Easing into the season

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And now, on to Christmas…

Well, not exactly.  It’s just a tick early, even for me, to start Christmas full on.  We did put up our outdoor lights this weekend, but that was more about grasping an opportunity during some very balmy weather than about getting festive.  They won’t be turned on for a couple of weeks.

Where my heart is at right now is easing into it all.  Autumn is still here (well, today feels like spring, but that’s beside the point).  The trees are pretty bare now, though.  There hasn’t been snow yet (to be fair, there was none last year at all).  But it’s there, just on the horizon (I hope).  With red and green and jingling bells and parties and Advent readings and baking. Continue reading →

Ginger Oatmeal Cookies

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I know it’s just dough, but look at the sunshine!

As I type this, the sun is streaming through my kitchen window.  A welcome sight, to be sure.  After over a week without so much as a glimmer from the golden orb, I am soaking up what I can.  It’s still chilly, though.  Which is again welcome after the balmy pre-Christmas season, through into the New Year that we experienced last year.  There was nary a flake to be seen, and winter coats were a formality, rather than a necessity.  This cool weather has inspired me to start baking. Continue reading →

Bread and Storm

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Waiting on the storm

The wind just picked up.  By the time I publish this I’m sure it will be raining, perhaps heavily, with strong wind gusts and a flurry of leaves whipping past the windows.  Hurricane Sandy, the so called “Frankenstorm” (don’t get me started on how I feel about such a trivial name for something that has already killed and is still causing destruction at this moment) is bearing down on us.  By the time it reaches us Southern Ontario it won’t be a hurricane anymore, but it will be a force to be reckoned with. Continue reading →

Practice Bagels

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(scroll down for an update on my 40th birthday plans)

I have a culinary bucket l  It’s not terribly long, though I do add to it on occasion.  I blogged a bit about it on A Single Step (the blog my inner everything else booted my inner foodie from earlier this year).  Looking back on the post, I see that not only have I not tackled much, I didn’t mention bagels on there.

They look so simple.  Dough.  I can make dough.  Roll & shape.  Bob Blumer learned to shape bagels in no time on his show.  How hard can it be?   Boil.  Easy.  Bake.  Great, I’ve got it nailed.

Culinary ego is so cute, isn’t it?  Here’s a pic of my shaping attempt, post-boil, to cure that in a hurry.

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Peanut allergy and a request

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The journey begins

There is no history of food allergies in our families.  We had no reason to suspect anything when we gave our darling son some peanut butter toast at 11 months old.  At the time, the jury was out on whether or not parents should give peanut butter to youngsters or wait until they’re 25 before attempting it. Continue reading →

Canning Swap

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Niagara In Jars

You have to understand a bit about Tiffany.  To say that she’s passionate about local food is like saying the Queen is rather fond of Corgis.  This gal has almost single-handedly turned the spark of interest I had for local food into a full blown evangelistic flame.  My Twitter feed (the food part, anyway) is largely made up of people I’ve met through or because of her.  A bit of a Six Degrees of Eating Niagara, if you will (that’s her Twitter handle – @EatingNiagara).

If you read here and here you’ll learn what Niagara In Jars is.  In the most basic sense, it’s just a canning swap.  If you don’t know much about canning and preserving, then that may not seem like much.  Make some jam to give away, take some salsa home…  But if you know what goes into putting up the season’s harvest, and the heart of someone who wants to preserve local foods for when they’re not in season, you can appreciate what it is to give away some of what you’ve worked hard to keep.  And what it is to take home the efforts of another who has worked equally hard to preserve what they value from the harvest.  There’s a love and a passion there.  It’s community, taken to another level. Continue reading →

Beef and Beer Stew

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It really is autumn

As I type this, the furnace is gently warming our home.  It feels too early, but it also means that the summer heat has left (for good?), so I’m choosing to embrace it.

Our garden has been hit or miss this year.  The tomatoes?  Wonderful.  The beans?  Yeah, not so much.  Though today I did harvest a dozen or so dried Canadian Wonder pods.  They’re a kidney type bean, which our son asked to grow this year.  He loves them in chili.  Our herbs have done well, too.  The Thai basil varieties that we grew were a delight, and the oregano in my planter box came back with vigour this summer.  The thyme (both regular and lemon) were potent with the summer heat, and our Cotton Candy mint didn’t disappoint. Continue reading →

Maple and Spice Chai Tea Loaf

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As predicted, the weather has cooled significantly.  It’s wonderful.  It was 10C when I got up this morning and I welcomed the ever so slight nip in the air.  Yesterday was the first day in… I don’t know how long that not one of our ceiling fans was on (we have one in nearly every room).  It’s pre-Autumn, and I’m loving it.

In honour of the weather and how it inspires me, I went looking for a loaf recipe using Autumn spices and Chai for our homeschool moms night.  No pumpkin, though.  The lone specimen we’ve managed to grow isn’t quite ready yet (though on inspection it’s closer than I thought).  I should just keep tins of pumpkin puree on hand, I think. Continue reading →

Autumn Pinspiration

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There may not be as much chill in the air as I’d like, but it has begun to cool. Monday promises a 19C day and a 13C night (that’s 66 and 55 degrees American respectively).  It’s currently 26C with a “feels like” (formerly the humidex) of 34 (93F).  At least there’s a breeze. Continue reading →

Tomato Time

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Potted tomato success!

I am so chuffed to be writing this.  I’ve never had success with tomatoes grown in pots, but this year I was determined to make it work.  Looking back over the season, there have been more hits than misses, and I’m rather proud of how our plants fared.

Summer has gone by quickly, but it seems like forever ago that we drove out to Tree And Twig Heirloom Vegetable Farm to buy our tomato plants.  Having perused farmer Linda’s extensive list ahead of time, and cross referenced for mainly determinate plants that would suit pots, I chose nine plants (six varieties) and with much care, potted them up (determinate plants require less support, as they do not continue to reach skyward, but rather grow to a set size and set fruit). Continue reading →