nova Scotia. You can find their beautiful engagement photographs over at Inspired Images and I'll link their wedding photos once they're posted. She was married at Oceanstone Inn and Cottages an hour after the hurricane hit.

Day before the wedding the resort was building a sea wall.

The beautiful bride's hair and make-up is done.

The beauty salon finished our wedding hair

then closed as the hurricane was upon us.

It took us 4 hours to drive 1 hour away during the storm. There are only two roads to get to where we were going and 1 was blocked by downed trees, the other by ocean water that came up over the road.

The staff at Oceanstone was able to pull off a full ceremony, five course gourmet meal, a wedding reception, followed by pizza, all with no power, on generators, immidiately following a hurricane. Not bad at all!

After the wedding festivities we spent a couple days here and enjoyed the ocean, family and lots of seafood.

Blogging Break

2010-09-02T06:15:00.000-05:00

I'll be back real soon :)

Recipe: Blueberry Oat Bars

2010-08-31T08:20:00.000-05:00

I just took photos of these beauties and now I'm eatin' them for breakfast. Oh boy, are these a perfect healthy snack for anytime of day. I made these for a "Bus Stop Tea Party" and they were an easy after school snack to prepare. Blueberries are in season and this is a nice way to use them up. I'm sure these would freeze nicely, and are perfect to pack in luches too.

BLUEBERRY OAT BARS
from Grin and Bake It

Filling
3 cups fresh or frozen berries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Crumble and Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick-cooking or regular)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened and cut into 7-9 large chunks
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling: In a medium saucepan, stir together berries and lemon juice and cook medium heat until fruit is tender, about 8-15 minutes, depending on type of berries being used.

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch, then stir into fruit mixture. Continue cooking until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes, until thick. Scrape berry filling into a medium bowl and set aside.

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan. I also lined the pan with parchment paper with about 1" hanging over on each side.

In a food processor (or large mixing bowl), combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, baking soda , salt and vanilla extract. Pulse until mixture is thoroughly blended and resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of this mixture in a medium bowl.

Pour remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spread evenly and pat down. Place filling in dollops over crust and carefully spread to cover entire surface. Squeeze reserved crumb mixture into large clumps with your fingers and sprinkle evenly over the top of the fruit filling.

Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Cut into 20 bars to serve.

Printable Recipe

Similar recipes you may like ~
Applesauce Oatmeal Bars
Martha Stewart's Jam Crumble Bars

Enjoy!

from the book "The Golden Book of Poetry"
Edited by Jane Werner
Illustrated by Gertrude Elliott
1949, Golden Press

I purchased this book from a local thrift shop.

Back-to-School "Boo Hoo Brunch"

2010-08-27T06:52:00.001-05:00

Bob's Bean Salad Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Each year our MOMS Club, along with my friends and I, get together just after back-to-school for a "Boo Hoo Brunch". It's a great way to connect with the mothers who have little ones going to school for the first time, or who suddenly find themselves alone all day while everyone's at school. As a stay-at-home mother, this can be a difficult time when your home is all too quiet, and the reality of no children under foot can create a sense of loneliness and purpose.

Our "Boo Hoo Brunch" was full of laughs, friendship, support and great food. It's so uplifting to be around all the girls discussing what's next in our lives... and did I mention the great food?

Happily submitted to Family Friendly Friday's over at Mommie Cooks!

Recipe: White Bean and Tuna Salad

2010-08-24T06:21:00.000-05:00

I've been busy making lunches lately as my husband takes lunch to work each day, and our daughter is back-to-school. My goal is to pack a waste-free-lunch so no uneccessary garbage is thrown away at work or school, therefore, you won't find any Lunchables here, eh?

Bean salads are a good choice for lunches because they last for days in the fridge, and are packed with flavour and nutrition. This White Bean and Tuna Salad I found over at Simply Recipes - such a lovely site. It has red onions, zesty lemon, tuna, white beans, parsely, and Tabasco. This zippy salad is perfect served on crackers and is a change from the everyday tuna salad sandwich.

WHITE BEAN AND TUNA SALAD
from Simply Recipes

1 cup of chopped red onions
The zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 five to six ounce cans of tuna packed in olive oil
2 15-ounce cans of Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
A few splashes of Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt and olive oil to taste

Sprinkle some of the lemon juice over the chopped onions while you prepare the other ingredients. This will take some of the oniony edge off the onions.

Drain the oil from the tuna and put the tuna into a large bowl. Add the beans to the tuna and gently stir to combine. Add the onions, herbs, black pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix to combine. Add Tabasco or chile to taste. If the salad needs more acid, add a little more lemon juice. If the salad seems a little dry, add a little bit of olive oil. Add salt to taste.

Chill before serving. This salad will last several days in the fridge, tightly covered. Serves 4.

Printable Recipe

Some other lunch box favourites you may enjoy:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Cowboy Caviar (bean salad)
Ham and Cheddar in a Loaf
Tomatoe Basil Soup

Enjoy!

from the book "Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever"

pictures by Richard Scarry

1968, Golden Press

I bought this book from a local thrift shop.

Recipe: Martha Stewart's Jam Crumb Bars

2010-08-19T07:56:00.000-05:00

Have you ever smelled a recipe while you were putting all the ingredients together and knew how wonderful it was going to be? I could've eaten the dough on these bars raw because the scent was so delicious and tempting with the mix of butter and ground almonds.

These beautiful bars have a shortbread bottom, oooey gooey jam centre, and a lovely crumb topping. They were quick and easy to prepare but not inexpensive. A bag of whole almonds isn't cheap and the entire jar of jam wasn't either. Oh, but it was worth every penny for this treat.

The Jam Crumb Bars were made for a MOMS Club event and everyone loved them. There was enough for some to take home too, which they all did!

JAM CRUMB BARS

from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces, plus more for pan

2 1/4 cups (11 ounces) blanched almonds, very finely ground

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups raspberry, apricot or strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 15 x 10" rimmed baking sheet. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang on the long sides. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together ground almonds, flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using your fingers, squeeze the mixture together to create pea-sized crumbs witha few larger crumbs (smells good, eh?).

Transfer half of crumb mixture (about 4 1/2 cups) to prepared baking sheet; set aside remining mixture. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Using the bak of a large spoon, press dough evenly into pan, lifting the parchment occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick. With a wine bottle or small rolling pin, roll along the length of the pan to smooth dough. Dough should be firmly packed, with no holes or cracks. Bake, roating the pan halfway through, until lightly golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely (I had to skip this step and it was okay).

Evenly spread jam over cooled crust. Scatter with remaining crumb mixture, squeezing some of the mixture so that large clumps are visible and evenly distributed over the top of the jam. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the topping begins to turn light golden brown (the hame should not be too dark), 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen; using two wide spatulas, transfer to a cutting board and cut into 3 x 2" bars. Bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Printable Recipe

Here are some other bars you may enjoy. Perfect to pack in lunches!
Toffee Bars
Homemade Granola Bars
Applesauce and Oatmeal Bars
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Chocolate Chip & Pretzle Cookie Bars
Lemon Bars

Enjoy!

Peoples by Celia Green and Don Cornelius

I purchased this book from a Thrift Store.

Recipe: Calzone with Home Made Turkey Sausage

2010-08-16T08:25:00.000-05:00

For a picnic lunch on the boat I made a traditional Italian sandwich. It was full of savory flavours from the cheese, oregano, white wine, fresh basil, and a plethora of spices from the home made turkey sausage. The kids loved it (I told them it was a pizza sandwich).

It's heartwarming to serve a sandwich like this knowing everything that's in it. No "mystery meats" or added sodium. The basil came from our garden and I made a quick pesto with it prior to adding it into the sauce.

For easy serving on the boat, I wrapped individual sandwiches in foil.

BASIL PESTO
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded

Blend together with a food processor. Add more oil if needed.

HOME MADE TURKEY SAUSAGE
from Heavenly Homemakers
1 lb ground turkey
3 Tbsp. minced onion
¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. marjoram
¼ tsp. ground pepper
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. thyme
½ tsp. sage
2 tsp. sea salt
1 egg

Mix all ingredients. Chill for about an hour. (If you forget to chill this ahead of time…it cooks up okay anyway!) Form into patties. Saute in butter.

CALZONE
from Southern Living 30 Years of Our Best Recipes

Dough
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Combine yeast and warm water in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes. Combine yeast mixture, salt, oil, and 1 cup flour in a large bowl; beat a medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to made a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). This is where I added much of the extra flour. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down; roll into a 14 x 10" rectangle.

Sauce
1/2 pound ground pork sausage (or home made turkey sausage - I had this already in the freezer)
1 6-ounce can tomatoe paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or home made pesto)
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon seasame seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground pepper

Brown sausage in a large skillet 5 minutes, stirring until it crumbles. (I added in my already cooked home made turkey sausage patties and broke them up). Drain well; return to skillet. Add tomatoe paste and wine; simmer 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in basil, 1 Table spoon fresh oregano, and 1 cup cheese.

Spread mixture in a 12 x 14" strip lengthwise down center of dough. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Fold long sides of dough over filling, overlapping edges. Pinch ends together to seal. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, seam side down. Cover and let rise in a warm place.

Score top of loaf to allow steam to escape. Combine egg and milk; beat with a wire whisk. Brush loaf with egg mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, dried oregano, and pepper. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until golden.

Printable Recipes

Enjoy!

from the book "The Children's Story Hour - Best Loved Poems"

1953 Spencer Press, Inc.

Recipe: Curried Tomatoe Bouillabaisse

2010-08-12T07:12:00.001-05:00

Serve this over saffron or brown rice.

Pow! This soup was very spicey, indeed. It was so delicious, though, that I ate the entire bowl. I don't normally enjoy food that's so spicey you have to gulp water after every bite, but this was so good. Next time I'm going to decrease the amount of crushed red pepper to tone down the spice.

CURRIED TOMATOE BOUILLABAISSE
from Martha Stewart's Healthy Quick Cook Book

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds (I used powder)
2 whole cloves
1 1-inch stick cinnamon
1 whole dried red pepper or 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons curry powder
1 lemongrass stalk, cut into 1-inch pieces (I didn't have any of this)
1 pound assorted firm white fish (I used cod but you could also use monk, halibut, black, tile), cut into 2-inch chunks
Kosher salt
1/4 cup coarsley chopped parsley leaves

In a large stockpot, combine the tomatoes, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, red pepper, curry poder, and lemongrass with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes. Strain the broth. Add the fish to the broth and poach until opaque, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into shallow soup bowls and garnish with the parsley.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1944, by Harcourt Brace & Company

This is a beautiful story with gorgeous illustrations.

I highly recommend you read it to your daughters.

We found this at our local library.

Recipe: Oatmeal-Flax Choc Chip Cookies with Pine Nuts

2010-08-09T07:48:00.000-05:00

Mmmm.. cookies for breakfast! Why not? These lovelies are filled with goodness from oatmeal, ground flax, dark chocolate and pine nuts. I'm sure they must be better than some sugar-filled cereal, eh?

These cookies are chewy with subtle crunch from the chocolate chips and nuts. I've spiced them with Saigon Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for extra kick. They're very filling and perfect for a quick bite before you get your day started.

OATMEAL-FLAX CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH PINE NUTS
from the kitchen of Mum In Bloom

2 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
6 Tbsp. ground flax

1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. hot water

2 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. Saigon Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 package dark chocolate chips

Beat eggs in mixing bowl until frothy. Beat in both sugars. Add cooking oil, vanilla and flax.

Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Stir into egg mixture.

Add oats, flours, salt, spices and still well. Gently mix in pine nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls (not too big) onto greased baking sheet (I use my Silpat). Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes prior to transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool completely, store in an airtight container.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1969, Coward-McCaan Inc.

Recipe: Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

2010-08-03T07:11:00.000-05:00

When you want to stay cool in the kitchen and have a day full of errands, the slow cooker is your best tool for a sucessful supper. If I know I have a busy day ahead of me, I scan my slow cooker cook books for recipes based on the ingredients I have on hand.

The sauce on these chicken sandwhiches came out sweet, even though I skipped adding the brown sugar called for in the recipe. The combination of ketchup, Worcestershire, red wine vinegar, celery seed, chili powder and hot pepper sauce was delicious and flavourful. Some slow cooked dishes can be very bland but the flavour in these stands up to long hours of heat.

I made these delicious sandwiches with some bone-in chicken breasts and leftover cooked turkey I had in the freezer. I boiled them from frozen until the meat was cooked and ready to shred, which took about 45 minutes. After you boil them, drain and run cold water over them until they are cool enough to handle for shredding.

BARBECUED CHICKEN SANDWICHES
from "Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soups" cook book

2 broiler/fryer chickens (3 to 3-1/2 pounds each), cooked and shredded
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups water
1-1/4 cups ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I skipped this)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon each salt, celery seed and chili powder
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Hamburger Buns (see my home made version here)

In a 3-qt. slow cooker or Dutch oven, combine all ingredients except buns. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours in the slow cooker (I made mine 3 hours on high), or simmer for 1-1/2 hours on the stovetop. Serve on buns. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from the book "Children's Guide to Knowledge"
"Trees and Shrubs" by Marjorie Hartwell
and Charles Bradford
1971, Parents' Magazine Enterprises, Inc.

Recipe: Ginger Peach Muffins

2010-07-29T14:53:00.003-05:00

Earlier this summer I made a Gingerbread-Peach Upside Down Cake and awoke this morning craving muffins with the flavour combination of ginger and peaches. After a brief search I found a recipe for these beauties. These were so tastey with the bite of ginger and earthy sweet peaches.

A kitchen I would die for.

Love the combination of lime green with cream.

Our MOMS Club had a breakfast potluck and everyone brought beautiful and tastey dishes. Our host recently moved into their renovated vintage home and I couldn't stop taking pictures of the beautiful details throughout the house..

They built in this pantry & broom closet.

Look at those slate floors!

GINGER PEACH MUFFINS
adapted from Grouprecipes.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups peeled diced peaches
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp flour
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, first amount of ginger and first amount of cinnamon in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.

In a smaller bowl cream together butter, apple sauce, egg, and sugar. Mix in peaches and milk.

Pour into flour mixture, and stir just to moisten (it will be lumpy).

Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full.

Mix together brown sugar, and second amount of flour, ginger and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture over top of muffins in tins.

Bake in 400 F oven for 20 - 25 minutes, let rest in pan 5 minutes then remove. Serve warm.

The outside of these muffins came out crunchy.

Perfect with the soft moist inside.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Family Friendly Fridays over at Mommy Cooks!

Enjoy!

from the book "Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever"

pictures and story by Richard Scarry

1968, Golden Press

I purchased this book from a local thrift shop.

Recipe: Fragrant Curried Turkey Meatballs

2010-07-28T06:35:00.001-05:00

This curry was fragrant and delicious. There wasn't a drop of sauce left in our bowls. The recipe has quite a few steps but is worth every effort. The curry spice is from scratch and you may be surprised by what's included in it.

I served this over noodles but I think it would've tasted better over basmati rice to absorb the sauce better. Next time I will also use crushed tomatoes instead of diced so it's not as lumpy.

When I formed the meatballs they were mushy and I was tempted to add breadcrumbs to firm them up a bit, however, I trusted in the recipe and just kept going. When I placed them on top of the sauce I thought there was no way they'd hold together. Much to my surprise, after 15 minutes simmering they were well formed and floating on top of the sauce.

FRAGRANT CURRIED TURKEY MEATBALLS
from The Perfect Pantry

Meatballs
1-1/2 lb ground turkey
2 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
3/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp minced ginger root
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp minced onion
1 large egg
3/4 tsp kosher salt

In a large bowl, using your impeccably clean hands, mix all ingredients for the meatballs, adding 3 Tbsp of the minced onion (the remainder will go into the sauce). Do not overmix, but be sure the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Set aside while you make the sauce.

Sauce
1 medium-large onion, minced (set aside 3 Tbsp for the meatballs)
3 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
2 bay leaves
1 small (2-inch) piece of cinnamon stick
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 tsp minced ginger root
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 cups water
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chile powder (cayenne), or to taste
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
Kosher salt, to taste (3/4 tsp or more)
Handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

In a deep sauce pan, heat the canola oil. Add the remaining onion, bay leaves and cinnamon stick, and saute over medium heat until the onions are golden brown, 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Cook until the oil comes to the surface, 4-5 minutes, then add 1 cup of water. Continue cooking until the water has evaporated, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes. Then stir constantly for 3 minutes; at this point the mixture will be a bit dry.

Add the powdered spices and salt, and the remaining water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 5-6 minutes while you form the meatballs.

Form the turkey into meatballs approximately 1-1/2 inches in diameter (the size of large walnuts). Set the meatballs into the sauce, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, shaking the pan every 2-3 minutes to turn the meatballs and coat them with the sauce. Uncover the pan and continue to cook the meatballs for 3 minutes. Add the parsley, and shake the pan or gently stir. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from the book "Aesop's Fables"

translated from the Greek by the Rev. Geo. Fyler Townsend

illustratins designed by Harrison Weir

and engraved by J. Greenaway

1964, Parents Magazine Enterprises, Inc.

I purchased this book from a local thrift shop.

I got free peaches!

2010-07-25T08:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the "peach man" was selling his wares at the Farm Center parking lot. I bought two bags at $6.00/piece and noticed he was throwing some into a bucket outside the van during his sort to fill my bags. I asked him what he was going to do with those and he said get rid of them unless someone wants them.

Last week I read a good article by Stephanie over at Saving Naturally about Why We Waste Food: Are We Too Picky? In Stephanie's article she says:

"The only thing that could probably be said for them was that their imperfections offended my culturally-influenced concept of what “good” food ought to look like."

This really got me thinking about that bucket of bruised and imperfect peaches and all the things I could do with them. Even if I couldn't think of any wonderful baked desserts and peach goodies, there's always smoothies that make any imperfect fruit look good.

I still have never canned or preserved any great quantities of food, but I was sure I could figure it out. So, I asked him if I could have them and he said "sure!". He went through the rest of his crates to pick out the "spoils" and I took half a crate of FREE peaches home!

Once I got them home I panicked a bit. Whatever I was going to decide to do with them had to be that day and fast before the fruit flies and rot quickly set in. I searched the internet and found some great freezing tips on http://www.pickyourown.org/ but the task still seemed overwhelming. So, I called my dear neighbour and friend, Sarah, to see if she could help. She came right over and showed me how to do everything.

We put a few at a time into a boiling pot of water for about 30 seconds, then quickly transferred them into an ice bath for peeling. After peeling we laid them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and placed them in a freezer. Once frozen, we transferred them to freezer bags.

We could've added some juice or sugar syrup to the peaches prior to freezing them but decided not to. These aren't going to last that long. We also put some in jars that we planned on using in the next couple days. In the end we ended up with about 3 jars each and 2 freezer bags full of peaches - all for free!

I wish I could've taken mroe photos of our work but we had to move quickly as a big storm was rolling in fast. Outside looked like this within moments of her driving home to bring all our peach scraps to her chickens.

Look at how far my poor trees are bent over on the left.

The temperature drop was 20 degrees within minutes.

I hope you'll be inspired to take a second look at imperfect produce and recognize that it's still useable and worth a try. Hey, you might even get it for free!

Enjoy!

Recipe: Crispy Crunchy Lumpy Applesauce Granola

2010-07-22T08:05:00.000-05:00

Warning - this granola is seriously addictive. You can eat it straight outta the jar as it's perfectly lumpy. I can't decide if it's the spice combination of cardamom, ginger and cinnamon that makes it so good, or the crunch.

Look how lumpy it is!

I adapted this recipe from the Mix-n-Match Applesauce Granola found over at Everybody Likes Sandwiches - love this blog. I've made it dozens of times now and never realized I haven't written about it yet. There's always a huge jar of it on the counter for everyone to dip in as a snack or on ice cream, yogurt, on top of cereal, or added to baking and more.

Staples on our counter - jars of granola, & cookies or muffins.

CRISPY CRUNCHY LUMPY APPLESAUCE GRANOLA
adapted from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups puffed rice cereal (I've also used Rice Chex type cereal)
1 teaspoon Saigon (or regular) cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon of Kosher (or regular) salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (I like pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
1 cup dried fruit (we like raisins)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (I use my Silpat).

In a large bowl combine oats, puffed rice cereal, and spices. In a medium bowl whisk together applesauce and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients along with chopped nuts and raisins and mix thoroughly. Spread on a baking sheet in a even layer.

Bake for 30 minutes, then turn over granola carefully (don't break the lumps!) with a large spatual. Bake for an additional 15 minutes then turn again. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until crisp and golden.

Cool in the pan completely. Store in an airtight container.

Optional - after the first 30 minutes and turning the granola over, you can turn off your oven, leave the door open, go to bed and take it out in the morning. The granola is even more crisp and cooled completely. I usually make a batch just before bed.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1953, Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc.

I purchased this book from a library sale for 25 cents.

Recipe Cobb Salad Pizza & Bread Machine Dough

2010-07-21T07:03:00.000-05:00

A salad pizza doesn't sound very filling for dinner but this has cooked chicken, bacon and a wonderful whole wheat crust to satisfy your appetite. It's also filled with avacado, blue cheese, and lots of fresh vegetables. The blend of flavours comes together nicely. My husband and kids even enjoyed this supper.

Yesterday was too hot to be cooking supper here in Kansas. So what do you make when everyone's starving and you need something quick - Cobb Salad Pizza! The August 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine arrived in our mailbox yesterday and this recipe jumped off the page at me. I've been looking for interesting ways to use up all the greens we've been receiving on our CSA, and this looked like a delicious option.

You can use a store-bought crust, but this whole wheat crust is so easy to prepare in the bread maker. Remember a pizza is as good as it's crust. My dough takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to prepapre in the bread maker.

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH (Bread Maker)
from The Bread Machine Baker

3 teaspoons or 1 package of yeast (I use Bread Machine Yeast)
2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon sugar (I used 1 1/2 half packets of Truvia)
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup water (room temperature)
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Place all ingredients in your machine according to the specifications of your machine (mine is always yeast first, followed by flour and the other ingredients). Select the dough cycle and push start.

Printable Recipe

COBB SALAD PIZZA
adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, August 2010

1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough (or make your own)
Cooking spray (I used olive oil instead)
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon Montreal Chicken Spice (I added this ingredient)
2 slices applewood-smoked bacon (I used 4 slices maple bacon)
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets (I diced them)
1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
2 Tablespoons chopped red onion
2 cups lightly packed mixed baby greens
1/2 cup diced peeled avacado

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unroll dough on a baking sheet coated in cooking spray (I used olive oil to coat the pizza pan instead); pat dough into a 14x12" rectangle. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray (I used olive oil instead). Bake at 425 for 8 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven; sprinkl evenly with 2 Tablespoons of the blue cheese. Set aside.

Combine oil, vinegar, mustard, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove any bacon from pan; crumble bacon into oil mixture.

Wipe your pan clean with paper towels. Heat pan over medium-high heat, coating pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper (and I added a teaspoon or so of Montreal Chicken Spice). Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes each side until done.

Add chicken, tomatoes, and onion to oil mixture; toss gently to combine. Add greens; toss gently. Top crust evenly with chicken mixture, avacado, and remaining 2 Tablespoons of cheese. Cut into 8 pieces.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1961 Harper & Brothers

I purchased this book at a garage sale for 50 cents.

Martha Mondays: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Semifreddo (ice cream)

2010-07-19T07:52:00.000-05:00

Can you say peanut butter cup ice cream? Oh yeah, that's what we're talkin' about here! The best part is that I made it low-sugar too! This ice cream dessert is decadent. It's elegant enough to serve at a fancy dinner party, yet easy enough to make so you could serve it to a group of lucky kids. It's so creamy that you'll want to lick the bowl.

I haven't participated in Martha Mondays in quite a while and I'm so glad I jumped in this time. Brette of Martha and Me, who hosts Martha Mondays, chose this splendid dessert from Everyday Food Magazine July/Aug 2010 issue. To see how everyone else's turned out and what they thought of the recipe go here for their link-ups. Why not join us next week as we're making chocolate pudding from avacado and dates - yum!

Like most Martha recipes, there were a few steps that I had to read and reread before I understood what I was supposed to do. They didn't include the water in the ingredients list, which is enough to throw me off completely. Hey, I've never made ice cream before ;o) I retyped the recipe with my notes, and a little more direction for clarity below.

I replaced the sugar in this recipe using Truvia packets. Truvia is made from Stevia which is a natural source (I even have a Stevia plant in my garden). I'm not a big fan of the other chemical-laden sweeteners and this seems to be a more natural choice as it's made from plants. Truvia's website has lots of recipes and a conversion chart for sugar here. The sugar in this recipe comes from the peanut butter which only has 3g per 2Tbsp. If you use home made peanut butter, then you could make this dessert completely sugar-free.

Note - I wasn't paid or asked to recommend Truvia, nor did I receive any free samples or anything.. but I'd love some!

PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCLATE SEMIFREDDO
from Everyday Food Magazine July/Aug 2010

2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups sugar (36 packets of Truvia)
2 cups creamy peanut butter (it's says not natural but I'm not sure why)
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (I used Hershey's chips made with Splenda)
1/2 cup water
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Line a 5x10" jumbo loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 4" overhang on all sides. (I had to use a much bigger 7x10" pan and it was right to the brim!)

In a medium saucepan, combine milk and 1 cup sugar (or 24 Truvia packets). Bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add peanut butter, and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature (about an hour).

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar (12 Truvia packets) and 1/2 cup water to a boil over medium-high, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature (about an hour).

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer (because it takes almost 5 minutes!), whisk cream and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Add half the peanut butter mixture and whisk until combined.

With a rubber spatula, add half the remaining peanut butter mixture (1/4 and you'll still have 1/4 left over) and gently fold 3 times (mixture will be rippled). (I folded mine about 10 times to get it mixed in somewhat).

Transfer half the cream/peanut butter mixture to loaf pan. Top with half the peanut butter mixture and 1/4 cup chocolate mixture. Top with remaining cream/peanut butter mixture, then drizzle with remaining peanut butter mixture and 1/4 cup chocolate mixture. With a skewer or thin-bladed knife, swirl mixtures together.

Freeze until firm, about 5 hours (or up to 3 days). Let sit 20 minutes at room temperature before serving with extra chocolate sauce.

Printable Recipe

This is crazy good.
Enjoy!

OMG! Is that a funnel cloud forming?!?

Kansas has the most beautiful thunderstorms.

This was the view from our back patio Friday evening.

This storm came and went within 30 minutes.

Recipe: Biscoff Cookies

2010-07-16T07:27:00.000-05:00

Yes, I found a knock-off recipe for this fabulous cookie! The best part is that it's a bar cookie so it's super easy to make. I made these yesterday afternoon and I'm sure they'll be gone by the end of today from me the kids.

These buttery shortbread cookies burst with cinnamon flavour and have the perfect texture. They don't fall apart when you cut them or lift them out of the pan either. I bet you have these ingredients in your pantry now and could even make them today :)

BISCOFF COOKIES
The Art Of The Cookie

2 c. all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I used Saigon Cinnamon - yum!)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg,baker's ammonia and salt together; set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on low speed, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. Add the vanilla extract.

Gradually blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture.

The dough is thick but not too stickey.

Spread it in the pan with your fingers.

Press the dough evenly into the bottom of a 9x13 greased pan. Decoratively score the dough with a fork or small knife, if you wish.

I used a cake server to make a decorative pattern.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes (mine was 25 min), or until golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container. Well-wrapped shortbread may also be frozen.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Frugal Friday over at Life As Mom :)
Enjoy!

from http://vintageprintable.com/wordpress/

Recipe: Scallops with Liguinie in White Wine Sauce

2010-07-15T07:18:00.003-05:00

Anytime we serve seafood it feels like a very special meal when, in fact, it's one of the easiest and quickest foods to prepare. You never have to add a bunch of ingredients or cook it for long for it to taste great. It readily absorbs the flavours of the dish and pairs well with almost anything.

My fridge was bursting with veggies from my CSA (green pepper and tomatoes used in this recipe) and I needed a quick meal to prepare. I had 45 minutes until my husband arrived home and needed something hearty, healthy, and fast! I had nothing defrosted or planned. It was over 100 degrees outside and turning the oven on wasn't an option. Didn't I feel like an accomplished woman when I served up this meal in no time flat!

This special recipe came on the back of the package of frozen scallops. At the moment, I don't follow any seafood buying guides, but intend to soon. I do look at where the seafood comes from and, if given a choice, buy as local as possible. Being in a small town in the midwest my choices are very limited. With better meal planning and trips to stores that offer better options, like Whole Foods, I'll be able to make better choices. Baby steps people. ;o)

SCALLOPS WITH LIGUINIE IN WHITE WINE SAUCE
from Aqua Star Bay Scallops

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 (28oz) can Italian tomatoes, peeled, chopped & drained
(I chopped 3.5 cups of tomatoes instead - about 4)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed hot red pepper
1 cup dry red or white wine
1 lb. Bay Scallops
1 lb. cooked linguine
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper and saute until tender.

Stir in tomatoes, oregano, salt and hot pepper. Add wine and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stir frequently.

Add bay scallops, stir occasionally, and cook until scallops are opaque throughout (this only takes a few minutes!). Serve over cooked linguine. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1973, Four Winds Press

This book is from our local library.

It reminds me so much of Nova Scotia that it makes my heart ache.

Recipe: Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken

2010-07-13T06:41:00.000-05:00

Pow! This spicey chicken will knock your socks off! I'm not one for hot food or food that's too spicey but this spice rub has a sweet kick without overpowering everything. We love barbequed chicken at our house but the sauce is often full of sugars, so I decided to use spice to add interest instead. I "grilled" these in the oven and they came out crispy all over.

ALL-PURPOSE SPICE RUB
from Everyday Food Magazine (July/Aug 2006)

1/3 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
2 Tablespoons dried thyme leaves
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper (optional)

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients, using your hands to break up the sugar. Store in an airtight container, away from heat and light, up to 6 months.

SPICE-RUBBED GRILLED CHICKEN
from my kitchen :)

8 chicken drumsticks
All-Purpose Spice Rub

In a shallow baking dish cover the chicken with spice-rub, make sure you get some under the skin as well. Let sit in fridge for 30 minutes or more for the chicken to "absorb" the flavours (you can also skip this step if you need to). Preheat oven to 425. Prepare a foil-lined cookie sheet and spray it with cooking spray. Place chicken pieces on prepared cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes. Take chicken out, turn over to crisp the other side and bake for another 20 minutes. Serve with some dipping sauce like ranch or sour cream to help balance the spice.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from "My Big Book of the Seasons"

by Bertha Moris Parker

Illustrated by Eloise Wilkin

1966, Western Publishing Co.

This book is from our local library.

Recipe: Shrimp Scampi Pizza

2010-07-12T06:27:00.000-05:00

This is a delicious, easy recipe your whole family will gobble up. Lots of garlic (12 cloves!), olive oil and shrimp flavour in this pizza. Next time I'm going to try making it on thin crust whole wheat dough. I've been experimenting alot lately with tomatoeless pizzas (don't worry, we still love tomatoes) and have found some yummy recipes and will be sharing more soon.

SHRIMP SCAMPI PIZZA
from Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 cloves garlic, 8 smashed and peeled and 4 finely chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, trimmed
One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
2 pounds shrimp—peeled, deveined and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 baguette, split lengthwise and quartered crosswise

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook the smashed garlic until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a food processor; reserve the olive oil.

Add the parsley to the garlic in the food processor and pulse to finely chop; set aside 1/4 cup. Add the ricotta and parmesan to the food processor; pulse to combine.

Preheat the oven to 500°. In the same skillet, heat the reserved olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until opaque, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved 1/4 cup parsley-garlic mixture.

Spread the cheese mixture on the cut side of each piece of bread and arrange on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Spoon the shrimp mixture on top and sprinkle with more parmesan. Bake until the cheese is melted, 7 to 10 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

Storms rolling by last night.. creepy but beautiful, eh?

Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Muffins

2010-07-09T07:54:00.000-05:00

This muffins are scrumptious! Fresh lemon paired with earthy and sweet blueberries is a perfect combination. My family always eats the whole batch the same day I make them.

LEMON BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
from The Boston Globe

Butter (for the pan)
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over for stems and leaves
Extra sugar (for sprinkling)

Set the oven at 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, including top surface. Have on hand a rimmed baking sheet.

In a bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Gradually add the egg whites and mix until blended. Beat in the vanilla, lemon rind, and lemon juice.

With the mixer set on its lowest speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter alternately with the milk.

Remove the bowl from the mixer stand, and use a rubber spatula to fold in the berries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Set the muffins on the sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are golden, turning the pan halfway through baking. Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from "The How and Why Wonder Book of Sea Shells"

Written by Donalf F. Low

Illustrated by Cynthia and Alvin Koehler

1961, by Wonder Books, Inc.

This book comes from my local library.

Recipe: Baked Chicken with Peaches

2010-07-07T06:31:00.001-05:00

Yum, yum, yum! Oh this was sooo good having juicy peaches in every bite! Like all roasted dishes, this came together very quickly and was easy to make. The tricky part was cutting up the juicy peaches. I served this with fresh-picked sweet corn on the cob.

I was originally going to make Peachy Keen Chicken from Mommy Cooks! but didn't have all the ingredients I needed. I found this recipe at All Recipes.

BAKED CHICKEN WITH PEACHES
from All Recipes

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup brown sugar
4 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Place chicken in the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Place peach slices over chicken, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, ginger, cloves, and lemon juice.

Bake for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, basting often with juices, until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1962, Franklin Watts, Inc.

This book is from our local library.