Happy Pie Day!

I love a good slice of pie (or 2 ... or 3 even). My Mom made the most wonderful pie crust:  crisp and flakey, not too "fatty" -- a perfect crust! "It's easy," she'd say to me.  But I could never replicate it.

When I was an at-home Mum in Nova Scotia in the late 80's (the apple capital of the world), we'd buy huge 20 lb bags of apples in the fall for under $10. I would bake pie after pie after pie and gift some to friends; but I'd always have at least half a dozen in the freezer. I've gotten out of the habit and my pie crust isn't as good as it used to be, so I don't bake many pies now a days.

But I still love a good pie; and it hardly matters what flavor (although I will choose cherry a la mode if it's available). My ex's mother used to make the most wonderful squash pie (substitute for pumpkin) -- spicy, deep and rich. And I'm always on the look out for the best coconut cream. 

Not my pie but mine is similar
and tastes just as good!

Today's lunch is pie! Yesterday I decided to add some cornbread to the top of my chili and VOILA! Instant (cheater) tamale pie, a favorite savory pie in our household! 

And oh, couldn't you just swoon at the sight and taste of a good meat-filled hand pie. The Farmer's Market in Lunenburg NS sold the most wonderful hand-pies. The perfect lunch huh:  so convenient and comforting and delicious!


I don't know about your area, but I haven't heard of anyone giving out free pie today. Darn!!! But I hope that you do get to eat pie today in whatever form you enjoy.

When replacements are better ....

I'd like to introduce you to my new and improved family .....

Chihiro (who you've already met) on the left, me in the middle and Saerom (Korea) on the right ..... my replacement student for the Princess.

And believe you-me: this replacement is such a wonderful improvement on my short-lived Colombian daughter. 

Poor Saerom; she arrived when I was just beginning my recent bout with the "black death" flu bug. I mostly just slept, lay on the couch and thawed previously prepared dinners. But she was a darling: always asking if I need tea, water or anything else. She's been in NS since last Sept and has lived in 2 previous homes. But I believe that this is where she belongs.  

Once I began to feel better, I cooked a couple of Korean meals (my favorite food culture) as well as a couple of Japanese meals and a Mexican inspired dish.  Her previous 2 families were not adventurous in their eating, and she thinks everything I cook is fantastic. When I asked her what her favorite food was since arriving in Canada, she replied after a pause and said "Everything you've made so far!" Isn't that sweet!

I love experimenting with food and an appreciative audience; and she and Chihiro are certainly that. I'd say we are a perfect fit. Once again, I'm really enjoying my new kids.  

Usually when the students arrive, we exchange welcome gifts. (The Princess brought nothing .... except a bad attitude!) Chihiro brought me the items on the left: food, chopsticks, a gorgeous fan and a really pretty double picture frame. I certainly didn't expect a gift from Saerom; after all -- I'm Mom #3. But yesterday she had a big box arrive from Korea, and her Mother sent me this beautifully wrapped and boxed lipstick and matching nail polish.  The Asians sure know how to present a gift.

When I picked up the box at the post office, I was remembering the many wonderful care packages from Korea that Elly's Mom sent during her 3 years with me.  And I found myself secretly hoping that this box might contain lots of new and interesting food stuffs that Saerom would share. I was not disappointed.

Some familiar items here but mostly unknown to me. We have a bag of prepared Tteokbokki on the left; (I've only eaten mine and Elly's very poor version.) packages of spicy noodles; wee cans of wonderful Kkaennip and never-before tasted squash and gochujang beef; seasoned Kim (seaweed sheets). And look at that amazingly strange dried fish on the top! 

I'm so excited to have a Korean student again. She and Chihiro get along so well, and with her gregarious nature, she is able to draw Chihiro out of her usual quiet self. And bonus: they're both very excited to go thrift shopping for the first timethe mall. This weekend is the start of March Break for the kids; so Saturday we are off to the city for Value Village, a sample of burger week,the mall, the Japanese/Korean grocer AND a Korean dinner. (I anticipate a Sunday spent happily collapsing on the sofa.) 

So, if and when you ever need to replace something ... or someone, remember:

often the second one can be sooooooo much better than the first! 

What do Geckos and Cupcakes have in common?

Instead of relaxing, last weekend was spent in a wonderful flurry of unexpected guests (children).  And as they needed a bed to sleep in, that meant quickly cleaning and organizing and changing bedclothes.  In spite of how tired we can be, isn't it amazing what we can accomplish when we need to!
Yes there were children -- mine and other peoples -- and there was a dance recital, burgers on the grill and music & wine on the deck (for those of us with the IDs to prove it.  For the others, there was Netflix and popcorn.)

Sunday was another flurry of returning these unexpected guests to their various homes; the last of which was my lovely daughter Molly.  As she was returning with a trunk load of stuff from my basement, I gladly drove her to the city. But after a weekend of work and festivity and driving, a body gets mighty hungry.

Enter Bayer's Lake ... and there like a huge green beacon of joy was:

The Gecko Bus!

What is the Gecko Bus?  It's "Canada's Freakiest Food Truck"  , serving up fresh, local, affordable Mexican Fusion food.  I'd seen the bus around the city, but this was my first visit:  it will NOT be my last.  Yum yum yum!  It was delicious.  I've been craving hot and spicy, and it delivered in 3 ways with 3 different tacos -- pulled pork, smoky chicken and spicy beef.  I highly recommend eating here.

Walking back to the car, I noticed another eating establishment I'd long wanted to visit: Susie's Cupcakes.  I thought "This will be just the ticket for dessert later"!  And with just a little extra enthusiasm from Molly (just look at that bright, shiny face), I was persuaded to enter ..... for one cupcake each, right?

How does one decide between "Dulce de Leche" or "Lemon Zinger" or "Snowball" or "Death by Chocolate" or any of the other marvelous flavors.  AND when you see the 50% off selection (that didn't sell at the Farmer's Market), well, you know you're done for. Resistance  is futile.

Half a dozen for Molly & her boyfriend and half a dozen for Nagisa and I.  Perfect!  

And although I practiced, I resisted eating one until later.

"Root Beer" (with a straw) and "Chocolate Deluxe".

It was a tiring, delightful, delicious weekend.  How was yours?

I hate it when my food has eyes!

This past Friday, we received the last ever care package from Korea that Elly will receive here in Nova Scotia.  (She's taking early graduation and leaving me at the end of January.  But let's not get me crying :(    Boohoo!  She'll come back to Canada for college AND back to her NS home for the holidays.)  

Care packages from Korea are always welcome in my house.   It means good food:  

.......  like these Korean snacks that will get devoured while playing Skipbo over Christmas (if they make it that long!) 

..... and a huge box containing a huge can of delicious kimchi, homemade by Elly's mother.  She made it with lots of love .... and lots of gochuchang 'cause Man! It is soooo spicy hot!

There were also some things I'd never tried before; and me?  I'm game to try just about anything!  

Dinner that evening was (working from the top and going counter-clockwise):

• steamed brown Korean rice = yum;
• topped with pieces of Korean kim (nori) = yum;
• with a side of sweet 'n' crunchy lotus root = yum;
• and some sweet 'n' spicy daikon radish kimchi = yum;
• AND ..... Wait a minute!  What the heck are those on my plate?  Those little silver creatures with the wee eyes?

THOSE, my friends, are dried anchovies with peanuts in a sweet soy marinade.  Seriously, does anyone like anchovies, let alone dried and crunchy with their little beady eyes staring back at you?  

But being the scientifically-minded gal that I am, and seeing as I'd already put myself out there by stating that "I'll try anything", I went for it.  And surprisingly, they were delicious.  You taste peanut and salt and soy and crunch and thankfully not what you'd expect from a wee little fish head.  Really, really yummy!

The next day, I finally cooked a dish I'd been meaning to for a few months:  black sesame porridge or Heukimja-Juk.   You start by soaking short grain rice for 3 hours; then you toast black sesame seeds, grind them together in the blender and cook slowly and carefully until it has thickened.  Sprinkle with a few pine nuts ..... or create a happy face like Elly did.

Elly said it reminded her of being a little sick girl at home and her Mom would take care of her and serve her porridges like this (and one made with abalone??).  

It was really good; a little bland but nothing a dribble of honey didn't fix.  After some more research online, I found that I can make it with regular sesame seeds (much less expensive), brown rice, a little ground chia seeds and coconut sugar for a very tasty nutritious breakfast.  (I figure a sprinkle of heart-healthy dark chocolate chips wouldn't go amiss either!)





Eating can be such a fun and tasty adventure.  

Gettin' the Sugar Monkey off My Back!

Hello; my name is Sandy; and I love sweets!  Good quality chocolate and rich ice cream; homemade cookies, pies and cakes; flavored lattes and hot chocolate with marshmallows.  And after 58 years of living, I don't believe in dieting.  What I do believe in, however, is imbibing in moderation!

What's that word you said?  

Is that even a word in your dictionary, Sandy?  

I do the same thing every Christmas -- I buy/receive/bake too many goodies; then I place no boundaries on what I put in my body during that "happiest of seasons".  And when the new year comes, I pay for it because I get the ole' "Sugar Monkey" on my back.  I crave it all the time -- at home and at work; morning, noon and night.  And the last thing I need (after the weight I've gained over the past year because my cronic shoulder pain put a stop to most of my weekly exercise regime) is more excess blubber!  Believe me:  when the revolution comes, my body can exist for quite a few months on it's own fat stores!

So, the new year and the Sugar Monkey call for extreme measures.  I detox for a few days to break the sugar habit.  It gets rid of most of my cravings as well as making me feel so much better.

I've fasted in years past, with only lemon/maple syrup water and prayer as my detox companions. ('Cause nobody else wants to be around my fasting crabbiness!)  I've tried cabbage soup, and I've tried only raw veg and fruit.  This year, I took a page out of Dr Oz's book -- well, part of a page; I made my own alterations.  I tried his 2 day detox this past weekend (you can find it online).

I did not begin with Dr Ozs' suggested breakfast: Quinoa with Prunes (see recipie at oprah.com).  I'm not at all fond of quinoa -- I always want to moo or baa like a farm animal while it's cooking!  But I did begin my day with a couple of prunes because I do like them.  

(And ain't they just nature's perfect model of efficiency!)

This is my version of Dr Ozs' Revitalizing Fruit Smoothie (recipie at oprah.com):  spinach blended well w/ water, almond milk, raspberries, 1/2 banana, 1/2 tsp chia seeds, a wee drizzle of honey and a dollop of plain yogurt.  I made up several large portions and drank it whenever I wanted a hit of sweetness. 

And here's his suggestion for dinner:  Vegetable Broth with a Side of Sauerkraut and Sliced Apples (recipe at oprah.com). It's a glorified version of cabbage soup, but the veggies and herbs are chosen to help with the detox process.  And the fennel, fresh oregano, paprika and cayenne made this absolutely delicious!  

Dr Oz also suggests a snack: Pineapple-Kale Juice (recipe at oprah.com).  I couldn't find artichokes; and cucumbers were much too dear at $2.49 each to put into what I deemed to be an "iffy" sounding smoothie to begin with.  So, I improvized, and my verdict was: 

  Yeah --- NO!  

Simply vile tasting!  

I drank the green smoothie or citrus water.  

I also had a half cup of almonds in the early evening, drank the dandelion tea (which was quite nice) and took his suggested epsom salts bath -- never a problem for me!  

And how do I feel?

I feel really good!  I didn't have a problem with doing the 2 day diet; and although I still think about the lovely, expensive chocolate that's stashed away at home and my taste buds tell me that it's time for a mid-morning break cookie, I don't have overwhelming cravings.  So, I'm able to handle it.

Hopefully, I'm back on the nutrition wagon and that nasty monkey has left town.   


How do you guys handle the post-Christmas eating disorder?

Talkin' Turkey on a Thrifty Tuesday!

I chose to celebrate Thanksgiving on Sunday and not our holiday Monday.  (I prefer a day of work & overindulgence to be followed by a day of recouperation & rest.)  While others slumbered, I got up and prepared food and set the table.  This was the first time using this thrifted tablecloth ($1) and  plates and turkey platter ($4 total).  The white serving bowls were also thrifted ($1 each); the green depression glass pitcher and stemmed glassware I've had for 20 years or so.  I was really pleased with the festive look of the table.

Here's my homage to American Thanksgiving with my Pilgrim Bear ($1).  The Thanksgiving display also included thrifted turkey shakers ($1), Dollar Store pumpkins & fake flower display, my gifted acorn plate, and this summer's Antique Store purchase of the green depression glass cranberry sauce bowl.

As I mixed & stirred & baked & stuffed & peeled, the morning was still dark outside.  But there was folk music playing in the background, a great cup of coffee and a Morning Glory ('cause that's how it felt to me!) muffin from the Market.  I get such a sense of joy and well-being when I prepare these special meals for my family.

There was an opportunity for a quick snooze on the sofa before Daughter #2 arrived and dinner was ready to be served:  turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed turnip, carrots, oven roasted maple squash and a lovely, light tasting homemade cranberry sauce.  But the star for me was my dressing:  I used a loaf of good quality french bread, fresh Market herbs, and chopped apples & dried, plumped cranberries.  It was baked outside the turkey and had a slight crust to it.  But WOW!  So good!

The delicious meal was accompanied by a glass of  cranberry "Red Barn" wine from a local winery (It got the "Molly" stamp of approval!).  After dinner, I lounged and the girls cleaned up.  Then dessert was served and the card games came out:  Skip-Bo and Phase 10.  It was Natsumi's first time playing, and she loved it.  We taught Elly last year, and the little scamp has the nerve to consistently beat us 80% of the time!  

As I mentioned a few days ago, dessert was Martha Stewart's chocolate pumpkin cheesecake squares.  (It's easy to find her recipe online.)  

The girls loved them.  But this being my second attempt at mixing pumpkin and cream cheese, I have to say I'm not overly fond of them together.  Individually?  YES!  Give me cheesecake or give me pumpkin pie ..... or give me a piece of each.  But I shall not marry them again.

It was a stellar day -- very relaxing and filled with good food and lots of laughter.  Just the way a holiday should be!  

It gave me something else to be particularly thankful for.

How'd you spend your weekend?  Up to your ears in turkey?  Or was it beans and weiners?

Growing Green!

Last weekend was Bridgewater's 4th annual Growing Green Festival, the only one of it's kind in Eastern Canada and a promotion of sustainability.  Most of it happened in conjunction with the Sat morning Farmer's Market.  It was a busy weekend for me with volunteering Fri night and working at the Market Sat morn.  But it was wonderful!  Here are some of the highlights.

Friday night began with free music at the Riverfront Gazabo.  Bridgewater's town crier opened the ceremonies and after a few  brief words from organizers and political figures, local talents Darren Arsenault (with friends) and ECMA's Rising Star (and Yarmouth grown) Ryan Cook entertained us until dark.  It was quite lovely sitting there next to the river under the street lights, beautiful music and the smells (and tastes) of fresh popcorn and apple cider.

Bright and early Saturday morning, the festivities began.  I was up at 6:15 and busy with my duties at the Market.  But I did get time to take in what the street had to offer.  I tried my hand at felting with the Waldorf kids, took in the beautiful hand-crafts at several vendor displays, got lots of info on how I can become more "green", ate free, hot 'n' buttery corn on the cob and listened to a little of the free music concerts at the Gazebo in the morning. 

One of my favorite displays was this one:  local kids and artists are free-painting some park benches which will be scattered throughout town once they're varathaned.  

That evening, I didn't have to work.  I was one of 150 guests who paid $20 for a 4 course dinner (with musical accompaniment - Pennybrook).  Every facet of the meal came from a 100 mi radius.  We started with a salad of roasted beets and goat cheese on mixed greens; this was followed by smoked haddock chowder (OMG!  It was incredible!); main course was free-range roasted chicken "au jus", roasted cherry tomatoes, green beans and Potatoes Anna; dessert was a roasted peach topped with blueberries and maple infused goat cheese quark.  Do I need to even mention how delicious and gorgeous it all was?  Plus we all went home with cookies, a calendar and a tote bag.

Later, there were a series of "green" films shown downtown at the Riverfront Gazabo.  (But I was so pooped, I went home to my jammies and sofa.)

Bridgewater is the shopping centre of the South Shore Nova Scotia, and can't compete with the beauty and quaintness of towns like Mahone Bay or Lunenburg.  But I love my town.  And I loved the show of community and joy that I found everywhere last weekend.  Besides trying to become better citizens of the earth, I think we're also trying to elicit a sense of social cohesion and pride in our community.

Let's hear it for the little town!     

Thrifting, Eating & Family!

I have been fairly MIA lately.  But did I mention 1 university daughter coming home, 2 international students leaving, 1 lovely older daughter visiting, 1 middle daughter moving out and a new part-time job on the horizon?  


So, my eldest daughter and I snuck away (I know that's not a real word but I love it's perfection of definition!)  last weekend to do a Valley trip complete with hitting every Frenchies and thrift store (8 in total) on that shore, visiting good friends and eating lots and lots of good food and wine.

Don't ask me yet what's in all those bags from Frenchies.  Shared goodie bags -- some for my eldest, some for my middle and some for me.  LOTS of wonderful finds (which will be featured in some future posts).  How wonderful it was for me to have such good companionship as well as  another avid Frenchies shopper! 

3 great restaurants -- 1. Wheaton's outside Berwick for lobster rolls, chowder & an amazing coconut cream cake.  2.  Pete Luckett's Vineyard for duck, crab/corn cakes, steak w/ asparagus purree & key line cheesecake (and the most sumptuous bottle of red wine "Red Box").  3.  The Tempest in Wolfville for Dragon's Breath hamburgers (gorgeous 'n' pungent blue cheese tucked inside)  topped with a sweet onion marmalade.

Burp!  
Who needs to diet now?

This week I'm busy at work getting things in order because on Friday I begin my vacation.  I have to say farewell to my lovely Amy.  But to soothe my emotions, there'll be a Value Village nearby.  I also hear tell that this will be followed by a pirate party and a trip to scenic Cape Breton to visit a good friend.


What a summer I'm having!  How will I ever get those decks painted with all this fun and gadding about happening?  

Well, there's always August!

In the midst of the red!

It's been a very red weekend.  Here's some of the redness.

 Daughter #2 helped to chop and measure.

 Add the sugar, cornstarch, a little grating of lemon zest and mix ...

 Voila!  

6 of 10 strawberry rhubarb pies -- 1 to bake and eat, 5 for gifts, 4 for the freezer so we can enjoy bits of summer during the winter.

Plus the freezer bags for crisps and muffins and other good things.

And to reward the chefs, there's still a punnet of the very best of the strawberries -- red and juicy and ready for popping in one's mouth.

Here's to the goodness of summer!

Hummingbird Cake (aka King's Landing Crown Cake)

Several people commented that they didn't know what Hummingbird Cake was, so here's the recipe.  It an easy, simple cake to make and always a crowd pleaser.

Hummingbird Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 2 cups chopped firm ripe banana

Preheat oven to 350°. Mash bananas; add oil, eggs, and vanilla and stir well.  Add pineapple and chopped nuts and stir again.  Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together and blend into into mixing bowl several times. Pour into well greased and floured bundt pan.  Bake for roughly 40 minutes or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely.

This is a very moist cake by itself but it's also great with a simple vanilla/almond glaze like I did. You can also go the extra mile and bake it in a couple of layer cake pans (30 min) and frost middles, top and sides with cream cheese icing, then pat in a layer of chopped nuts half way up the sides. Very impressive!


Enjoy!

Can your children moving out be considered de-cluttering?

Lovely daughter #2 moved out this weekend.  I'm looking forward to loving her from afar from now on.  

Is it too soon to do a dance of joy?  

Molly and friends did all the moving, but I worked like the dickens as well because Daughter #3 is coming home from university this Friday.  I slogged through the back basement, hauling out the extra bed and dresser, and organizing back there.  Then I slogged through the rec room (And believe you me!  It was a wreck!) cleaning, re-arranging, organizing, tossing out whatever wasn't wanted or needed.  

• 7 bags of garbage,
• 5 bags for the thrift store,
• 7 dirty pop bottles,
• 2 almost empty tortilla chip bags,
• 3 flattened packages of gum,
• 4 teaspoons (I wondered where my teaspoons were)
• 1 fork
• and miscellaneous dirty tissues & junk food receipts 

    LATER ........ my knees ache, my feet throb, my hands are dry and sore, but Molly's happy in her new place and the room downstairs is almost ready.

The sad thing is that by this time next week, that room will look similar to what it did like last week!  

Pig children!

But in spite of the fact that my kids don't all fully appreciate their loving mother (and her many sacrifices, stretch marks, grey hairs and empty pockets), they do appreciate her cooking.  Yesterday was Molly's birthday, so Mama slogged in the kitchen Sunday night and prepared Lasagne Bolognese and this delightful lemon cheese pie.

Pie crust; cheesecake layer; lemon layer -- and after
it's baked, the cheesecake magically goes to the top.
Add a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy!

Sigh!  It's hard (and very tiring) being a SuperMom!     But we've got to be nice to them because some day they'll choose our nursing home!

.

TGFEM

TGFEM!  Thank God for Easter Monday!


Why don't I ever listen to myself when I say I'm not going to overdo it for a holiday meal.  As we say in Newfoundland, sometimes I'm as "stunned as me arse"!


It wasn't good enough that I got up at 6 am Easter Sunday to bake 3 dozen muffins for church.  (Which were absolutely delicious, by the way, especially when you coupled them with a boiled egg, a couple of Shirley's pancakes, some scrumptuous bacon, friends & family AND the presence of God !)

No; then I had to come home and cook a small turkey AND a ham (with pineapple mustard glaze).  There were 5 of us for dinner, and it was a great meal and a really enjoyable time together.  Dessert was a let down -- which is sad ..... but then not so sad when I figure that I'd have eaten more if it was good. I bought frozen pies -- blueberry and cherry -- but they were just kind-of sad tasting.  The wine was delicious (as always).

This is Natsumi's plate:  mine held more gluttonous portions
and had a glass of white vino next to it.

The early/busy day, turkey and wine made me very tired.  My bed felt so good last night.  And it was such a treat to have today off.  


I began with a lie-in 'till 8:15.  Yeah!  That's a lie-in!  The girls slept until noon; so, I spent the entire morning with my feet up reading my book.  What a divine way to spend one's time, huh!  And miraculously, as I read and sipped my tea, the time seemed to meander by and not zoom past.  Ahhhhh!

I made up for my lollygagging in the afternoon by preparing turkey soup, split pea and ham soup and a stew; I sliced and diced ham and turkey for this week's sandwiches, and I reheated turkey dinner for our evening meal.  (Isn't that when it's best?  The next day?)


More lollygagging was in order then.  Feet up for Coronation Street; catch-up on emails and blogging; and feet-up later with a new book.

Yes, TGFEM!

PS - Note to self:  Adopt "simplicity" when it comes to your holiday menu planning!


PPS - Note to self:  From now on, bake your own pie!