If you’ve been around my blog long enough, you’ve no doubt noticed that my posts are quite seasonal (and often begin with a mention of the weather, which got quite cool last week, then warm again, and has evened out now). As a result, there tends to be a theme over the course of any given few weeks. Stone fruits in the summer, greens and such in spring, and right now? Apples.
Growing up where we are in Southern Ontario, every March brought with it a few things. The promise of spring, a break from school, and a trip to the Sugar Bush. I think we went every year, at least through grade 5 or 6. And I can recall going a few other times, either with family or with a local community group.
By grade 3 I could have given the tour. I probably still could. From the hollowed out birch troughs in which fire heated stones were dropped into pure sap, over and over, until just the syrup remained, to the innovation that was the tap, allowing trees to be harmlessly relieved of their nectar season after season, to the modern plastic piping and glorious sugar shacks where the liquid was carefully tended to ensure the end result would be properly viscous and sweet. The process is time consuming, but can even be tackled at home, if you have a couple of sugar maple trees. Don’t believe me? Read this wonderful post by my friend Tiffany at Eating Niagara (then follow her blog – you won’t be sorry), Continue reading
These squares excite me.What? I know, they don’t look exciting. In fact, they look like a paler cousin of the date square. And yeah, they are. But they excite me because they’re full of possibility. From the filling to the crust to the topping, they can be changed up in so many ways to make them completely different.
I was originally going to use a mix of dried figs and apricots in them, until I realized that my daughter had eaten the apricots. But already I’m wondering about other fruits. Like dried cherries! Oh.my.gosh. Can you imagine? If you love cherries like I do, you’ll understand my excitement. Continue reading
Meyer Lemon SeasonIt’s that time of year again. Meyer lemons are everywhere. Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter… Oh, and in grocery stores. Thought to be a cross between a lemon and possibly a Mandarin orange, Meyer lemons are a delight. They are less tart than their pure counterparts, and have a delightful floral quality that brings so much to dishes that they’re used in. Continue reading
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.
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The raspberries weren’t just pretty – they provided a really nice tart contrast to the sweet, luscious maple flavour.
It’s been hot lately in Southern Ontario. Like 45C with the humidity hot (that’s roughly 113 degrees American). I took a bit of the first hot pepper from the garden the other night and discovered that they they do an amazing job of storing the heat of the day within their walls. Yeowch!
In an effort to beat the heat, I decided to make ice cream. If you ask my husband, our ice cream machine is an appliance that is not used enough. I like ice cream, but not as much as he does. Continue reading
My Edible Journey 