Summer updates:

This daisy is in my back yard.  It is beautiful.  There are bugs.


This is pretty much what life is looking like here.  Worst part - no breakfast.  I can deal with no food pretty much any other time of day except breakfast.  Day two of finding breakfast elsewhere and I'm a bear... a bear in March.  Kids think that muffins and hot chocolate for breakfast is cool.  They are not having any trouble adjusting.

It's our 'Renovate all the things' project.

Kitchen edition:



Front Hall edition:


Deck and Balcony edition:  No picture available yet because it doesn't start until next week.

Kid #1 is going into high school in approximately 1 1/2 months.  I see her for probably no more than 20 minutes a day between her friends and her bedroom (and what I can only assume is copious amounts of netflix and tumblr)

We have no vacation plans... none... not even one plan.

I have decided to try my hand at making my own pepper sauce.  The bones seem easy but I imagine that it will take a little tweaking to get the recipe to my taste.  At least the basic ingredients are cheap so I won't waste a lot of money if it blows chunks.

Kid #2 has finally mastered biking on two-wheeler.  He hasn't yet mastered the starting and stopping of biking.  He went 'biking' with a friend yesterday.  I stood and watched them.  I became that Mom - the one that stands there and gets super edgy and uptight that her kid is going to fall or get run into or slam into a tree or something.  That Mom.  I had to close my eyes.

I really wish I were posting my rhubarb curd ice cream with white chocolate but can't because I haven't made it yet.  It sounds finicky but the idea occurred while I was trying to sleep and it made sense at the time.  I'm going to try it because I've decided that I need to work harder on my follow through.


I have some lovely little things happening in the garden this year.  Unfortunately, the raspberries have completely taken over the rhubarb and the poppies.  It turns out that tomato plants don't really like me that much and have decided to boycott growing in protest.  Pleasant surprise: I have dill where I planted none.  Nobody here likes dill.

Dear Friends:
I was all set to make cookies.  I had all of my ingredients (except for the maraschino cherries which Kid #1 was going to pick up for me).

This might be an excessive amount of chocolate.  Might.

I got as far as one batch of cappuccino flats rolled and in the fridge waiting to be baked the next day. When the next day came, this happened.


We woke to an icy wonderland in which about an inch of ice covered everything and made some things (like tree branches for instance) so heavy that they broke off of their tree trunk and fell to the ground.  Often they took wires down with them.  Oops.  Then there was the lovely green lightning that we thought was beautiful but ended up being transformers blowing out.  Long story short, we had an icy wonderland to look at but no power.
We got through it of course.  In these kinds of situations you realize quickly just how many options you do truly have in an emergency.  How many friends you can count on, how family checks in with you, how your amazing kids don't complain about the cold at all and roll with the punches.  You realize that even though you're not rich, you really are.  If you thought about it long enough it might even bring a tear to your eye... but you don't think about it long enough.
36 hours later I woke up at 7a.m. to a bright light in my face and Kid #2 telling me that the power was back and that his second front tooth had finally decided to leave his head.  A Christmas Miracle.

Large, gaping hold where two front teeth used to reside.

What I've decided to do is give you Christmas cookies after Christmas because who has time to bake Christmas cookies now?  I guess they'll be New Years cookies or something.  It'll be the gift that keeps on giving.

My Wishes for you this holiday:

Please keep your teeth (unless you are 7)
Eat lots of turkey (unless you've already gotten through 18lbs of thanksgiving stuff and never want to see a turkey again.  In which case, please eat something else)
Stay warm (with friends or family - use a blanket or alcohol or both)
Enjoy a cookie or two (even if it's from a box)
Hug a few family members
Have a drink with a friend (please KT?)

This is apparently what two kids get up to with christmas tree lights if you leave to room for a minute .

Merry 'Christmas/Holiday/Fill in the Blank' to you all.
Peace and Joy

Wanda

I'm not sure if you would have picked it up from my last post but I've been away in Vermont.
We stayed at this wonderful spot, owned by some wonderful people.  Doing crazy things like:
Sitting on a porch drinking beer and reading
Hiking
Eating campfire food and chips... pretty much nothing else
Driving through mountains
Finding chocolate and purchasing ice cream scoops for friends
... and yoga

It seems odd to me that yoga and campfire hotdogs went so well together but, what can I say, they did.
I will also be forthright in admitting that I now need a vacation from my kids.  Admittedly, they were pretty easy going since we did no cooking other than hotdogs, hamburgers and seriously burnt chicken. They were so busy eating 'real' peanut butter (aka. the junk kind that we never buy) and fruit loop/sugar puff/tiny box cereal (that we also never buy) that they really didn't care about much else.

Prohibition Pig in Waterbury VT is a place you must visit if you're into good beer and house smoked meat.

We did provide them with a couple of restaurant meals and of course the requisite Ben and Jerry's visit.
Since this is our last week of summer, here are some things that I wish for you during your last few days of freedom (?)

Shameless Selfie - B&J ice cream in hand

I feel a little guilty that I haven't posted anything strawberry here this year... like not one thing.  I planned on posting a strawberry recipe today but as you can see, there is no recipe.  We have eaten a lot of strawberries and I've even set some aside for my plans.  But the next time I look they're gone.  All gone.  We can't seem to keep them in the house for more than 24 hrs.  I can't make anything with nothing.  I have bags of rhubarb waiting in the freezer to become strawberry rhubarb jam.  The rhubarb is confused and wondering why it's being ignored.  I'm not sure what to do.  I think that I'll have to hoard them or hide them or something drastic like that.
Something is very very wrong with me because strawberry vinaigrette is sounding kind of interesting.  I'm going to stop right there.


Some of my friends - ok, only one really - have indicated an interest in my food box.  Specifically, what  I get in my food box.  So here are some pictures of the food box contents for this week.  A vegetable shot (with some cream thrown in) and a fruit shot (please note the 2 pints of strawberries - they don't exist anymore and it's only been 4 hours).


It's not the most interesting food box week of my life but you can't win them all.  I've been using Front Door Organics for just over 3 years and they have been great.  When my friend C starts her own personal CSA then I might consider giving up my food box but I would probably keep it for off season.  Front Door Organic perks that work for me:
I can choose what I want for each box.
They offer great monthly and weekly specials.
During growing season they offer a $5 discount on your box if you choose only Ontario grown.
They offer discounts for case orders (for canning)
They offer more than just fruits and vegetables - ie. meat, dairy, canned goods, everything(!)

I'm reading 'Salt, Sugar, Fat' and it's inspired me to make my own bread again.  It's also inspired me to never ever drink sugar drinks again... well maybe almost never.

I've been shopping at this store in my hood for quite a while now.  It's probably one of my favourite stores ever.  People are great and the selection is boss.  They support local whenever and however possible.  Plus, I think they've added me to their friends link which is bomb.  The best.  Check out their blog here.


This is what I did with Kid #2 immediately after getting the food box.  Peas are shelled and already in the freezer.


Later, Kid #1 and I shopped for birthday party supplies.


And finally... this is what's left of the cucumber plant that went in the garden a total of 3 days ago... this dead cucumber brought to you by squirrels.  Thank You.

I'm home.
I'm tired but exhilarated.  I have no words to give you at the moment.  I need to process.  The trip was much more emotional for me than I could ever have anticipated.  While I work through my catharsis I will leave these pictures with you to give you just a little taste of the experience.

The view from my Florence hotel room.

Do I need to say anything here.

All about the depth here.

Textures.

And that's how close we were.

Food I did not get to eat.

And then we were silly.

It's really sad when you have a week where you made this awesome galette crust using a mixture of lard and butter which turns out even better than you were hoping and you are so busy that you don't have time to photograph any of it.  The silver lining is that I will be making it again this weekend because... damn.  You will all get a photo and a recipe.  I promise.
Additionally, due to the week mentioned above, we really didn't cook a whole lot else.  We most certainly did not bake... in fact, we didn't even think about baking.  What we did do though is survive the week and that's important because otherwise this blog would be difficult to continue.  Some of the things that helped 'us' survive the week are:

1.  The sun - The sun actually came out this past week.  It was one of the sunniest week's we've had in months.  It was also above 0° C for the better part of the week as well.  This means that I could continue biking to work each day resulting in a happier 'Work Wanda'.  On the flip side, I'm a little bitter that the sun decided coming out during the holiday break was a sucky idea.


2.  My Mom gave me an Amaryllis for Christmas and it's pretty much exploded.  It's impossible remain upset or seriously discontented when you look at the colour explosion.  It reminds you that there are some things that still grow into seriously beauty in the dead of winter.  There is no flip side to this point.

3.  This song has been on the tip of our collective 'family tongue' this week.  We've been humming it or singing it under our breath each one in turn.  Kid #1 burst through the door after school today.  She later started singing out loud when we were at our local bulk food store.  It's a great/creepy song - my tattoo artist agrees.  It's the only song on his playlist that I recognized.  The flip side here is that it's a bit creepy but really gets in your head and nothing else seems to stick.


4.  I've finally recommitted to coffee (there are a lot of double letters in those last 3 words).  It's a long story and I'm not sure I've ever delved into it here.  I'll give you the abridged version of my coffee saga and tell you that we had a torrid affair during my early twenties which left me shaky, feeling slightly nauseous and gave me a racing pulse (sounds just like true love, right).  I slowed us down quite a bit after that.  During my 'child-having' years (not saying 'thirties' - ok) we broke up.  I was done with coffee... until about 7 1/2 years later my BFF KT suggests that although our friendship isn't in jeopardy (because there is always red wine) it would definitely benefit from the addition of coffee as a third party.  Then I smell somebody's coffee at work (which I later, strangely, discovered was actually tea) and decid then and there that coffee and I are starting up again.  Love is like that sometimes, right?  It's not torrid anymore... it's just comfortable and nice.  I'm happy with that.  Flip side: now I'm all 'OMG Fair Trade Coffee...'

I am in rambling mode at the moment.  So rather than make this post about any one thing in particular I'm going to shoot out my thoughts in no particular sequence other than how they pop into my head.

1.  I'm tired of politics.  I don't even live in the U.S. and I'm tired of politics.  Maybe if there was a real difference between the political parties than I might understand some of the conviction and vehemence. However, realistically there isn't much difference and it seems kinda, well, silly from the outside looking in.  I'm saying this as a Canadian where we are essentially in the same boat except we have 3 parties instead of 2 - big diff.  BTW, don't we all know the game?  It's all just grand standing.  I love how Peabody put it.
2.  Every year I tell myself I'm going to get better organised about clearing up my garden.  Every single year.  And then it's the middle or end of October and I'm looking out at wilted tomato plants still in the ground.  Why is it so hard to get out there and pull the damn plants up?
3.  It still makes me agitated when I see people putting out there that they are boycotting certain 'food' products because they contain High Fructose Corn Syrup or Hydrogenated Palm Oil or some kind of Soy concentrate thing.  It amazes me that after all this time we are still convinced that pre packaged food is easier or more convenient.  Guess what, make real food and then you pretty much don't have to worry about that crap anymore (with a few exceptions ;-)
4.  Even though I'm kinda working toward less and less sugar in my life (does that count against #3 BTW) I still have a boat load of birthday chocolate to bake my way through.  And yes, I do dream about the brownies and chocolate chip cookies the chocolate will make.


5.  I made cookies today for the first time since the summer (and even then I think I only made one or two batches of cookies for the whole summer).  I love making cookies.  My BFF KT has said goodbye to a beautiful little bundle that she and G fostered for the last 6 months.  The little bundle is 6 months old so they've been there since the beginning.  I can't imagine having to give that gift away so soon.  It's hard not to be utterly and completely depressed I think.  However, KT is one of the most emphatically positive people I know (I think that she likes me because we are such polar opposites) and if there is a way to put a positive spin on this than KT will find that way.  I think that some of her favourite things in the world include molasses, oatmeal and ginger so I'm going to take some of these fantastic cookies (and trust me, they are fantastic... or maybe I just haven't been eating many cookies lately) over to her and see if they don't just help to kick start the 'positive spin' machine.


6.  I like things that aren't mucked up too much.  This recipe originally called for chocolate shavings and dried apricot.  I couldn't do it.  I wanted to straight up ginger cookie.  I wasn't disappointed.  And yeah, I ate the cookie.


Ginger Cookies adapted from 'SuperNatural Everyday' by Heidi Swanson
makes about 2 dozen med/small cookies

1 cup whole wheat or red fife flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsulfured blackstrap molasses
2 tbsp ginger, peeled and freshly grated
1 egg
3 - 4 tbsp coarse grain sugar, in a bowl and set aside.

Combine the flours, baking powder, ginger and salt together.  Mix well and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicon liner and set aside.
Melt the butter - only just - and combine with the sugar by removing the butter from the heat source and mixing well with the sugar.  That way the sugar will melt into the butter well.  Add in the grated ginger and the molasses.  Mix well.  Make sure that the mixture isn't too hot - should be just barely warm at this point.  Add in the egg and mix well.
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients.  Mix just until everything is incorporated.  Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls (approximately).
Roll each ball in the sugar that was set aside.  Place each on the cookie sheet and press down just a little.
Bake for anywhere from 7 - 12 minutes depending on your oven and the size of your cookies.  The cookies should be just golden on the bottom.
Remove to a cooling rack and store in an airtight container.

As you know I've been away.
During my time away from home I've discovered some new things in life that are in fact favourite things (that just might have ruined me).
1.  Well Water.  I didn't even realise that treated water tasted different because honestly I can't tell the difference between Toronto tap water and bottled water.  However when we were here I freaked out when I tasted the water straight out of the tap.  Now that I'm back in T.O. I'm having trouble re-adjusting.
2.  Beef Jerky.  Apparently we're all sold.  I never ever thought that kid #2 would go near the stuff but he did and even he loves it.


3. Beer.  Thank you Vermont.  'Nuff said.


4. The awesome results of zucchini plant fertility treatments... with a paint brush.


5. Unexpectedly seeing a field being plowed by two horses and a rear plow... in upper New York State(!)  Wish I could have taken a picture but we were on the Highway and it was gone before I could've gotten the camera out and shutter bugging.

6.  The taste of real campfire S'mores really cannot be overstated.


7.  THE Best Lunch EVER.


7.  Needing to go back.  This is not a proper kind of favourite thing but now I discover that I've got to go back to Vermont in order to continue on my beer tasting journey and to discover the joys of raw milk cheese.
I'm going to get on the blogging recipe train just now but in the meantime just give me a little time to bask in the post vacation glow.  It's coming soon though because I have some mondo zucchini and tomatoes that need attending to.


Just an FYI, if you find yourself in Stowe, Vermont then PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make a visit to 'Laughing Moon Chocolates'.  Some amazing chocolates, great local crafts, an amazing mission statement and if you are there when Amelia happens to be working tell her 'Wanda from Toronto' (with the cute kids) sent you.  She'll treat you right.