How bees make honey

Out of the mouth of babes...

"Ouch! It hurts so much when bees make honey!" What do you mean?

"The bee the bit me who took the skin to his house to mix it up really well and make honey - it hurts and itches when they bite!"

Next craft planned will be a book detailing the story of bees making honey by Christine Mason. She'll draw what she believes...

A seasonal family favorite

'Tis the season - no, not the holiday season, but the rhubarb season!!

Dana recently asked me for my rhubarb cake recipe again and I thought I would share with everyone who wants it instead of just sending it to her. Cause it's that good. Really. Just thinking about it now makes me want to go cut a few pieces in the garden and come make this delicious cake! Even those who don't like cooked fruit (Kev) liked this one!

Here it is - enjoy!
Rhubarb cake (9” x 13”)

A)
2 cups flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves

B)
½ cup oil
2 eggs
½ cup milk

C)
¼ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
½ tsp cinnamon

D)
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp melted butter
1-2 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla

Beat “B” into “A” for ~2 minutes. Mix in 2 cups of chopped rhubarb. Spread in greased 9x13 pan.
Sprinkle with “C”.
Bake in oven at 350F for 50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Spread icing (“D”) while cake is hot.

Try not to eat all in one day!! Enjoy!

Gardening in 2010

First, apologies for not being very diligent about blogging in a long time... or sharing more great recipes we've had lately... I will try to catch up on some of those as well as do a family update in the coming weeks. Life has gotten in the way - but that's what it's really all about! :)

For the topic of choice for today: the vegetable garden of 2010. We're (I'm) being a bit more ambitious this year with the garden. It started by weeding it entirely, then my dad and Trevor passing the tiller a few times through the soil. It appeared it may never have been tilled before, so hopefully that will be good news for the production this year! Hopefully we'll get more sun and less rain than last year as well to yield a better crop. Time will tell.

This past weekend, I created the rows, deciding to change their orientation vs. last year to try to get better sun and optimize the space a bit. What was planted:
- tomato plants (Scotia)
- cherry tomato plants (sweet baby girl)
- radish
- mesclun salad mix
- lettuce - gourmet mix
- carrots
- beets
- yellow beans
- green beans
- potatoes
- turnip (seeds)
- butternut squash (seeds and plants)
- zucchini plants
- cucumber (seeds and plants)
- sweet bell peppers
- regular peas
- sugar snap peas

Here's hoping for a good soak in the next day or two then lots of sun and heat to get the seeds germinated and the plants growing. As with last year, we'll take pictures when there's something other than mounds of dirt.

An absolute MUST-TRY!

As long as you like tofu or are willing to try it anyway...

This was quite easy and quick to make and the best part was: everyone liked it! It's being added to the family favorites - right there next to sheppard's pie!! I laugh as I think of Christine pointing to the cashews saying they were really really good, but that the pineapple was even more really really good. Other than sheppard's pie, there's not much she'll clean her plate of, but this one did it - except for some of the rice that was left behind.

As the subject indicates, this is a definite 'must-try'. We can even make this when Jeff comes for dinner! Yay! I just wish we had more left for lunch tomorrow...

Pineapple Tofu with Cashews - Recipes - Quick & Easy - Canadian Living

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Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Cider-Herb Sauce

Here's another one we had last week that the kids quite liked. The sauce was a bit "oniony" - the flavour was nice, but Christine can put her nose up a bit at their sight, so perhaps I would shred them or mince them next time. With mashed potatoes and green beans, we had quite a nice dinner (and great leftovers for lunch the next day!).

Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Cider-Herb Sauce - Recipes - Quick & Easy - Canadian Living

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Beef Patties with Saucy Mushrooms

I haven't been doing a good job of posting yummy recipes lately (and have been reminded of it - it's nice to hear people look at the blog, looking to see if I have anything new!). This is partly because I've been busy and not making this much of a priority, in all honesty, but also because there hasn't been that many meals lately that I feel are really worth sharing broadly.

After I say that though, there were a couple of meals this week that were very Christine and Nicholas approved - and that says a lot lately! I certainly wouldn't call them picky, but they do have their preferences and they certainly much prefer foods that are pretty bland... unfortunately for Trev and I... Here's one that was a huge hit with both of them. We had this with broccoli and cauliflower and the plates were practically licked clean.

Beef Patties with Saucy Mushrooms - Recipes - Quick & Easy - Canadian Living

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Almost made it!

I guess I jinxed myself Monday or yesterday...

Trev has been in Regina since Monday night/Tuesday morning of last week (Feb 1st-2nd), so about a week and two days. He's back this Friday. I thought to myself, either Monday or yesterday, can't quite remember... I told myself that things were going remarkably well. No major incidents. The kids were dressed with hair brushed and breakfast every morning, got picked up on time every night, had quite healthy meals pretty much every supper and overall we were having a pretty good time. Only one day was I quite late for work (1/2 hr), so all in all, I think I was doing pretty good. The kids haven't been sick - I don't really count runny noses... I mean sick to stay home sick... and no night accidents that just cause much more work than everyday stuff.

Well, I should not have thought those thoughts...

Tonight, Nicholas pooped in the tub. And it wasn't pretty... Luckily, I had just taken Christine out (likely did it as I was drying her as I would have noticed and he wouldn't have had to show me by picking it up and trying to hand me a piece). Frig...

The good: Christine was out of the tub she had been sharing with her brother.
The bad: it wasn't very solid and only got less and less so as time passed and let's face it: cleaning the tub wasn't as high on the priority list as getting him out and cleaned again...
The ugly: we had corn for dinner last night and he had kiwis for morning snack...

Can Friday come any sooner? I need to go on a work vacation too!

Another CL recipe to share

First of all, I'd like to say that I don't like the 'share this' tool that allows you to share links such as this one on a blog without allowing you to add text. WTF? Who would ever just add a link like that to a blog? Not me... at least I never plan to...

Made these pecan-crusted chicken fingers tonight and I thought they were great! Really tasty and crunchy. The kids liked them as well, of course. Worth giving them a try for sure! We had them with mashed squash and sliced beats. Yum!

Pecan-Crusted Chicken Fingers - Recipes - Food - Canadian Living

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Better than not bad Spaghettini with Scallop Arrabbiata

Preamble: We seldom eat the same thing twice in a month let along twice in a year. There are a few things that show up a bit more frequently for Friday nights when we're all tired or for nights that I have to run to a meeting or whatever (McCain's pizza, sheppard's pie - this one mainly because the kids eat so well when we have it!, Crunchy garlic chicken - I'll have to post that one..., etc.). The reality is though that we do try different recipes and eat quite a variety like no one else I know. I had been addicted to buying recipe books for a while, I think, and I cannot see myself living without my Canadian Living magazine every month. For those of you readers who don't know, we make a menu for the week and buy our groceries based on that menu. That way, we know we have what we need to make dinner, we know we're eating a good variety of foods, and we never sit around looking at each other trying to figure out what we're going to make. We've been doing this for about 7 years and it's great!

The reason I explain all this... after I spend my time and energy in preparing a delicious meal for my family, I will often ask Trevor what he thinks of it. Typically, I get "not bad". Nothing more, nothing less. What does that really mean? That it's not bad, he explains. It's not awesome, not something he wants to see on the menu every week from this point forward, but also not bad - something he would like to eat again. So if Trev ever tells you something is not bad, it's probably pretty good.

Tonight, we had Spaghettini with Scallop Arrabbiata from the Jan'10 CL (p. 56). I didn't even ask (I think I have basically stopped asking as I'm always getting the same boring answer). Trev commented on how good this was and talked about the different flavours he was noticing and said it was actually quite good. Wow! For those of you who like seafood and tomato sauces for your pasta, this is one to try!! I thought it was pretty good, but I'm one that prefers more buttery flavour for my scallops and white sauces for pasta (like Julie & Julia, I like butter!)...

12 oz spaghettini
16 sea scallops (~14 oz)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp EVOO
2 oz pancetta, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (19 oz though I used 28 oz) whole tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh parsley (I used dried)

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and return to pot.
Meanwhile, remove tough muscle from each scallop; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the salt (I used sea salt). In skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat; cook scallops in batches until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In clean skillet (I just wiped the one used above with paper towel), heat remaining oil over medium heat; cook pancetta until crisp, about 5 minutes.
Add onion, garlic, hot pepper flakes, pepper and remaining salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
Mash tomatoes and add to pan; cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Add parsley and scallops, cook until scallops are opaque, about 1 minute. Toss with pasta (or spoon over pasta also works). Makes 4-6 servings.

Favorite waffles

Waffles are such a treat! Until you find this recipe and see how easy they are to make (as long as you have a waffle iron, obviously) and then they become just another Sunday brunch! You can also impress all your friends with this delicious treat.

This one is from Betty Crocker's Cookbook (The Big Red Cookbook) - likely our most used and definitely our most referenced cookbook.

2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1-3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter or stick margarine)
1 tbsp granulated sugar or packed brown sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

whipped cream, fresh berries, maple syrup suggested toppings

Heat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater or wire whisk until fluffy (I usually just whisk them until they're uniform). Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth. Pour a scant 2/3 cup batter from cup or pitcher onto center of hot waffle iron (you'll figure out for your own waffle iron how much you should put in by experimenting). Close lid of waffle iron. Bake about 5 minutes (your waffle iron likely has settings you can also play around with until you figure out the 'doneness' you like). Serve immediately. Top with toppings of choice. Repeat with remaining batter.

If you're looking for a bit of a change or something slightly healthier, peel, core and chop slices of apples and drop a handful on the batter before closing the lid (~1/4 of an apple per waffle). You'll have to cook the waffle just a bit longer. Dust icing sugar and/or cinnamon on top of a dollop of whipped cream and you're good to go. This is my favorite way variety.

You can also do the above and also sprinkle with raisins before closing the lid and cooking your waffle to help increase the iron and flavour content.

Enjoy!!

Coincidence!

I find rather uncanny the coincidence that I decided to start blogging about recipes that I like when there's a movie fairly recently out that is almost the same story line. And the biggest coincidence: it's called Julie & Julia. Thanks Sandra for pointing it out to me! Hilarious! (the coincidence, not the movie) I rented it and watched it last night and enjoyed it enough. I wouldn't recommend anyone run out to find it, but it was a good movie to watch while Trev went to play ultimate.

My inspiration didn't come from this movie, it came from a friend: Danielle Cormier. For Christmas, she prepared a calendar that she gives to friends and family. There are lovely pictures of her kids on the cover. Inside, there are recipes that they have tried over the year that everyone in their family enjoyed and wanted to share with others. I thought it was a great idea and thought I should do something similar (as I mentioned in the first post related to this topic, I seem to spend a ton of time in the kitchen and it is really becoming more of a hobby than just an every task - I really enjoy it). Then I remembered my track record of the last few years and not even being able to put together a family newsletter to accompany my Christmas cards (I'd have to do this in October for everything else I need to do in December!) so I reminded myself that the year would be over and I would not have noted any particular recipes I enjoyed and wanted to share. In evidence is the pile that is approximately 18 months deep of Canadian Living magazines that I need to cut up to put in my "favorite CL recipes" albums. That is how I came up with blogging about recipes I'm trying and enjoying. No Julia Childs wanna-be here. Just a wife and mom of 2 that enjoys the art and beauty of cooking.

So on with a few more recipes... see next couple of posts.

Meatballs

What the heck, while I'm here, I'll post another one. We had meatballs for dinner tonight - another family favorite - though much less fancy than the boeuf bourguignon. I usually use a recipe I got from my mom a long time ago, but we ventured out a bit tonight and tried a different recipe. We preferred my mom's meatballs (texture and flavour) but did enjoy the sauce so we'll likely try my mom's meatballs with this new sauce. I don't have links for those, so here they are:

Mamie's meatballs:
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1 onion, finely chopped or shredded if my dad is coming for dinner!
1 clove of garlic, minced or 0.5 tsp garlic powder
pepper, to taste
1 cup 'minute rice' (can use regular rice, but I find it the beef has to be over-cooked for the rice to be properly cooked - this is the only reason we keep minute rice in the pantry but it's worth it)

Mix and make into 3/4" balls. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Add sauce of choice (see 2 below) and bake another 20-30 minutes at 350F.

Mamie's sweet and sour sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp dried ground mustard
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup vinegar

Mix all ingredients and add to meatballs. We also prefer this sauce to the one that comes with M&M meatballs and have added to those meatballs when in more of a rush.

'the other' sweet and sour sauce (source: New Maritimes Seasonal Cooking by by Donna Young, Marg Routledge):
2 tbsp lightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch

Mix all ingredients and add to meatballs as per instructions above. If following this recipe, it is recommended to place in covered dish for the additional 20-30 minutes as there is not as much sauce and the meatballs may dry up.

These freeze very well.

Not sure this will last, but...

I don't typically do well with New Year's Resolutions, so I won't call this one. I just thought that since I don't 'do' too much lately (life with young children...) I thought I should share more about what I do actually do. And one of the things I find myself doing a lot and truly enjoy is cooking. So when I come across a recipe I like, I will try to post it here - both for your reading pleasure as well as to make notes for myself about what I did or would do differently for future reference.

This one is a family favorite. It requires some planning and a fair bit of time, but definitely worth it. We're having it tomorrow with some friends. I've only ever made it on the stovetop so far, but we may try the slow-cooker method for tomorrow. We'll see...

Enjoy!

Cooking class: Boeuf Bourguignon - Holiday Countdown - Food - Canadian Living

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