2 January, 2024

 

Dull weather outdoors, with a fine mizzle falling. A good day for indoor pursuits and cups of tea. A decade or so ago I received a pottery teapot that I used every day and loved. Alas, it cracked, and I replaced it with a more modern looking pot. Flat lid with no handle that fell out often, and it dripped terribly. A poor choice. 

For Christmas my husband gave me a new teapot from Murchies - a local tea emporium. The lid stays firmly on even when I pour the last dregs of tea, and it doesn't drip at all. It's so pretty, too. It's the little things that make everyday life run smoothly. 

While out for lunch one day, I ordered a Waldorf Chicken Salad and it was so good that I've made it at home twice since then. Just a Granny Smith apple, cubed cooked chicken, two stalks of celery, a few toasted pecans, and dried cranberries. Today I substituted pomegranate seeds for the cranberries. Then a simple dressing of yogurt, mayonnaise, a bit of vinegar and honey, salt, and curry powder. So refreshing after a week or more of heavy food. 

More of Christmas is being tidied away each day. Tomorrow the grandchildren are coming over for a day of fun. It will be busy!

A Slow Day

 

In our grocery stores, this particular tea is available only during December. I discovered it last year and like it so much that I've stocked several boxes to last me through the year. With hints of chocolate, lavender, and mint, it's a winner. 

This afternoon I'm drinking copious amount of tea as I have come down with a cold. I had my booster shot on Saturday, felt achy and awful on Sunday, and this morning woke up with a runny nose. Sigh. It's been a slow weekend, never mind a slow day. I feel fine, but am keeping the tissue box handy. 

This old, cookbook, first published in 1962, followed by at least six editions, is identical to the one my mother has. She probably got hers in the 60s and I got mine in the late 70s.

How many recipes do you use from a single cookbook? From this one, I use about 20, but I so enjoy reading through the book that I won't be discarding it any time soon. There are many recipes from my Mennonite heritage that I remember from my grandmothers' kitchens. There's a section on butchering and preserving, and then a few incongruities like pot-au-feu, Yorkshire pudding (with an explanation of what to eat them with), and a number of dishes inspired by Asian cooking. Those ladies (and they were all ladies who cooked back then) were not afraid to try new dishes. 

Apples from our trees remain in a drawer in the fridge, and they are beginning to soften. Dough leftover from pies made in the autumn lounged in the freezer, so I combined the apples and the dough in a single-crust pie, a recipe from the above cookbook. It turned out well, although I baked it much longer than recommended in order to cook the filling properly. The recipe, with a few adaptations, can be found here. 

After putting away the Christmas decorations, I set out my ceramic houses representing the old colonial city of Quito, Ecuador. The set was a Christmas present from Tim while we lived in Quito. Looking around my house I see many objects with stories and memories. There's a seascape watercolour picked up on one of our boating trips, framed photos from European travels, the double pedestal dining room table that Tim built 35 years ago, a cabinet that once belonged to my parents, and many more things. 

I like a house layered with objects curated over time and would not want to replace everything with new things that matched perfectly. Our homes should reflect our life stories, in my opinion.

The forced hyacinth bulbs are blooming and perfume the air with sweetness. How I love their colour and shape, all those curly flowers bunched together. It's lovely to have them indoors now, and I look forward to the outdoor bulbs soon sprouting. I took a wander around my garden this afternoon, and there are a few green crocus shoots poking up through the snow, and little else. It's been cold. 

How's winter progressing in your corner?

A Quiet Sunday

 

It's a slow day around here. We had our second vaccinations yesterday, and I was warned that since I had reacted with aches the first time, this second would be similar. They were right. I moved slowly this morning, and took a long nap after lunch, followed by reading and blogging. Tomorrow will be better. 

Hydrangeas are such lovely flowers, beautiful in all of their stages. Here I'm admiring the cream and blue shades of a new head of flowers, so tender and sweet. 

My sister called me before we went to the mainland a couple of weeks ago and offered me this cradle. It was built by my father-in-law for one of my own nieces. When I explained the origins of the cradle to our children, they all scratched their heads for a moment, wondering why Grandpa made a cradle for one of the cousins on the "other side." Our families have known each other for a long time. 

My niece's children have outgrown playing with the cradle, but Iris and Cora will enjoy it. I stitched a mattress pad and little pillow for it, and will give it to Iris when next I see her, along with the scrap quilt I made for her. Scrap quilts were made for all the grandchildren, and I just have one to put the final stitches into before giving them all away. 

Blueberries are in season and I've picking ours regularly. A lot of them go into the freezer for the winter, and others are eaten fresh with our morning yogurt and granola. This week I made Blueberry Squares. It's one of our favourites. I've linked to the recipe on my other blog. The recipe makes a large pan, but it freezes well and that's what I've done with half of it. 

As well, for those of you interested in the Blackberry Shrub, from my previous post, I've put it up on the recipe blog as well, with a link above. The link will open in a new window. 

And now I'm going back to my book. Have a great week, my friends.

and the month flew by

 

At the beginning of May we enjoyed lilacs and tulips. They are now past and new things have taken pride of place. Just now it's strawberries in the garden. I keep the plants mostly netted to avoid birds and bunnies snacking on them. We're enjoying their sweetness in the garden, straight off the plant, with our breakfast yogurt, with whipped cream, and today...

in a salad with avocado slices, a drizzle each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and a few snips of chives picked at the last minute. Salt and pepper. Best eaten (as it was this evening) outdoors on a sunny patio. 

The little herb garden is lush and green and I've been drying oregano, parsley, and thyme. I kept track of usage this past year and a quart and a half of dried oregano leaves is what I use. It would be less if I crumbled the leaves immediately, but I find it very satisfying to rub the leaves with my fingers and to let them fall gracefully into whatever dish I'm making. The fragrance wafts up and I'm transported to my summer garden. 

Over the weekend we enjoyed part of our family's company indoors, seated at the dining room table for the first time since the pandemic began. It was pure joy to sit across the table from them and eat and visit. 

Thank you for the best wishes for my parents' anniversary. They had a good day and enjoyed dinner out at a restaurant together. 

A couple of years ago a flurry of yellow poppies arrived in a corner of my garden. They continue to appear each year and confine themselves quite nicely to that corner. It's a rather dark spot, and they add lots of cheer there. 

The peonies are blooming! How I love these flowers that bloom so briefly yet with such sensational presence. Extravagant ruffles, delicate scent, gorgeous colours combine in a wonderful package. Perhaps we enjoy them so much because of their short lives. 

For our second wedding anniversary quite a number of years ago, we bought gifts together. I chose this crystal vase that has held flowers in all of our homes from northern British Columbia, to Texas, to Ecuador, and now on Vancouver Island. When I use it I think of that hot summer day when we shopped together. Tim chose a pair of binoculars that he still uses. We stopped giving anniversary presents soon after, so these are special. 

June is on the horizon and much of it is planned already. Another lovely month to anticipate. Wishing you joy today and every day.

Of Food and Flowers and Pie Crust Success

 

In my garden today the Rudbeckias shine their bright faces, oblivious to all that is going on in the world. 

A fat pumpkin is growing more golden each day, maturing with a few scars and bumps as all of us do. This one has escaped the bed and sits fatly in the path between the raised beds. It will make some delicious pies and soups in a month or so. 

Zucchini is prolific, and so versatile. This week I made a Cheesy Savoury Zucchini Bread and it is delicious. I made two loaves and froze one. It's a quick bread, great with soup, or sliced and toasted and covered with cream cheese or chopped tomatoes. 

On the same site JustCrumbs, I found these zucchini tots - also delicious. I know that some people complain about too much zucchini, but I love it in almost every form, although I don't bake sweets with it. 

Dahlias are such amazing flowers, so symmetrical yet in such variety of form. This is an unknown dinner plate variety that stays in the ground year round and comes up faithfully each spring. 

Since returning from our little trip to the west coast of the Island, I've been puttering in the kitchen. With the fallen apples from our trees I canned 4 pints of applesauce. Green beans are frozen for vegetable soups. Today I'm cooking beets. Late summer is such an abundant time of year. I'm happy to report that I've had a few ripe tomatoes at long last, but the squirrels seem to like taking bites from them. Grrrr! 

Pie crust has been my nemesis for years. I've tried all the tricks - ice cold butter, grated - lard - shortening - ice water - you name it, I've tried it. My pie crusts were tough and almost inedible no matter how lightly I tried to treat the dough. A couple of months ago I watched one of Canada's premier bakers offer her take on successful pastry. It's revolutionary. Anna Olsen is a genius! She mixes a small amount of vegetable oil into the flour before cutting in the butter. I was skeptical given my past attempts at pastry, but it works. Success! Hooray! 

My most recent pastry bake was a Peach Cherry Galette. Pastry rolled to an approximate 16 inch circle, topped with peeled and cut peaches, pitted cherries, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour, leaving a wide border for folding in. Brush the crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees until the pastry is golden and the filling bubbly - 45-60 minutes. Towards the end of the baking I sprinkled some leftover almond praline over the fruit. 

There will be more pies in the future and I think my husband will be quite happy about that! 

Edited to add: I've lived in a few different countries and found that flour differs considerably. The quantity of ingredients that Anna provides work well in Canada. 

Have a most wonderful day!

Six on Saturday: Views, Tarts, and Garden

On these wonderful warmer summer days, I've been walking earlier than usual to avoid the intense sun. This week I climbed up Christmas Hill for a wonderful view over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The mountains in the distance are on the Olympic Peninsula of the USA. The band of fog lies where the land meets the sea and is a typical feature of high summer weather. 

While up on the hill I watched a hummingbird whirring from blossom to blossom. She stopped for a few seconds and I was able to get this not-so-great photo. 

Some years I like to try growing different things in the vegetable garden. This year it was onions. They took little work. A week or more ago the tops fell over, all of them, overnight, it seemed - a sign that they were done growing and could be harvested. I pulled them up and laid them on a table to dry for a week. Yesterday I braided them and hung them for further drying in the barbecue shelter. I'm rather tickled with the effect. This amount of onions should last us for a few months, at least. 

Using garden produce is the theme of meals around here. I made a zucchini tart - pastry with goat cheese spread on top (mixed with herbs and lemon zest), then thinly sliced zucchini that had been salted and left to drain for an hour. Brush the top with olive oil and bake for 50 minutes or so. Sprinkle with more fresh herbs. Lovely for a light meal. 

The figs are ripe! We don't harvest huge amounts of them - but we're learning how to prune to increase the first harvest and hope for more in the future. We will get a couple dozen this year. Mary, from A Breath of Fresh Air posted a recipe for these lovely fig tarts yesterday and I immediately pulled out some frozen puff pastry to thaw. Crispy, not-too-sweet, and a perfect dessert. 

We enjoyed them with a daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter last night. They signed up for Disney Plus over the summer and invited us to watch the musical Hamilton after the 8-year-old went to bed. We enjoyed it very much, but I've been doing some research about the historical accuracy, just to keep things straight in my head. 

A work colleague invited me for an outdoor visit this week. She clipped a beautiful rose for me as I was leaving. Orange and blue make a striking pair. And I leave you with the words of our Provincial Health Officer, who closes each update with "Be kind, be calm, be safe. 

These September Days

Today, Wednesday, was the first full day of classes.Yesterday was a soft start for new students only. And so begins another school year. 

On Monday evening we took a walk at Island View Beach. Light fades earlier and earlier. 

As twilight falls, shadows cast strong contrasts on sculptural driftwood. We walk in the sand where none of the sun's warmth remains. Gulls drift quietly on the water as if sensing the close of summer. 

In the garden, tomatoes ripen. Tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans play starring roles in dinners throughout the week. For a simple Sunday supper I roasted tomatoes - a mixture of plum, cherry, grape, and regular varieties with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lots of fresh garlic cloves. When the tomatoes began to caramelize just a bit, I sprinkle feta cheese and capers over, then baked it for a few more minutes, and finally tossed fresh basil over it all. Spooned onto crusty bread or whole wheat toast, it made a fine meal. 

I tried something different for a recent breakfast. Sauteed mushrooms and chopped asparagus, plus crumbled fried bacon, and a scattering of grated Cheddar cheese on the bottom of the baking dish, topped with 8 eggs mixed with 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup milk, seasoned to taste, fresh herbs - chives and parsley, topped with sliced tomatoes and baked until set. Delicious, and the leftovers are great! 

What I'm currently reading. I finished Once Upon a River in short order and have been perusing the two cookbooks with leisure. Literary Paris is a book to enjoy slowly; it's full of quotes and photos of that lovely city. Louise Penny's latest I'm going to save for this coming weekend, for I know that once I begin, I won't want to stop. 

Summer still lingers in my garden. I picked a lovely bouquet of roses - Bolero, Winchester Cathedral, John Cabot, and an unknown variety, and arranged them in a marble vase that once belonged to my mother-in-law. It's sitting on the fireplace hearth and petals are dropping, a lovely litter of pink and white.

Days are summer, early morning and nights are autumn. A sweater to begin and end the day, a light dress suffices in the middle. Golden light through darkly silhouetted trees. Change is in the air.

Summertime, Summertime

On summer mornings, the days stretch out luxuriously with hours of delightful possibilities. There are few things I really have to do and many things I'd like to do. By evening I find that the day has sped by and I have little to show for it. Instead I seem to drift through the days, puttering here and there, tidying a drawer or two, picking raspberries and making a bit of jam, sewing, or sitting and reading a book. And I'm not at all concerned with the lack of list ticking. 

Every morning and most evenings, I wander through the garden, admiring, pulling a weed or two, and wishing the tomatoes would hurry up and ripen. The hydrangeas are glorious this year, large bushes with heavy blossoms that are lasting a very long time due to our cooler summer.

For the past few days I've been occupied with company of the very best sort. There have been hours of holding a sleeping bundle against my chest, singing the songs I sang to my own children and my other grandchildren, and the delight of looking into her beautiful eyes. 

This morning, before I took them to the ferry, we had a little photo shoot. Iris is at her best in the morning, and this morning she was stellar.

Watching my children with their little ones brings me much joy. I see love and delight, mingled sometimes with frustration, as is the case with all parents. I see wisdom and respect and I am so pleased with the varying parenting styles they have chosen.

Isn't Little Miss I's hair a hoot? We call her Miss Tiggywinkle sometimes, as we did her cousin who had similar hair. 

I planted several new-to-me dahlias this year and one of them is Cafe au Lait, seen above. I had hoped to grow them in large pots, but this one wasn't very happy, so Tim transplanted it recently. I think the pot contributed to short stems because the next blossoms will have longer ones. This 10-inch bloom is floating in a bowl and is such a lovely creamy colour. It's also home to an ant, I see in the photo. 

Television here is something usually indulged in on the weekends. However, when I eat lunch alone, I sometimes tune in to one show or another. Last week I watched Lidia's Kitchen on PBS and she showed a great recipe for tomatoes. I adapted it considerably and will share below. The plum tomatoes were grown in a local greenhouse on a small piece of land near to our home. 

Crispy Baked Tomatoes

7 ripe plum tomatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
2/3 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, if desired
more olive oil for drizzling

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove the core and seeds.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and pour the olive oil over. Toss with your hands to thoroughly coat the tomatoes.

In another bowl combine the bread crumbs, cheese and seasonings. Pour over the tomatoes in the bowl and again with your hands, toss together.

Place each coated tomato half onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Fill with the crumbs remaining in the bowl. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. The tomatoes should be meltingly soft and the topping crunchy. Enjoy!

Notes from Domesticity

On Friday evening we went to the boat show. It's fun seeing what's out there in the boating world. We toured a couple of fabulous boats, far beyond our taste and budget, and it was fun to see them. The great thing about our own little boat is that we see exactly the same things the bigger boats do - out on the water is very egalitarian.

After wandering the docks for an hour or more we enjoyed a casual dinner at The Rum Runner restaurant overlooking the water. 

In an effort to use up the fruit from the freezer before the new crop goes in, I made a Mixed-Fruit Platz. (link is to my recipe blog) Platz is a dish from my Mennonite roots - versatile and easy to prepare. One end of the cake has the last of the plums I froze, and the rest of the cake has rhubarb along with frozen (thawed and drained) strawberries. I love the crumbly topping best of all. 

With the juice I drained off of the frozen strawberries, I made some stewed rhubarb. Rhubarb is the first thing I harvest from my garden in the spring. It's so satisfying to pull up the stalks, whack the leaves off, and dice the pink and green stalks before placing them into a saucepan with a fair bit of sugar to gently simmer for not very long until softened and sweet.

I like stewed rhubarb with unsweetened yogurt; others like it on cake or ice cream. A friend mentioned eating it with sour cream and I plan to try that soon.

I love taking care of my home. It's a safe place for me to relax, be creative, and regain energy for the things I do outside of my home. I hope it was that way for my children, and continues to be that for my husband and others who might share our roof from time to time. 

Ursula K. LeGuin writes, "I always wondered why the makers leave housekeeping and cooking out of their tales. Isn't it what all the great wars and battles are fought for -- so that at day's end a family may eat together in a peaceful house."  

“Of all modern notions, the worst is this: that domesticity is dull. Inside the home, they say, is dead decorum and routine; outside is adventure and variety. But the truth is that the home is the only place of liberty, the only spot on earth where a man can alter arrangements suddenly, make an experiment or indulge in a whim. The home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks.” 

― G.K. Chesterton

I like Chesterton's words, too, especially that he doesn't relegate the word "domesticity" to women. I'm so glad that I live in an age where I can chose what career path I will follow. 

Weekends are precious to me; I use them for doing the tasks that keep my house to my standards - cleaning, laundry, some cooking. Gardening, too, now that spring is here. New recipes are often tried. Last night I made a sheet pan dinner with chicken thighs and vegetables. Delicious, and good for more than one meal for us. The recipe is very forgiving - use vegetables you and your family enjoy.

Balsamic Chicken Dinner

8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons mustard (I used Dijon)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs and leave to marinate while preparing the vegetables.

Fill a baking tray with slices, batons, or cubes of vegetables. I used butternut squash, zucchini, onion, and rutabaga. Other options could include carrots, sweet potatoes, yellow potatoes, green beans, or mushrooms. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt. 

Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables. Roast at 400 degrees for about an hour, or until the thighs are cooked through and the vegetables are tender. There will be some liquid on the pan that is full of flavour, so don't discard it. 

I added a handful of Marzano tomatoes, halved, and a generous sprinkling of chopped parsley when I served the dish. 

I'll leave you with some of the tulips blooming in my garden. These are in a shadier spot and bloomed later than others. Some are finished already. I potted up a few and they are still appearing. 

Wishing you a week full of gentle beauty and a quiet heart, even in the midst of busyness. 

Linking to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Angie of Letting Go of the Bay Leaf. 

On a Quiet April Morning

I'm thinking about Easter and the preparations for the weekend. Heart and home. Yesterday, after school, my eldest granddaughter and I made some bags of Muddy Buddies as treats for our Easter celebration. We enjoyed chatting and playing together, and she stayed for dinner with us. Now 8, she is growing up so quickly and I cherish the time I have with her, and with each of my other grandchildren. 

The quiet of this morning is more to do with the soft and steady drizzle of rain and the gray skies than with what's going on in my head. There things are flying around with wild abandon as I make lists and flit from one item on my to-do list to another. Just now, as I sit in my chair and watch the rain fall and listen to the quiet of the house my mind calms. It would be a good day for curling up with a book, or some stitching, and a cup of tea. That will have to wait. 

The fawn lilies are now in bloom in the woods, mostly white, floating like stars just above the mossy ground. I spied a clump of pink fawn lilies in the rain. Erythronium revolutum. I believe I prefer the white ones. These lilies are native to the west coast of North America. There's always a little leap of internal joy when I see them emerge from their flat, spotted, close to the ground leaves. 

Last weekend's Lemon Tart. This is a close version of the recipe I used, from Laura Calder. It's not too sweet with a decided lemon flavour and just enough pucker to satisfy. I made a press-in shortbread crust, baked blind, that worked well. 

Last night, after I took Adria home, the evening light beckoned me to the garden. I cut lemon balm - it's a bit invasive, but I let it stay because it can fill in gaps nicely in the garden, and transplants well. Maybe too well. On my walk the other evening I picked the first sprig of lilac. Lilacs will be the next flower to rush into spring. 

It seems to me that spring is full of hurry. The flowers tumble over themselves, all in a commotion to bloom. Snowdrops barely fade before crocus and daffodil and muscari and hyacinth rush upon the scene, closely followed by tulips and anemones. Now the cornflowers are forming blooms, and tight rose buds will emerge. It's unstoppable. Hooray for relentless spring. 
I feel like I can't keep up. I'd like to enjoy each one longer, if I could, but no, we move on to the next beautiful thing. The bustle can be exhausting! 

A bunch of spray roses came home with me from grocery shopping yesterday. I thought they were pinker than they are, but the soft blush is still very pretty. I lit a candle this morning, thanks to the rain. 

We'll be celebrating our Easter dinner as a family on Saturday evening this year. That's what works best for in-laws. It's always good to be flexible even if it means tradition sometimes needs to be tweaked a little. Dinner will include a baked ham with TWO sauces - raisin sauce and sweet mustard sauce - because it's TRADITION. Scalloped potatoes, probably some broccoli, bright carrots, and a fresh green salad. Dessert is still not decided. I'm debating between chocolate mousse and an orange chiffon cake. When I put the question to Adria yesterday, she said, "why not both?" Smart girl, that one. 

Thanks for reading this rather rambling post. I wish you all a most joyous Easter as we remember the sacrifice of Christ, and the triumph of the Resurrection.