Maple in the County, I love thee... and other things.

It's been an interesting couple of days in my life. Friday started out really well! We were all up and out the door on time. I took Tibbs for his morning jaunt and then he joined me on my morning run to the grocery store to pick up a few vegetables for the calzones I'd planned on making. On our way back home I was flagged down by an elderly fellow with a terrible limp. His name was Gary and he was heading home with a cart from a different grocery store dressed in only a sweater over his clothes (on a rather cool morning below zero!) and asking if I would be kind enough to drive him home. I felt awful for him, and couldn't say no. He seemed harmless (and was!). I put his groceries in the back and opened the door for him. He graciously got in, rubbing his hands together for warmth. We introduced ourselves and he told me this ride home was worth a million dollars for him; he'd lost his wife 3 weeks ago, and was feeling completely lost without her. He talked about his traveling he did with her, and how she was his constant companion. He said that when she died he felt like he lost his own life. It was very sweet, and very sad. I'm glad I took the time to stop and do him a favour. It's amazing how someone can be in your life for a fleeting moment, and can make such a huge impact on it. Thank you, Gary.

Shortly after I got home, however, I got the worst migraine I've had in a really long time. I couldn't even get myself off the couch for the rest of the day. I was so very thirsty and drank more tall glasses of water than I can even remember. I slept for three hours and it did nothing. Needless to say, I didn't make the calzones, only pizza. So much easier! Eating didn't shake the migraine, so I ended up in bed and asleep by 8:30pm. Luckily, I woke up this morning migraine free. Not sure what all that commotion was about!

This morning we headed into Prince Edward County for Maple in the County. We went last year and loved it, so we made sure to find some time to head out there again this year. We all love the County, so any excuse to get out there is a great one. A lot of people head out there for the food - pancakes with maple syrup and maple syrup smoked meat, but not us! Nope. We figure we make good pancakes on our own (and don't eat the meat), and we can get the local syrup anytime from the market or from Campbell's Orchards. Instead, we go for the farms! I love animals - a lot. This love has been passed down to my children, especially the younger two. We went to two of the same farms today that we visited at last year's Maple in the County. My son Tiernan was positive that the sheep that took a liking to him today was one of the lambs he bonded with last year. Aww. It's so sweet to see the little lambs suckling from their mothers with their tiny tails wagging as fast as can be. I was seriously in heaven.

Last year at this farm we bought a slice of Maple Sugar Pie. It was so sweet, but also so delicious. My daughter really doesn't like pie, but this pie she loved! We decided to go ahead and treat ourselves to an entire ($15!) Maple Sugar Pie. We brought it home, put it on the far back of the counter, and went out to dinner. When we came home, said pie was eaten by a certain pie-loving dog. We had only gotten him earlier that month, so we didn't know he had a thing for pies. I was so furious. $15! GONE. Ahhh. Anyway, this year, we bought ourselves another $15 Maple Sugar Pie. And this time when we left to go to Avery's soccer game? We left it on the top of the fridge. If Tibbs had found a way to get it down from there, he deserved the dang pie. Alas, the pie was safe when we got home.

Another farm we have stopped at both years is the Alpaca Farm. How I would love to own my own herd of Alpacas! They are seriously the sweetest little creatures, ever! We recognized a bunch from last year, but I couldn't get any great pictures since they were huddled in their little barns away from the chilly wind.

We also stopped in at Campbell's Orchard at Tiernan's request. He loves visiting with Abby and Sophie (Golden Retrievers), the pot bellied pig (Wilbur), the many chickens and roosters, and the bunnies - though we didn't see bunnies today. They also love the shop that's full of yummy baked goods, many different food items from the local shops - like the smoked cheddar from Black River Cheese that we picked up, cookbooks, neat little treasures and lots of vegetables in the summer, and the best part - APPLES from the Orchard in the late summer and fall.

We also made a quick stop in to one of my husband's favourite breweries - Barley Days Brewery. Kyle was on a mission to pick up some Sugar Shack Ale & Working Man's Stout. While there, the brewer, Alex, poured both Kyle and I a special oak cask aged Sugar Shack Ale. Now, I am not a fan of beer. I mean... I'm really not a fan. Typically, I don't mind the initial taste of some beers, but can't get past the after taste. When Alex poured it for me, I didn't have the heart to say no.. so I picked up my little taster... and tasted. Oh my. I loved it! That did not taste like beer! That tasted sweet and wine-like. Shocking! So.. we also picked up a couple of bottle of that as well. :)

Today was a really good day. Nothing like some good, crisp, fresh country air to tire everyone out so I could get them to bed early. There is method behind my madness, I'm telling you!

Tomorrow promises to be another good day. Can't wait!

Happy weekend, everyone!

I just love how Abby the dog decided to join in on the picture as I was snapping it and saying "Smile!'. :D Cute puppy.





P.S. Is that not the best chicken, evvvverrrrrrrrrr??? Oh my... LOVE. LoveloveloveloveLOVEher.

Dinner at lunch hour?

You might be thinking, 'Is she updating her dinner post already?!' and you'd be right! In our world today is Hella Busy Thursday. There are only a couple more HBTs before things slow down for us (by choice!), and I think we're all looking forward to it. Thursdays will still be busy after these Hella Busy Thursdays are over, but not this crazy. Today isn't too bad since the competitive season has started at the dance studio so there's no dance classes (for Rhianna) or meetings (for me) tonight. We have swimming right after school, Kung Fu for Avery & Rhianna right after that, then Kung Fu for Tiernan right after that. Then we get to rush home and change Avery into his soccer gear before rushing out to his hour long soccer practice. Not to mention that Kyle wants to go out for a Magic Draft tonight at Goodsell Collectibles, so I'm doing most of this solo.

*deep breath*

You don't want to hear about next Thursday. :P

Let's not forget all the running around I did this morning - signing kids up for Spring activities, stocking up on cat/rat/dog food/treats/litter, picking up maps and newspapers about Maple in the County, shopping for a new gym bag for Avery, and stopping at a grocery store.

At any rate, we eat on the go on Thursdays. Typically, I make something during the day, and pack it up before heading out to pick the kids up at school. This morning I made a couple of cream cheese spreads (never buy them - homemade is so much better!) that I saw on Rachael Ray. I put them on the most delicious toasted bagels in the world, St Viateur Bagels from Montreal. If you've never tried Montreal bagels - find some now! Mmmmm.

And that's it. Easiest dinner, ever!

Bunny Spread

1 container cream cheese, room temperature

1 carrot, grated

3 green onions, finely sliced

Mix in a bowl, and chill for a few hours so the tastes can mingle!

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Asian Spread

1 container cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup cucumber, finely diced

3 green onions, finely sliced

1-2 tbsp Braggs

Mix in a bowl and chill for a few hours so the tastes can mingle!

Comfort!

I'm jumping straight into our dinner menu tonight because I am beat and want to get some sleep. I attempted to nap this afternoon to no avail, so bed before midnight would be a good thing for me!

Tonight's dinner was brought to you by the word comfort. It's one of those meals that feeds your soul and mind as well as your body. I made a lentil loaf, my mushroom gravy, some champ potatoes which I grew up eating, some asparagus with a butter/balsamic sauce drizzled over top and just some baby spinach with the leftover creamy garlic dressing. I also baked a banana chocolate chip loaf for the kids lunches (and dessert tonight!). I mostly follow Savvy Vegetarian's lentil loaf, making some changes to suit our own personal tastes. I also got the recipe for the asparagus from the same Moosewood cookbook I used last night. The champ is similar to my Mum's, but I do change it up a bit since traditionally it has no garlic in it. I love garlic. I put garlic in everything. Yum. Garlic, mushrooms and lentils are three of my favourite things.

Lentil Loaf

1 cup dry brown or green lentils

1/2 cup bulgar

3 cups vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp ginger root, minced

1 carrot, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Braggs

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

freshly ground black pepper

Cover the lentils in boiling water and let it sit for 1 hour. Drain.

Cook the lentils and bulgar in the stock for half an hour until cooked, and liquid has been absorbed.

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute all the vegetables, garlic and ginger in the olive oil. Mix in the lentils, bulgar, tomato paste, spices and Braggs. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is thick.

Place in an oiled loaf pan and cook for 45 minutes.

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Mushroom Gravy

1 cup cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 small white onion, chopped finely

1/4 cup margarine

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp Braggs

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp marjoram

freshly ground black pepper

Melt margarine in a skillet and saute onions and mushrooms for 3 minutes over med-high heat. Reduce heat. Add 2 cups veggie broth and Braggs.

Mix the 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and 1/3 cup flour in an airtight container until smooth and there are no lumps. Add to the skillet.

Bring skillet to a low boil. Add seasonings and cook on low for 8-10 minutes until it's thickened.

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Champ

4 lbs potatoes, quartered - I don't peel mine

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

3 green onion, chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper, to taste

Cook potatoes in a large pot until tender. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add the milk and heat. Drain potatoes, add the rest of the ingredients and serve immediately. Champ should be served with a well in the middle of the potato pile, with butter or margarine added. As it melts, you dip your potatoes in the well to coat with butter.

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Aparagus in a Balsamic/Butter Sauce

1 lb asparagus spears, washed and trimmed

1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Cook asparagus in a little water until just tender, but still vivid green (3-6 minutes, depending on size). Toast the pine nuts while the asparagus is cooking. Melt the butter, add the vinegar and serve over the asparagus with toasted pine nuts.

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Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 mashed bananas

chocolate chips, to taste

Preheat oven to 325.

Cream the first three ingredients together until well mixed. Add the dry ingredients, the mashed bananas and the chocolate chips.

Put in a lightly sprayed loaf pan and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

Not a drop left!

First thing I need to say is: LOOK! My beautiful friend, Andrea, has started two new blogs! I couldn't be more happy to share in both of them. She's an amazing stay-at-home, vegan mama to the most gorgeous and sweet children. I feel lucky that I got to meet her in this little city of ours.

I took the kids out to pre-bowl them tonight. We won't be able to attend their league on Saturday because we're heading into the County to do some exploring! Besides the pre-bowling, Avery & Kyle had haircuts, we had to stop in at the grocery store and then we took a trip downtown to go to Stephen License which had just closed when we got there. It was a bit of a busy evening, so I made an old stand-by meal for dinner - portobello mushroom pasta, a simple salad with a creamy garlic dressing (from Moosewood Cooks at Home.. the first Moosewood Cookbook I got from my friend Dylan) and a slice of whole grain toast. This dinner is my son Avery's absolute favourite! This is the dinner he requests on his birthday. Both boys had second helpings again, and the whole family happily gobbled up every last drop. Not even one serving left for Kyle to take to work.

Portobello Mushroom Pasta

pasta, of your choice

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

a couple pinches of red pepper flakes

4 portobello mushroom tops, thinly sliced

coarse sea salt, to taste

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

3-4 tbsp Italian seasoning

parmesan cheese, for garnish

Start the water boiling to cook the pasta.

Heat the biggest skillet you have over med-high heat. Add the oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the mushrooms. Stir to coat in oil. Cover the pan with a lid & reduce heat to med-low. Cook for 5 minutes, and add the coarse salt (doesn't need much). Cook until deep brown and soft. Add the tomatoes and seasoning and heat through.

Serve over cooked pasta, and top with parmesan cheese.

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Creamy Garlic Dressing

3 cloves garlic

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1-2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup milk

Place all of the ingredients, except for the milk, into a food processor. Whirl it until it's nicely mixed. Add the milk and continue mixing until it's smooth and creamy.

This will keep covered and refrigerated for up to a week.

The madness that was my past few days.

What a crazy past few days! I won't get into all of it, but let's just say it included all of the following:

-a sleep over with my lovely nieces and nephew!

-a delicious Starbucks chai care of my sister!

-a flood in my laundry room that looked and felt like a river flowing through!

-turned out, our (rented, thankfully) water tank leaked!

-water in both the laundry room as well as the rec room!

-the water missing one of our computers by a few centimeters!

-a change of plans for the all of Friday!

-a broken toilet seat!

-a sick stomach!

-headaches!

-a very late night and a very early morning so we could get into Toronto by 9am!

-a Magic tournament for the boys of the family!

-Tiernan's first tournament!

-Comic Con characters everywhere!

-a daughter who really, really, really wanted to go to Comic Con!

-a long walk to downtown Toronto for Rhianna and I!

-a trip up the CN Tower!

-a most delicious mother-daughter lunch at the top of the Tower!

-the best waiter (ever!), named Babu! He spent most of the time talking to me!

-Avery going farthest in the tournament out of Tiernan, Kyle and him!

-meeting some pretty cool guys who I hear about all the time from Kyle!

-getting stuck in traffic in downtown Toronto!

-not being able to find a place to eat dinner... with 5 starving people!

-finally finding Licks at 8:30pm, and eating the most delicious poutine and an okay veggie burger! Mental note: never head into a different city without an idea of where to go for dinner!

-the most beautiful Supermoon lighting our whole way home!

-getting my Tibby guy back from my parents!

-waking up with a bit of a cold - but boy, am I fighting this thing! Go, go, iron immune system!

-going out to support our competitive dancers from Angela Maracle Studios at Send Off - they did so well!

-going out for dinner - again!

-heading to three different restaurants before deciding on the Winchester Arms.

-finding it hilarious that the woman who works (owns?) the restaurant we really wanted to go to - Toro Sushi (which is apparently closed on Sundays) - was eating at the Winchester Arms! Haha!

-watching Amazing Race with the fam!

-back to school for the kids!

-trying to catch up on laundry for me!

It's been busy, good, and bad all rolled into one. I'm still trying to catch up on my rest and sleep.

Here are a few select pictures from our Saturday in Toronto.

Egyptian goodies.

Spring Break is over and Spring is officially here. The weather has been really good around lately - the snow has all melted, the sun has been shining, the birds are all singing. Of course, this morning I woke up to rain which quickly turned into huge snowflakes falling from the sky and staying on the ground. No thank you. It remained rainy and gloomy all day, though the snowflakes melted pretty quickly. Not a day that really felt Spring-like... well, except for when my friend Laura came into the dance studio tonight in the most bright, colourful outfit I've seen yet this season. I just love her! :)

Because of the overcast weather, our Soup Monday felt perfect! My daughter is doing a project in school on Egypt, so I felt it was quite fitting to make a big pot of harira which I served with a carrot orange salad, some savoury cheese biscuits and then a little helping of pretzels and baba ghanouj (store bought). I got both the soup and salad recipes from Moosewood Restaurant's Low Fat Favourites, and didn't alter too much from either of them.

The picture had to be taken outside since the house was dark all day long. Tomorrow is supposed to be better - I sure hope so!

Harira

1 cup onions, chopped

5 cups vegetable stock

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup carrots, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 cups potatoes, diced

pinch saffron

1 cup cooked lentils (canned will work, drained)

1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned will work, drained)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a covered soup pot, simmer the chopped onions in 1 cup of vegetable broth for 10 minutes. Combine the cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and cayenne in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of the hot stock and make a paste. Add to the pot along with the celery, carrots and remaining stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and potatoes, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Crumble in the saffron, and then add the lentils, chickpeas, lemon juice and salt and black pepper. Heat through and serve.

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Carrot Orange Salad

3-4 carrots, grated

2 blood oranges, peeled, white removed and chopped into small pieces

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix the honey, lemon juice and cinnamon together. Stir together the carrots, oranges and dressing and chill for a few hours so the flavours can mingle.

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Savoury Cheese Biscuits

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup margarine

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 tbsp rosemary

1 tbsp basil

1 tbsp sage

1 tbsp thyme

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl to make a soft dough. Form into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the bottoms are browned.

Fun Food Fridays, nachos style.

Fun Food Fridays are... well... fun! That is, unless you use cayenne pepper and cut up jalapeno peppers and then rub your eyes. Can you say ouch? I sure did!

It was worth it, though. Dinner was delicious. :) We had some basic corn tortillas warmed up with some melted Tex Mex cheese on it, and then we added the Pico de Gallo (a la Rachael Ray) and some Black Bean Dip that I've been making for years now. I originally got it from one of my Moosewood cookbooks, but I can't remember which one anymore. It's really good, and the kids unanimously like it.

Pico de Gallo

4 vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 small white onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

zest and juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes so the flavours can mingle.

Black Bean Dip

19oz can black beans, rinsed well

1 tsp toasted cumin seeds, ground

1/2 tsp ground corriander

pinch cayenne pepper

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

2/3 cup chopped parsley

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

salt, to taste

Drain the beans and place them in a shallow bowl. Mash them with a fork. Toast the tsp of cumin seeds, and then grind in a mortar and pestle. Add the cumin and the remaining ingredients and stir to combine well.