Foodstuff and Homemaking Favourites

Today I am inspired by Becky to record some of the food and shopping choices that we are enjoying right now. 

From our garden and farm:
- free range chicken - still plenty in the freezer to get us through the summer
- Pigeon Lake whitefish - both fresh frozen and smoked
- garden peas, beans, corn and tomatoes
- saskatoons and raspberries from our bushes
- zucchini and beet relish, raspberry jam, rhubarb chutney, dill pickles, canned tomatoes, 4 kinds of salsa, sauerkraut and spaghetti sauce
- pumpkin and squash, still a few fresh ones hanging around
- potatoes, beets and carrots
- applesauce and apple pies

On the shelves of the pantry:
- canned peaches, pears and apricots from a trip to BC

In the freezer from Bob's BC fishing trip:
- a few packages of frozen halibut
- 2 salmon steaks

Items I bake or make from scratch:
- whole wheat buns
- squares, cakes and cookies
- granola

Purchased locally from farmers we know:
- beef
- pork

Purchased in bulk from Rancho Vignola:
- nuts including walnuts, pecans, almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
- coconut
- raisins and dried cranberries

Things I buy at Costco:
- Parmesan and jalapeno Havarti cheese
- steelhead trout
- hemp and chia seeds
- coconut water for smoothies
- coconut oil
- fresh spinach
- thin raisin bagels
- flour and sugar
- chocolate chips
- nacho chips and popcorn
- mixed salted nuts
- coffee

Groceries from Superstore or No Frills:
- most fresh produce, including lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, herbs, apples, oranges, bananas, grapes and lemons
- milk, cheeses and butter
- President's Choice Lemon Greek Yogurt
- canned goods
- frozen Cheemo perogies
- crackers
- mayonnaise and other condiments

Special treats from Safeway:
- fresh flowers
- organic carrots (when ours are used up)
- Stash teas
- ice cream

There it is - a little glimpse into where our food comes from these days!

Lists of 2012 - #38

Listography 2012 - #38 - Favourite Meals

1.  Shrimp and mushroom pizza

2.  Sweet and sour spareribs

3.  Roast chicken with dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy

4.  Homemade soup with fresh bread

5.  Sauerkraut with spareribs

6.  Ham with scalloped potatoes

7.  Taco salad

8.  Barbecued burgers and potato salad

9.  Chicken cacciatorie with mashed potatoes

10.  Lasagne

11.  Meatloaf and baked potatoes

12.  Salads (of all kinds)

Lists of 2012 - #33

Listography 2012 - #33 - The Best Snacks

1.  Nachos and cheese

2.  Fresh fruit

3.  Cheese, crackers and pickles

4.  Chocolate covered almonds

5.  Salted nuts

6.  Shrimp dip on crackers

7.  Seven layer Mexican dip

8.  Chicken wings

9.  Surprise spread

10.  Popcorn with butter

11.  Cookies

12.  Fresh veggies - yes, with dip :)

Five on Friday

1.  I made this Cheeseburger Salad, from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site, for supper this week.  It was very good and the surprise ingredient made for an interesting flavour boost.

(photo from Pioneer Woman's blog)

2.  And I made this Valentine Confetti too!  It's a perfect Valentine treat :)

(photo from Nest of Posies)

3.  I'm busy sewing with hearts these days :)

4.  I love when the fridge is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, all washed and ready to use.  I like opening the door just to look inside.

5.  Does anyone have any good suggestions for children's picture books that feature cats?  I'm on the hunt and would prefer if it was a realistic cat, not a cartoon one.  Thanks for your help!

Five on Friday

1.  Winfield Mighty Ducks - 7     Warburg Sharks - 3
It was a very good game by both sides - and our favourite player hustled like a trooper!

2.  Butternut Squash Ravioli, in all its red and yellow striped glory, from Costco is delicious.  I made a white sauce with onions, peppers and mushrooms to go over top and it was a quick but very yummy supper this week.  I highly recommend this pasta.

3.  The saskatoon tree in front of our house is hosting 3 big beautiful grosbeaks this week.  They love eating the leftover berries and it's cool to watch them work very diligently to nibble them off the stems.

4.  SouleMama showed this awesome Acorn Cakelet Pan (from Williams and Sonoma) with her pumpkin muffins this week.  It makes the sweetest shapes ever and definitely goes on my wish list!

5.  Bob's family is gathering for an early Christmas celebration tomorrow.  I've had to get in the Christmas spirit in a real hurry this week :)  Off to wrap three little gifts.

A Colorful Autumn Meal

Last week as we were having supper it struck me that our meal was very colorful and all homegrown!

Barbecued T-Bone Steak

Purple Potato with Yogurt, Cheese and Chives

Buttered Maple Syrup Carrots

Tomatoes and Sea Salt

Baked Apple with Ice Cream

This was our weekly 'special meal', celebrating the end of garden goodness and of silage season.

Ten on Friday - A Day Late

I know - I missed posting this yesterday, only because I was buried in trying to learn how to use masks with Photoshop Elements.  It didn't go well - I still can't figure out the last step - grrr!  Moving right along - - - -

1.  My nephew, Ed (you may have seen him in some of the quadding pictures), just finished some private photography lessons that his dad (my brother) had given him as a Christmas present.  So he invited us to come to a little gathering where some of his photos were exhibitted and where he shared a presentation of more of his amazing shots.  It was marvelous!!!  His work included abstracts, black and white, wildlife, scenery, people, closeups  - there was so much goodness.   It was delightful to see the passion he's developed for his camera and the patience and effort he puts into capturing sunrises, sunsets, bees, birds and so many other things.  It's hard to pick just one favourite - I would be happy to hang any one of the dozen or so enlargements he had on display!  It will be fun to watch where this hobby takes him, especially because his teacher has already used one of his closeups in a book on journalling that she is publishing!  Amazing, hey?!!  I am so glad that he invited us  to his show!

2.  Look who's riding in style!  Blake's daddy got this special bassinet that fits inside the jogging stroller so he can ride along.  It's the cutest thing ever!

3.  And look who's learning to ride a bike!  She got this 'run-bike' for her birthday and she's nearly got it mastered already.

It has small tires and no pedals and she's learning how to balance and steer.  Apparently it's way easier for kids to master a two-wheeler this way.  Going down the hill is lots of fun as she lifts her legs and coasts along!

4.  Our fridge is filled with fresh cherries, blueberries, raspberries, carrots, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes and beets!  It was Farmer's Market day today.

5.  We got just over 2" of rain this week - and things look so green and vibrant now.  I may have to cut the grass tomorrow.

6.  I found a great recipe for Spiced Rhubarb Chutney and I have 6 jars of it ready to put away on my shelves.  It was delicious with the salmon we had one night.

7.  Helayna is coming to visit us next week - and we have alot of fun planned :))  Grampa has to do a little building tomorrow to get one of the projects ready.

8.  Over at the photography blog,  Her Space My Space His Space, this week, one of the assignments was to photograph something that reminds you of the number 3.  Here's my take!

9.  We cut the grass this week at some property that my parents own and as we sat at the picnic table afterwards, these little guys crossed the lawn about 100 feet away from us.  I was praying that Mama wouldn't spot me!  There must have been 8 or 9 babies with her!

10.  Last night's supper was this Stuffed Hamburger Roll.  You start with a meatloaf mixture, pat it into a rectangle, make a vegetable stuffing and put it on top, then roll it up, bake and glaze near the end of cooking.   It looked great and tasted superb.  I'll make it again, for sure!!

Summer Eating

Homemade multigrain foccacia bread + roasted red pepper dip + cheddar cheese + seasoned, sliced tomatoes = summer goodness

And if you have the inclination, here's a delicious summer salad that I made last weekend.  

It's a bit unusual but the flavours are superb together!  Did you know that barley is a nutrition powerhouse?!

Mandarin Barley Salad

(from www.progressivefoods.ca and www.canolainfo.org)

1 cup uncooked quick-c0oking barley (I bought mine at Nutter's, a bulk food store)

1 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup diced celery

1/4 cup sliced green onion

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tbsps. cider vinegar

2 tbsps. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1 can (11 ozs.) mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Bring stock to a boil, add quick-cooking barley.  Continue boiling for 1 minute, cover and simmer for 9 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to stand until barley is tender or liquid has been completely absorbed.  ( I  let mine stand while I prepared the rest of the ingredients.)  Allow to cool.  Meanwhile, saute' mushrooms in 1 tsp. canola oil and cool.  In a bowl, combine the barley, mushrooms, celery and onions.  In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, soy sauce and salt.  Shake well.  Pour over barley mixture and stir to coat.  Gently stir in oranges and almonds.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.  Serves 4.  Leftovers keep well.  

Good Food

Or maybe it should be - Food that's good for you!

A couple of times this week I've come across lists of foods that are good for you that you should be including in your meals.  Bob and I are always reading about food and he's the one who does extensive online research.  I think these ideas are interesting to consider and worth sharing with you.

1.  Onions - help with cholesterol levels, especially in elevating the 'good' HDL.

2.  Celery - for high blood pressure.

3.  Cinnamon - close to insulin in chemical composition, it helps your body effectively use the natural insulin.  I've known for awhile that cinnamon can assist with diabetes prevention.

4.  Cloves - help the body handle sugar and act like a blood thinner.

5.  Mustard - specifically the curcumin (the reason mustard is yellow) which may help prevent cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

And here's a list of some foods you should include in your diet several times every week:

- beets

- pumpkin seeds

- dried plums

- cabbage

- pomegranates

- blueberries

- pumpkin

- tumeric

- garlic

- onions

- oatmeal

- pears

So, how many have you used so far this week?  

Food, Glorious Food!

Have you heard of this amazing product?



It's Norwex Fresh Wash and Heather and I love it! When you bring your produce home from the grocery store, fill a sink with cold water and add 4 or 5 squirts of this product. Soak your fruits and vegetables for at least 30 seconds (or longer) and their shelf life will be 2 or 3 times longer than if you store them unwashed. It really works!! I filled the sink tonight and started with the fruit - grapes, strawberries, apples and pears. After about 5 minutes, I took them out and laid them on a layered teatowel so they could dry. Then I put green onions, celery, asparagus and peppers in the water. After about 5 minutes (or longer, depending on where I get sidetracked to!), I laid them on a towel and put a head of green leaf lettuce in the water to soak. Then I drained the water, bagged all the produce and put it in the fridge. I had some red grapes that were purchased last Friday, soaked in the Fresh Wash and were still in perfect condition today. Since I started using this, I find myself using way more produce because it's already washed and ready to use. And I have virtually nothing go bad in the fridge. The product is bio-based, all natural and biodegradable. It's great to remove the waxy film that is on apples and other fruit. It's sold at home parties (along with other awesome natural cleaning cloths and products) and you can go to www.norwex.com to find a dealer near you.

So, how about a couple of recipes that you might enjoy for your weekend entertaining?! I made these two dishes to take to my brother-in-law's 50th birthday party tomorrow. We're going to be quadding - and seeing if we can get stuck in the mud and snowdrifts! My contributions to supper are these appetizers, both from the amazing book "Eat, Shrink and Be Merry".

The Big Dipper (layered shrimp dip)

1 tub (8 oz./250 g) garden vegetable spreadable cream cheese
2 cups light sour cream
1 1/2 cups chunky style salsa (mild, medium or hot)
1 cup packed medium cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped romaine or other crunchy lettuce
1 1/2 cups coarseley chopped cooked large shrimp
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives (optional)

Beat together cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over bottom of a serving platter. (You could use a glass lasagna dish.)
Spoon salsa over sour cream layer and spread to the edges, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Top salsa with shredded cheese, then chopped lettuce, followed by shrimp. Sprinkle tomatoes, green onions and black olives over shrimp.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with baked tortilla chips or thick slices of bell peppers and cucumber rounds. Multigrain melba toast rounds are also a tasty accompaniment.
Tip: use a thick sour cream for this dip, so the bottom layer will better support the other ingredients. If the salsa is too runny, drain some of the liquid before spreading it on the sour cream layer. Use large shrimp - even though you are chopping them, they'll look much nicer and more impressive than teensy, weensy shrimp.

Makes 12 servings.

Lord of the Wings

12 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2.5 lbs.) I used chicken wings
1/3 cup your favourite barbecue sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. liquid honey
2 tbsp. lemon or lime juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. chili powder
4 to 5 dashes hot pepper sauce (optional)
1 tsp. cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9 X 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
If using chicken thighs - trim fat and cut each thigh in half. If using wings - trim tips and cut apart at wing joint.
Place pieces in a single layer in prepared baking pan - I had a few more so ended up with 2 layers.
Whisk together barbecue sauce, soy sauce, mustard, honey, lemon juice, garlic, chili powder ad hot pepper sauce in a small bowl. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken pieces.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, turning pieces after 20 minutes and 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked and sauce is bubbly. Arrange chicken on a platter and keep warm. Pour sauce from pan into a small pot. Combine cornstarch with 2 tsp. water and mix until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture into sauce. Bring to a boil and whisk constantly until mixture has thickened (won't take long). Serve wings with extra sauce for dipping.
These are delicious and will disappear fast!

Sorry I don't have any pictures (Pioneer Woman would be disappointed in me!) - I totally forgot to take some!

Bon Appetit! Have a great weekend, wherever you are!

365 Project

January 29



Tonight's supper was Grilled Steelhead Trout from here (we visited last week) and Speckled Pasta - delish!!

Recipe Time!

I made this great grilled pork tonight so here's the recipe for you to try. It was super easy and very tasty. I didn't have a mango so substituted a peach and it was just delicious.

The Grill of My Dreams

Marinade
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp. liquid honey
1 tbsp. grated gingerroot
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 medium zucchini
3 large bell peppers (orange, yellow and green)
1 medium mango, peeled and sliced into wedges
baby spinach leaves, optional

Whisk marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Reserve 2 - 3 tbsp. marinade for basting and as a dressing(there's not too much marinade so just reserve a little bit). Place pork in a large, heavy-duty, resealable plastic bag. Add marinade and seal bag. Turn bag several times to coat with marinade. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Preheat grill to medium-high setting. Slice unpeeled zucchini lengthwise into four long strips. Seed peppers and cut each one in half. Place pork on a grill rack that has been coated with cooking spray or lightly brushed with oil. Grill meat until it's nicely browned on the outside and just slightly pink in the center, about 16 minutes. Be careful not to overcook pork. Add peppers and zuccchini for the last 8 minutes. Turn vegetables once to grill both sides and baste with some of the reserved marinade.

Remove pork and vegetables from grill and let pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile slice peppers into thick slices and cut zucchini strips in half. Place vegetables in a large bowl, and add mango, thinly sliced pork and a bit of reserved marinade. Toss well. Serve on a bed of baby spinach leaves, if desired. Top with freshly ground black pepper.

From Eat, Shrink and Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski
Sorry I don't have any pictures - I was in a rush to get to the book club organizational meeting!!

Oops!

What did you have for supper tonight?

I bought groceries at Safeway's 10% Tuesday tonight after school and while I was packing them into the house, I dropped the watermelon!! It split pretty much in half so I was able to salvage it without too much mess. Bob and I ate nearly half of it for supper - not exactly how I had planned to serve it but it was delicious! It didn't look quite as good as this one :( Man, I can be such a klutz!!

And if you could say a prayer for Heather and Jonathan and their neighbors that would be great. The house just 3 doors away from them was struck by lightning during a storm tonight and caught on fire. The fire department came and it was raining so I don't think it spread. I haven't heard from them in the last hour or so - hopefully it wasn't too bad and everyone is safe. Heather thought the people weren't home at the time. I'm sure she'll update us tomorrow.

What's in your 'cupboard'?

"Everyone has a cupboard full of food memories that evoke a sense of family and home. We call them our comfort foods." Johanna Burkhard in Canadian Living, Feb. 07

In my cupboard:
- Shepherd's Pie
- Chicken Cacciatorie
- Swiss Steak
- Roast Chicken
- Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
- Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
- 24 Hour Salad
- fresh baked buns
- perogies
- cabbage rolls
- my mom's pies
- Gramma's doughnuts
- Fiddle Diddle Cookies
- Pinwheel Cookies (only made at Christmas time)

So, tell me what's in your 'cupboard'?

Afternoons in the Kitchen

Here's what I created in 2 hours in the kitchen! From the front are Elvis Cupcakes, Lemon Coconut Cupcakes, Rich Chocolate Cupcakes and Raisin Spice Cupcakes. They will be iced and then served at Wednesday's staff meeting. Maybe I can open a little bakeshop someday!! Inspiration came from Shimelle's blog and recipes are from Country Woman magazine, January/February 07 issue. Oh, and they all taste delicious - in case you are wondering!!

Happy Meal!

When Mel was home, she shared this awesome recipe with me! It was the first time I'd ever made pesto (I know, I know) and it was easy, peasy. There was a bit of pesto leftover so I added some cream to it and used it for tonight's supper. I guarantee that this will become a favorite of yours - go ahead, try it!!

Spaghetti with Walnuts and Parsley Pesto

1 lb. spahetti (or enough to feed your family)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 c. Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
1 med. cucumber, peeled , seeded and finely chopped
Cook pasta, keep warm.
Toast walnuts in skilled, 3 - 4 minutes until fragrant.
Place parsley, oil, lemon juice, garlic, and cheese in food processor (or small blender container). Pulse until sauce is formed. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer warm pasta to bowl. Add pesto, walnuts and cucumber. Toss lightly to combine. Enjoy!!!
(If you have too much pesto sauce for 1 meal, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container until next time.)