Follow up

Looks good, tasted good...probably not worth all the calories, that's my verdict. If it is possible for something to be too cheesy, this possibly was. It was too spicy for Lochlan, but Andrew loved it. I did not end up making the cake as we had made sugar cookies and just had too much food.

Valentines Menu

I do like to go out for dinner, but I also liketo stay in for special dinners and try arecipe I wouldn't usually try. This year the menu is going to sound funny, but I have been wanting to try this recipe and have been waiting because it takes a LOT of cheese making it expensive and hard on the waist line. I find a lot of recipes from American chefs are expensive because in the states cheese, meat and alcohol are much cheeper than Canada. For example this recipe takes a total of one and half lb of cheese, making it about $15 alone on cheese.
Anyways I am making Spicy Macaroni and Cheese by Chef Sunny Anderson, which I saw her make on " The Thing I ever Made-Comfort Food".
The recipe also take whip cream and half and half, I am sure there are a lot of substitutions you could make, but as it is Valentines day I am sticking to the list. The total cost for the recipe is probably about $20-25 which isn't bad as it will feed 3 of us plus leftovers (maybe?) so still cheeper than eating out.

For Desert we are having Pineapple Upside Down Cake, which is something I love, but have never made. I got the:)

Funny to make Macaroni for Valentines day, but its what both my boys love and I think it will be tasty. I should post a review and photo tomorrow.

Ginger Tip

One of my favorite tools in my kitchen is my microplaner. It is good for garlic, cheese, nutmeg, and lemon, to name a few. Recently I was watching Chef at Home, with Chef Michael Smith and he offered a tip which I tried and LOVE and that is to freeze fresh ginger root and then grate it for use. This is brilliant, so I wanted to share. Perfect for tea, sauces and of course gingerbread. No stringy bits or chunks, no need to peel it or anything, just freeze and grate. One thing I would note is if you are adding it to baking, I would add it to the wet ingredients rather than the dry.

Back in the game

Alright after a 5 month hiatus, I am feeling like I am with it enough to get a few more posts out. I have a list of ideas and a folder full photos. My priority is a job interview tomorrow, and then I can crank out some long awaited content (at least by one reader).

For that one reader here is a photo update on the pea pod project .

More crochet

I am really into fast projects, I never (finish) make things like afghahns because they take too long and I get board, (I started one for my first son and have about 18 inches done and everytime I pick it up I have to relearn the pattern and lose interest). Hats and bibs are nice because I can crank them out in one or two evenings of watching TV.
At one point I had to take a break from crochetting because eveyone I knew had been given a toque or scarf (or both).  It's probably time to start up again. I have started making bibs though which are fun and then I just save them for baby gifts. I have made some failed bootie attempts as well, but getting two things to look the same... just too much fidgetting. My sister bought me a book for socks and slippers so I may try more of those this winter, she also got me some patterns for making patterned blocks, which would make cute bibs, and also could be put on t-shirts or shopping/tote bags.
Anyways, just my thoughts on stuff I crochet and a couple of recent bibs.

Nesting

I thought I would put a few photos up of the projects I have finished while being at home.  I bought a pattern to make the peapod bunting bag, and it was way too small to put any baby in, I bought the right yarn and had the right hook size and there is no way a baby could fit into it. So this one I made up and it's basically like an adult sized toque that I crochetted to 18 inches and added a hood. Hopefully this one fits our new baby. I then made a little cap for our first sone, I am hoping to get a couple of good pictures with my two little peas, and will post them later.

Lists

So one thing I am working on today is lists, I love making lists; I even making lists of things I have done, just so I can cross them off . I once bought this really cool book for my sister call listography, where it gives you topics of lists to write, which lead me to discover their website, which is also kind of fun, you can create endless lists and look at other people's lists.
Here is a list of lists I am working on today

• Things to buys for our baby when I know its a boy or a girl (so after it is born)-this helps me resist the urge to buy things now and up with more ambiguously coloured/patterned unisex items
• Things to buy before I go to the hospital (newborn diapers etc.)
• Baby names Andrew and I both like (still don't have a boy's name settled)
• A new list of songs I like for running to (when I am finally able to exerise again), can you tell I am dying to get my prebaby body back?
• Books/authors I saw in Indigo that I want to check the library for
• General things to do

Uninspired

I cannot believe how I have had no motivation to add to this, I am hoping it is my pregancy combined with working full time and being a full time mother on top of the day job. Anyhow at almost 36 weeks I am no longer working my day job as per Dr.'s orders and should have some time to record some thoughts and ideas.
That being said I feel like I am still catching my breath and sorting myself out.

After being off work for less than a week (my son is still going to his Grandparents during the week also as per Dr.s orders) I have actually started and finished reading a book......I don't think I have actually done this in 2 years!!! I am a really fast reader and I can honestly not get through 3 pages of a book  by the time I get two seconds to myself.
Anyways my mother leant me a copy of The Help by Kathryn Stockett and I loved it, I love all books about the South, I don't know why maybe it's the way people talk, maybe because of all the warm weather and Lemonade they drink. I loved the Secret Life of Bees, the Divine Secrets of the Yayas and of course Fried Green Tomatos.  Anyways the book is fiction, but I still can't believe that only about 20 years before I was born people lived that way.

I have no deep thoughts or desire to reflect on the question in the back, I am just happy a read through a whole book, that didn't have pictures.

There may be a few more posts like this where I am getting my groove back on how to think out loud, I definatley owe some thoughts to Clever Mama's right now, so I will have to collect my thoughts there as well ( of course while putting my feet up). I am thinking about "tips on living in a 800 squarefoot appartment with a family of 4".

Blogging at Clever Mamas

I am somewhat embarassed at the state of this blog now that I have traffic directed over here from Clever Mama's where I was recently invited to be a contibuting blogger.
I have barely posted since Christmas. I did take a lot of picture over the Christmas holidays in order to blog(will likely now save them for next Christmas); but having got pregnant I have barely had the energy to get anything done.

Now at 19 weeks I am hoping to feel a little more with it to get some new content out.

Meal Planning

For the last couple of years I have been pretty bad about meal planning, but latley after chats about staying on budget and watching trips to the grocery store, Andrew and I have agreed to try the once a week shop to cut down on the frequent triops with hungry impulse buys.

This weeks meal plan with hyperlinks when possible goes like this

Sunday-Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Fennel, mashed potatoes and green salad
Monday -Thai Chicken Soup (with leftover chicken from Sunday)
Tuesday-Perogies and farmer sausage
Wednesday Goulash, rice and green salad
Thursday Baked Potato Soup, and green chef's salad
Friday- Capatavi pasta with Alfredo sauce, chicken and bacon (Andrew's favorite-no recipe as the sauce comes out f a jar, its pretty much a heat and serve dinner).

I don't usually predecide which days will be which meals, usually I pick 5 recipes based on ingredients I currently have so that I don't need to pick up as many ingredients when I shop; I also shop the fliers and usually manage to save 30% off my bill each week with sale items or coupons. In this case I had to cook the chicken first as it was fresh so that decided meal order a bit. In general we're not big on leftovers in our house, but I do try to have some leftovers for the next days lunch.
I like to have at least one new recipe and a few quick dinner ideas for the nights when I don't have much time (Perogies or pasta).

Pizza Chili

I got this recipe fro the "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow" cookbook by Stephanie O'dea, so if you like it check out her other recipes in her books or website, A Year of Slowcooking.

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (browned)
1 jar (500 ml) Pizza/Pasta sauce
1 can(14 oz) Diced or crushed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans (I drained and rinsed them)
Pepperoni-I used two links from the deli, but you could use more. I cut them length wise into 1/4 s and then chopped them into tiny pieces, mostly for the flavor. I used regular because of Lochlan, but you could use spicy if you like.
1 Bell Pepper (any colour), chopped
2 t Italian seasoning (or your own blend of Basil and Oregano
1 C water (optional)

Shredded Mozzarella for serving.

Combine first 7-8 ingredients (I used crushed tomatoes so I did not add the water, I think it would also depend how thick your pizza sauce is, so it’s your call). Cook in your slow cooker on low for 5-8 hours.

Serve in bowls and mix 1/4 of shredded cheese into each bowl.
So easy yet so tasty, plus lots of room for improvising.
Enjoy!

Note: Another Pizza recipe that is a big hit in our house (and any house we take it to ) is the Pizza dip recipe from Eat Shrink and Be Merry, which is another staple cookbook in my kitchen.

A new Christmas tradition Rock Buns

A few years ago I purchased The Gentle Art of Domesticity *by Jane Brocket (at the recommendation of my friend Jill on a post I cannot now find on her blog) as a gift for  Mary, my husband's mother and a good friend of mine (I dislike the term Mother-in-law).  Mary and I love this book , because it is all about crafting and creature comforts.

One of these such things is Rock Buns, which have now become a seasonal treat in our house that are much enjoyed warm out of the oven with a glass of scotch.

They are sort of like scones or a giant cookie made with candied fruit and peel, and lots of spices. They are nothing like fruit cake, but are very rich and sweet (made with brown sugar), our whole family loves them.

All that being said I am not going to post the recipe, because I feel they are a unique recipe (maybe only in Canada) and needs to go along with the story in her book of the place they have in their (the authors) family.

My own mother visited Mary and discovered the book as well and so I sent her a copy last Christmas.
Recently I purchase Jane's newest book Turkish Delight And Treasure Hunts  for Mary's birthday, which features recipes from children's books. I have not read it yet, but Mary says it is quite cute. I did take a peak and the first recipe was Pickled Limes from Little Woman, which I have always been curious about and am dying to try.

*Note: If you do purchase this book, beware that when converting the recipes from English to American measurements there were some errors made and you should print a copy of the corrections .

Oreo Cookie Fudge

This is an amazingly tasty recipe from my friend Carrie who makes it every Chritmas and gives to her (lucky) friends, she has moved to Ontario so this year I will have to make it myself.....and possibly share. Carrie made it in the microwave (you could to), but I choose to make it on the stove. I am just waiting to buy a really square pan as my 8x8 has really rounded edges that make weird bars.

Anyways, an easy recipe, great for sharing and even better for eating.

8 squares of semi-sweet  or unsweetened chocolate or the equivalent in chocolate chips


1 can of sweetened condensed milk (evaporated)
2 tbsp vanilla extract

10 Oreo cookies cut into chunks

parchment paper


Put condensed milk and chocolate in sauce pan and heat for until choclate is melted. Stir. Add vanilla. Stir. add cookie pieces. Stir


Pour into a parchment lined 8x8 or 9x9 square pan. Cool in fridge. Cut into squares.

Recipe Exchange

Recently I participated in a recipe exchange (which never work for me), and I actually got a recipe (for the first time out of about 5). It looks super easy tasty,  and I am very excited to try it. I thought I would share.

Crockpot Swiss Chicken Casserole

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 4 slices swiss cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups stuffing mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

lightly grease crockpot with cooking spray. place chicken breasts in crockpot. top each breast with cheese. spoon soup over cheese and sprinkle with stuffing mix. drizzle melted butter over stuffing mix. cook on low 6-7 hours.

Super easy and quite yummy. Serve with a salad and/or steamed broccoli. Makes great leftovers.

Shrimp Mango Curry

1 Tbsp hard margarine or butter

1 Ripe medium mango, chopped

1/2 cup Onion, chopped

3/4 cup Celery, chopped

1 Garlic clove (or 1/4 tsp powder)

3 Tbsp All-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp Curry paste

1 tsp Chili paste

1 1/3 cups Coconut milk

1/2 cup Dark Raisins

2 cups Prepared Chicken broth

1 1/2 lbs. Raw large shrimp (tails intact), peeled and deveined

1/4 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed

Melt margarine in wok or frying pan on medium-high. Add mango, onion, celery and garlic. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until onion is golden.

Add flour, curry paste and chili paste. Stir. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often.

Gradually add coconut milk, raisins and broth, stirring constantly, until boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Add shrimp, salt and brown sugar. Stir. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring continually, until shrimp turns pink and is curled. Do not overcook. Makes about 7 cups. Serve with rice.

Apple Crisp

I can never find a good Crisp recipe when I want one, so I now have my own formula for a really good Streusel topping; I like it with big crunchy pieces. This is quick and only uses one bowl, so there is not a lot of clean up. It is also a tasty breakfast the next day.
Filling

3-4 apples (I use Gala-if using other kind of apple they may require more flour as Galas do not have a lot of juice)
¼ C Flour
1T White Sugar
2 t cinnamon

Topping

1/3 C Flour
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
¼ C Butter
½ c Cup Oats

To do
Peel, core and slice apple and mix in a bowl with remaining filling ingredients.

Arrange apples in greased pie dish or other smallish casserole dish (8x8), pour any remaining flour over top of apples.
In same bowl cut butter into flour and sugar until crumbly and mix in oats. Pour over apples and pat down.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serves 2-3

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

This was my version of the pumpkin pasta recipe on the Jaime Oliver site.

This has a very mild flavor. You could make it without the wine, but I would substitute apple, orange juice or stock for more flavors. You could also add a pinch of cinnamon; I just prefer to have a very savory taste myself.

• ½ small Pumpkin cooked (about 1 & 1/2 C)
• 1/3 cup Dry white wine
• 1 whole roasted garlic *
• Salt
• Fresh Basil (4-5 leaves)
• 2-3 T milk/cream
• 2 T butter

 Blend the first 5 ingredients in the blender add milk as needed to get desired consistency, pour into sauce pan heat and add butter. Cook until heated through (do not boil).

 

Mix with favorite cooked pasta and veggies.

NOTE: As this sauce is just heated through and not boiled, it is not reccomended that you serve this to children as the alcohol will not have cooked off.

*(to roast garlic, cut top off, pour olive oil over/in, wrap in foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes).

All Things Pumpkin

One of my favorite things about fall, is all the pumpkinny flavorued things that are available, pumpkin spiced lattés, pumpkin scones, pumkin ravioli…to name a few of my favorite.

I thought I would list of few of my pumpkin endeavors and one that I plan to try when I carve up my pumpkin that has sat on our dining room table for all of October as our decorative centre piece.

Pumpkin WafflesThese I tried last year or the year before and they were a keeper. They are absolutely delish with butter and maple syrup. This year I made and froze some for Lochlan and then I can just pop them in the toaster for a quick yummy snack or lunch.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins with Streusel Topping
These I made a few mini ones, and a few loaf shaped ones and I have to say they were so rich, I should have stuck with a smaller size, the mini loaves were waaaay too intense. Also the Streusel topping was a bit much, they would be just as tasty without it I think.

Pumpkin Pasta from Jamie Oliver's website
I may make some adaptations to this, but will post later on how it goes.

Beef Stew with Variations

This is a new favorite in our house and I have tried it a few different ways.

• 1 lb stewing beef 
• Olive Oil
• Salt & pepper
• flour
• 1 can beer (Pale Ale)
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 2 cups mixed veggies of your creative choice (see ideas below)
• Fresh rosemary
• 1/8 t ground cloves (Do not over do this)
• 2 cups Tortellini
• Water

More Traditional Version

1. Brown beef in olive oil in a skillet, season with salt and pepper add 2-3 T of flour and scrape (all) into crock pot
2. Pour beer over top, add veggies (potatoes, carrots and celery) and enough water to cover all. Stir in onion soup and herbs; cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours
3. 30 minutes prior to eating boil tortellini in water until cooked, drain and add to stew

Fresh Market Veggie Version

1. Brown beef in olive oil in a skillet, season with salt and pepper and add into crock pot
2. Pour beer over top, add veggies (sliced red carrots, golden beets). Stir in onion soup and herbs(no cloves); cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours
3. 30 minutes prior to eating boil tortellini in water until cooked, drain and add to stew

4.  Stir fry greens (beet tops or spinach), red peppers and green onions until wilted and add in

Saucy Squash Created

Yesterday my sister was over watching Lochlan for me and she put some Squash in the oven, and then left.
Usually I have to have a plan when I cook Squash because Andrew doesn't eat it. Anyways, we were having pasta for dinner so I thought I would try making a sauce and if Andrew didn't like it, I would give him something out of a jar. The final product was really yummy, and even Andrew the squash hater liked it (and didn't realize it was Squash). The next night I made it again but made it a bit thicker and used it as a layer in Shepherds pie, which was also a hit.

Ingredients:
1 half roasted Butternut Squash
Milk
1 clove garlic
1 T butter
1/4 C-1/3 C Parmesan Cheese

Puree Squash in blender and add milk until sauce is desired consistancy and add garlic. Pour into saucepan and heat over stove ;add butter and cheese, stir until hot  (not boiled).

Toss with favorite pasta, or pour over steamed veggies; I may try using this sauce as a layer in a veggie lasagne.