I'm hungry...what to eat-what to eat...

Zucchini Fritters with feta and dill

Makes about 16 large fritters or 25 small ones

4 zucchini (about 1 1/2 lb/750 g)
5 or 6 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped (save the dark green tops for the tomato salad)
9 oz (250 g) feta cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons dried dill
1 cup (120 g) flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
Greek or natural yogurt, to serve (optional)

Coarsely grate the zucchini using a box grater, food processor or mandoline slicer. Transfer to a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain in the sink for about 30 minutes to get rid of the excess water.

Put the chopped scallions in a bowl and crumble in the feta. Add the dill and flour and season well with salt and pepper. Gradually add the beaten egg and mix thoroughly before adding in the drained zucchini.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and drop heaped spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan (an ice cream scoop works well here), flattening them with the back of a spoon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden, then transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve with dollop of Greek or natural yogurt, either hot from the pan or at room temperature.

It was damn good....though I only made half, but I did use two eggs. And I didn't salt and drain the zuc

I dumped the zucchini into a dish towel and squeezed the shit   liquid out of it into the sink. Much easier, even if you do the whole recipe, the dish towel tecnique can be done in batches. Also I used grape seed oil not Olive oil. And what's with the "save the green tops of scallions" ...I used all of it

I specially liked this cause 1. I had all the ingredients, 2. I had all the ingredients, and 3. I had all the ingredients.

Next time I will add some parmesan cheese or something a little sharper with the feta, (one can never have tooooo much cheese added) and maybe a shot of sriracha.  The yogurt I had on hand was greek with honey, It added a nice flavour.

Next time I will flatten them a little more as they fry up as well.
One of these days I might even level the damn stove.....It drives me.... in-f#cking-sane....whenever I have to pan fry.

They taste good cold too, would make a nice snack in the car on the way to somewhere---hungry.

I am...

Writing prompt

Five minutes...

I am...a grandmother - if I knew then..how wonderful this would be, I might have had more kids myself.
I am ...a good cook, it amazes me how I can throw things together and they are actually edible and there have been many times that there wasn't very much to throw together in the first place.
I am...lazy
I am... available always for my kids with time, $$$ and advise hahaha
I am...a varosious (bad spelling) reader...I should live in a library or book store, cause I actually hate buying the books, just reading them...
I am....annoying, apparently I talk toooooo loudly, but I blame that on once being a hockey mom of a goalie with a lousy crappy team.
I am...out of time

...the summer that was - I will miss thee

waterpark dance

waterpark friday's
spent a remarkable amount of time at waterparks this year

didn't expect him to sit in his water source

....water fight

'tis the season

Apple Crisp....yum
For dessert first, before dinner
then as snack around 10pm

 For breakfast

Good thing I made two.
....maybe for lunch today

Waiting for the next season

Sooo long...Sad to see you go
Too Bad I don't have a bigger composter. Its a shame, but it's going in the dumpster out back. Horrors!!! But there it is.
I spent the day cleaning up the back yard...such as it is for a back yard - in this complex. But I gotta say the kiddy pool of the g'kids came in handy to drag through the garage, then into the dumpster. I have to dig up a couple things seeing as how I will probably be somewhere else next summer.  My daughter has been given the task of finding a 4 bdrm with a 2bdrm walk out basement somewhere in the city. Hopefully with a wish list to give any real estate agent nightmares.  Currently she's paying waaaay to much for daycare for one kid full time and 1 in kindergarten before and after school care.  Her daycare is a mortgage payment. So we have agreed to live together and give up our lives for 2 yrs max for both to be out of daycare and kindergarten.
Wish List
must have......
4 bdrm (will settle for 3 upstairs + playroom or family room upstairs)
2 bdrm dwm with bar or potentional for 2nd kitchen reno and walkin closet or plotential for at least one)
walk in pantry
walk out basement (will not settle, must have someplace for bamboo hanging chair)
outdooor bbg area
two ovens (wouldn't that be ultimate, 2 ovens up and one down yay), could be asking too much...
open plan so things could be moved around for large family dinners with addition of collapsable tables
2+car garage and street parking for guests
access to back yard with either lane or bike bath
fenced
either large enough back yard for climbing swing thing, tramp, play house, garden....bonus if already included
should be in neighborhood with walk-ability to shops, library, hardware store, pharmacy with canada post, tim hortons, (( have these now, and will really really miss them), bike paths. (I love my neighborhood), rec center etc. Good selection of take-out would be nice (lazy). Did I mention I love my neighborhood, I can walk to any service or shop. It's all right here. costco and walmart are both just a short drive like 10 min away. I'm so spoiled. It's like I live in a small town---in the big-bad-city. And I'm 10 min away from the airport. Most of the neighborhood works for one airline or another or the airport. I actually got some nice pic's of kate and will leaving the royal tour, coarse I had to zoom it in, but still.... And I never hear the planes. Just miss the flight path. i see them, but I rarely actually hear them.  I hope she finds someplace in my neighborhood. Would't that be great?
NO CARPET  ON MAIN FLOOR
Gas fireplace...or two
walking distance to primary school, cause I really hate driving if I don't have to.
Close to transit would be good, cause i hate to pay for parking downtown, would so much rather take the train

I don't know....this might be asking too much
...My husband - would prob think he's died and gone to heaven if he could buy a golf cart to park somewhere on the property...to drive his clubs around.....maybe even to play a round once-in-awhile.

Turkey day...yum

Yesterday I paid my library fine like a good girl, and then they let me take all the reserves that had accumulated on the shelf with my name (and my husbands, cause I cheat so that I can reserve twice as many). $34.25 fine....yikes, that's what happens when you loose track of things and thanksgiving family arrive, all that cleaning, rejigging of beds, and futons and did I mention cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. Not to mention digging out all those big roasters, mixing bowls, pots, and serving platers that one never uses. But thanksgiving was a good time. 20 adults and 8 kids. Since I REFUSE to make turkey anymore, I roped my mother into making the turkey and stuffing, since she was staying with me, and since she always moooops  around if she doesn't get to do something, not to mention all the "why are you doing it that way's" and "why are you adding THAT's". I figured I would boss her around instead for a change. It worked our rather well.
My step daughter decided to make this interesting thing with stuffed beet leaves. Hmmm I thought I had enough on my garden still, She kept asking me" are you sure I don't have to bring any?" Cause she works at a market garden and has them available ...but no, I insisted I had plenty.

That was on a tuesday, by wednesday we had a frost....and half of the beet greens were toast.  Hmmm, what to do. So on Friday I happened by the farmers market and low and behold....beet greens. But very pricey $5.95 a bunch. The leaves were huge, but there were only 4 beets in the bunch. And she said she needed lots.

As it happened my mother was coming into town friday night, and she had beet greens packed up and ready for the 7 hr trip. I figured - I've got lots between my mothers and mine, there's got to be enough.

Well....not so much - This dish needs alot of greens. So Sunday morning I was running around chasing beet greens at every store in my neighborhood. I finally found 3 bunches for $1.95 each. Much better price.

The stuffed beet greens were very good, I even had some stuffing left over that didn't make it into the dish, I added a couple eggs, mixed it all up and made patties for a snack on monday. Damn good.

My house we cooked the turkey, stuffing, beet greens thing, roasted the beets, sliced and buttered them, peeled the potatoes prepping them for steaming, drank wine, had to make lunch in the middle of all this for 7 adults. Pesto spaghetti and broad breans, Then my mother man handled the turkey apart into chunks - out came all the stuffing, lined the bottom of the roaster with celery stalks and onion rings, placed the boneless turkey parts on top of the mess then poured a container of vegetable stock over the whole thing, then foil wrapped it all up, after draining all the drippings first of coarse. Oh yeah my g'son was celebrating his 2nd birthday as well so there was also a cupcake birthday cake with a Thomas Train theme (ordered and paid for) to transport to my daughters.

It's a good thing I have a van, cause it was full
Turkey---check
Stuffing--check
freshing made cranberry sauce--check
prepped potatoes--check
beetgreens thing--check
roasted beets-check
brussel sprouts--check (wow were they ever good, bacon, whole hazelnuts & maple syrup)
drippings--check
cake--check
booze--double check
platters--check
5 adults--check
cell phones, charges, cameras --check, check and check
The only thing that I didn't have to transport were the apps, the salmon destined for the barbeque, yams and desert. No wonder we were all exhausted at my house, we did most of the cooking. How did that happen? Thank goodness for the really super big bbq to keep everything warm just before the salmon went on it.

Everything was very good. Specially the brussel sprouts that nobody likes, but cleaned up this year. And the Beet top thing, was weird looking but was the first thing to be polished off. There was hardly any leftovers. A little bit of turkey, handful of beets, and a little hunk of salmon, enough gravy for a meal of hot turkey sandwichs for dinner tuesday. It was the stuffing that was really good though. Yum, and only after I insisted my mother (who never eats the stuff) added a few things that she generally never does. Even she ate it even though i almost had to arm wrestle her to add the garlic from the press.

Lazy is my middle name

So ...last night there was a frost warning.
I could have done many things....but I chose to do the easiest available thing.
On tuesday we had a snow warning, so on tuesday I threw the g'kids plastic circle form swimming pool thing over the herbs, and lids of three plastic storage tubs were leaned against the beets that are planted against the garage.  For some reason I didn't think to drape a plastic sheet up against the same garage to protect the scarlet runners...duhhhhh
So Tuesday's snow warning actually materialized, hahaha if you can call it a snow warning. I figured when I peeked under the swimming pool and saw all my basil stilll healthy and the beets and the uncovered beans still standing up.  I thought, "cool" whew that was close. And promptly forgot (or didn't head the actual frost warning the next night). So this morning I had places to go, things to do ....and as I uncovered stuff to water them, I noticed the "death of all living things"...and cried a little tear for all the lost basil that was destined for pesto.  (and I had many plants that were just amazing covered with leaves, large leaf or leaf lettuce variety). I  knew I should have picked it, ohhhhh the pain. The heart...stopping....pain of no fresh pesto for the freezer or jars. Curses to the lazy.

Isn't that just the most heart breaking thing to have to look at? I didn't even bother to look at the lettuce leaf variety, it would have killed me for sure. This is just one plant. There are six others that look worse.

My only salvation is that the tarragon and italian parsley, dill and mint survived. And are currently soaking in the sink waiting to go through the salad spinner and then the oven on real low for drying.  But why ohhhh why just the basil. Everything else in the bunch survived.

I promised beet tops to my step daughter for some beet top-stuffed-with-guinoa-concoction for her contribution for ths'giving dinner this weekend. And the tops, even though they were covered - didn't survive either.

So I called my mother....cause she plants both. And lives in B.C., and is coming this way for thanksgiving. But she had frost tooooo. But because she isn't "lazy" and she is "on-the-ball" when it comes to frost warnings. She ripped out all the basil plants and they are currently all over her house in vases (why didn't I think of that......stupid, stupid...lazy) and she threw plastic and blankets over the beets...hmmm apparently plastic isn't so great as a cover for frost...who knew. 

So crisis averted and now there will be beet tops and lots of basil for this weekend.  I don't really know why she even plants basil. She always turns her nose up as pesto. I think she just plants the multiple varieties just to bug the crap out of me and my sister, cause she ALWAYS has a bumper crop and supplies us with bags and bags and bags of leaves. Cause she can plant ANYTHING and it grows with profusion. 

But alas....my scarlet runners beans didn't make it either....

Every year I plant them up against the garage on an old trellis, that I have no idea what it was ever used for originally, but scarlet runners seem to like it there up against the garage.  There isn't much sunlight, but the garage wall prob incubates the heat somewhat.  I planted only one envelope of them, cause at the time - they just were too pricey for what you got. Thinking back on that day, I'm somewhat stupid, and cheap, cause they just produced and produced and produced.  Towards the end of the season I would get a handful everyday and within three days there was enough for a meal for two bean lovers to enjoy. But just before the....end. I was watching a Lydia Bastianich segment on pvr and she was cooking a linguine and pesto and bean dish that I thought....hmm "i have spaghettinni (hate linguine) and I have pesto and a handful of beans. So off to the kitchen I went and we both slurped up the dish and couldn't wait for the next offering of beans.......
well so much for that.
Well my break is over...I have relatives coming.  So I am cleaning, scrubbing, rearranging stuff. And I even toke the paint I bought eons ago - to touch up that stupid ass wall - to home depot to get them to shake the shit out of it. Thanks god the actual dinner isn't at my house.  Just the turkey and stuffing and beet top thing willl be cooked and transported.  But It seems I have the most available room for actual BODIES and their luggage and their spouses and boyfriends and my mother. I hope everyone brings enough booze for the prep.
Oh dear....I should start the cranberries .........to get that out of the way

HAPPY THANKSGIVING...ONE AND ALL

Library books

These are currently the library books hanging around different parts of the house.

*Would it kill you to stop doing that? : a modern guide to manners

Alford, Henry

Funny, read it in about 4 hours though.  I gave it to someone to read, I hope he eventually returns it to the library.  

*The busy mom's cookbook : 100 recipes for quick, delicious, home-cooked meals

Lofaso, Antonia

Gave this one to my daughter to take a look at

*On a cold road : tales of adventure in Canadian rock

Bidini, Dave

*In the flesh : twenty writers explore the body

Page, Kathy

*Forty words for sorrow : [Detectives John Cardinal & Lise Delorme mystery]

Blunt, Giles

*Fresh & easy : what to cook and how to cook it

Hornby, Jane

Sitting in the return pile....kinda lame

*Season to taste : how I lost my sense of smell and found my way

Birnbaum, Molly

*A conspiracy of friends : [a Corduroy Mansions novel]

McCall Smith, Alexander

Love, loooove anything by this author!!!!! I get a little bit of joy everytime I spot a new one @ library "new and notable" shelf, although this isn't that new I think (and hope) it's one that I missed when it first came out.

*Everybody has everything : [a novel]

Onstad, Katrina

*How to cook like a man : a memoir of cookbook obsession

Duane, Daniel

*The beggar's opera

Blair, Peggy J

*The Tuscan Sun cookbook : recipes from our Italian kitchen

Mayes, Frances

*A sunless sea : a William Monk novel

Perry, Anne

I read everything by Anne Perry

*The book club cookbook : recipes and food for thought from your book club's favorite books and authors

Gelman, Judy

I loooove this book, Unfortunately It has added to my reservation list, and now I want to join a bookclub

*American grown : the story of the White House kitchen garden and gardens across America

Obama, Michelle

*The pleasures of cooking for one

Jones, Judith

This is the second time I've taken this book out, I thought I needed a refresher for some inspiration

*Chocolate obsession : confections and treats to create and savor

Recchiuti, Michael

*Eat the city : a tale of the fishers, trappers, hunters, foragers, slaughterers, butchers, farmers, poultry minders, sugar refiners, cane cutters, beekeepers, winemakers, and brewers who built New York

Shulman, Robin

*Home made : the ultimate DIY cookbook featuring over 200 from-scratch recipes

Boven, Yvette van

*Fear and loathing on the campaign trail '72

Thompson, Hunter S

*I'd like to apologize to every teacher I ever had : my year as a rookie teacher at Northeast High

Danza, Tony

*Locavore : from farmer's fields to rooftop gardens : how Canadians are changing the way we eat

Elton, Sarah

The book that changed the way I shop, and I lent it out to other people, again I hope they return it to a branch of the library, but I fear i will be paying overdues for this book, and I probably will buy it if I spot it at a book store or costco.

*Revenge of the land : a century of greed, tragedy, and murder on a Sasktchewan farm

Siggins, Maggie

*Buried in a book : [a novel idea mystery]

Arlington, Judy

*Day of honey : a memoir of food, love, and war

Ciezadlo, Annia

Loooved this book, tried some of the recipes. Have become adicted to the potatoes,onion and egg dish. I've added grated cheese, gr onions and bacon and sour cream as a topping to it. But I have to make it at least once a week. Also one of my obsessions is the diaspora of nationalities and the food they crave. Think the author is a little nuts for wanting to live where she does, but who among us isn't a little nuts. Great book, everyone should read it. Another book on my TO BUY LIST, cause I'm always searching through it for something. I've already renewed it twice, only one more renewal to go before overdues start adding up.

*Crow's landing : a novel

Smith, B. J

*SEAsoned : a chef's journey with her captain

Allman, Victoria

*The illustrated encyclopedia of warfare : from ancient Egypt to Iraq

David, Sau

Got this for my husband to read

*The jewels of paradise : [a novel]

Leon, Donna

*Ten dollar dinners : 140 recipes and tips to elevate simple, fresh meals any night of the week

Arabian, Melissa d

I don't think this one will be very promising

*The unfinished work of Elizabeth D. : a novel

Bernier, Nichole

Facebook....less

I decided a couple days ago to shut facebook down for a month starting October 1st.
It's probably going to be harder than that month I quit drinking wine. (Just to make sure that I wasn't an alcoholic...and the only thing I discovered was that my colesteral level went up that month...so it's back on the bottle since).

There's too much advertising lately, I don't know what happened to it...maybe it's the "facebook has to show profit" crap.  After all, all those facebookers that have all been paid in shares over the years can sell their shares in November I believe. If I've read the business section correctly (and I really don't do that very often) , so the advertising seems to have been ratcheted up.  And some people post stupid crap, me included. So I'm giving it a rest and actually talking to people for the month, well maybe more texting will be done, but I'm going to give actually "talking" a try.

Wow my list ....is too long
My current reserve list at the library

Seasonings : a year of local flavour in words and recipes DeGrace, Anne Dark diversions : a traveller's tale Saul, John Ralston Big book of slow cooking : 200 fresh, wholesome recipes--ready and waiting Ray, Susan Hernandez Get rich with dividends : a proven system for earning double-digit returns Lichtenfeld, Marc The Taliban don't wave Semrau, Rob Weelicious : 140 fast, fresh, and easy recipes McCord, Catherine My Berlin kitchen : a love story, with recipes Weiss, Luisa This is how you lose her Díaz, Junot A nation worth ranting about Mercer, Rick And I shall have some peace there : trading in the fast lane for my own dirt road Roach, Margaret Paris, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down Baldwin, Rosecrans Jasmine And Fire Abdelnour, Salma The Age of Doubt : an Inspector Montalbano mystery Camilleri, Andrea  A Good Man : rediscovering my father, Sargent Shriver Shriver, Mark  Paris, My Sweet Thomas, Amy  Barefoot Contessa Foolproof : recipes you can trust Garten, Ina  The Good Nurse : the life and times of Charles Cullen, serial killer Graeber, Charles The Backyard Parables Roach, Margaret  The new Granville Island Market cookbook Glick, Judie Dolci : Italy's sweets Segan, Francine Urban farms Rich, Sarah Grow cook eat  : a food lover's guide to vegetable gardening, including 50 recipes, plus harvesting and storage tips Galloway, Willi The geography of bliss : one grump's search for the happiest places in the world Weiner, Eric The kitchen daughter : a novel McHenry, Jael The tenth muse : my life in food Jones, Judith Atonement McEwan, Ian Culture rebel: because the world has enough desperate housewives Jakab, Connie Apron anxiety : my messy affairs in and out of the kitchen Shelasky, Alyssa Fast flavours : 110 simple speedy recipes Smith, Michael Kitchen Chinese : [a novel about food, family, and finding yourself] Mah, Ann Brewing up a damn good story Minhas, Manji Writer's digest presents writer's workbook Petit, Zachary INSIDE THE OTHER SIDE  : SOUL CONTRACTS, LIFE LESSONS, AND HOW DEAD PEOPLE HELP US, BETWEEN HERE AND HEAVEN Bertoldi, Concetta The truck food cookbook : 150 recipes and ramblings from America's best restaurants on wheels Edge, John T Great gluten-free vegan eats  : cut out the gluten and enjoy an even healthier vegan diet with recipes for fabulous, allergy-free fare Kramer, Allyson The homemade pantry Chernila, Alana The book of kale : the easy-to-grow superfood Hanna, Sharon Eat to live : the amazing nutrient-rich program for fast and sustained weight loss Fuhrman, Joe Beautiful ruins : a novel Walter, Jess The naptime chef : fitting great food into family life Banfield, Kelsey. No Easy Day Owen, Mark Into The Fire Meyer, Dakota  I heart London  Kelk, Lindsey Masala Farm : stories and recipes from an uncommon life in the country Saran, Suvir Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society : a novel Hearth, Amy Hill Daniel fights a hurricane : a novel Jones, Shane Sleeping funny : stories Hill, Mirand A rich spot of earth : Thomas Jefferson's revolutionary garden at Monticello Hatch, Peter J The cookbook library : four centuries of the cooks, writers, and recipes that made the modern cookbook Willan, Anne Black dahlia & white rose : [stories] Oates, Joyce Carol Hunter's way Hill, Gerri MARIE CURIE and Her DAUGHTERS : THE PRIVATE LIVES OF SCIENCE'S FIRST FAMILY Emling, Shelley Revenge of the Vinyl Cafe McLean, Stuart

Roasted Tomato Soup

On Thursday I met my daughter for lunch and the beer (grapefruit beer) was good, the salad was greek, the steak sandwich (hers) was too rare (in light of the ecoli meat packer plant shut down---should have been returned), the lobster roll was soggy and had no flavor....but the soup was to die for.

Its Sunday and it's all I can do not to think about that soup.  And I rarely order the soup, I don't know why I did this time, but it was soooo good.   I'm thinking of phoneing them to get the recipe or if nothing else just the ingredient list.  I tried.....but failed to duplicate it

I roasted two batches of seeded mixed heirloom tomatoes, the second batch almost burned but it was roasted nicer than the first batch.  After putting both batches through a food mill.

I tasted it...too sweat for my liking so I added about a tsp apple cider vinegar.  I don't know why, but that's the first thing I saw when I opened the cupboard ( (already added some balsamic between the milling of both batches.) I also stuck a few basil leaves between the tomatoes in the second batch.
I added a shot of cumin and corriander, again....cause I spotted it when I opened the cupboard.  And also I just spent about $50 refreshing my spices, so I figured why not. (just as I'm sitting here writing this, I'm thinking maybe I should add a pinch of curry paste)

But nothing was really improving it..I should add, that I also added about 3/4 of a carton of veg stock cause it was just too thick, and also somewhere during the whole process I also wizzed it with an imertion blender.

Nothing was really working ....it just didn't taste the same - tooooo tomatoey hmmm.
I was talking with my mother after I finished all the clean up and she suggested some bragg's , but since I don't use the stuff, I added a shot of soya sauce.  That and a shot of lemon juice.
By now I couldn't duplicate what I added to this sorry ass excuse of a soup if I wanted to. I poured it off into a jar and it is currently sitting in the fridge waiting for some intervention.
It's still way too tomatoeyyyy, maybe I will purchase some more veg stock and thin it out.  Maybe I should buy some bragg's

I gave some to my husband for a late dinner and he "raved" about it.  I don't know what's wrong with his taste buds, but clearly something is wrong with him.

I can't remember the name of the restaurant...And since we paid cash there's no record of the name anywhere....

Maybe I will just have to drive down and have another bowl of....

Plum Ketchup

Plum Ketchup

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb (late) Italian prune plums (about 52 plums), halved
3 cloves garlic, quartered
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground roasted ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:
Prep your jars/lids. Place all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot (I used my enameled cast iron Dutch oven). Bring to a rolling boil and cook until the plums are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender or ladle in a regular blender to pulse until smooth. Return to a rolling boil and cook until thickened to ketchup consistency*, about 20 minutes. Ladle into pint jars leaving 1/4 inch headroom. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield: about 4 8-oz jars

So I woke up this morning...I couldn't get this recipe out of my mind, since seeing it on pinterest.com yesterday.  And I just so happened to have 25 plums sitting in a bag overrippening, not italian plum but - the other variety. So I halfed the recipe

...and since I am dire need of spice shopping, I had to substitute a few things. I just was not in the mood to go to the grocery store today.

I didn't have any ground roasted ginger...so I sub'd fresh ginger
I didn't have any allspice...so I sub'd chinese five spice
I didn't have any cloves...so I sub'd pumpkin pie spice
and I didn't have any cardamom....so I sub'd nutmet, don't ask me why though just threw something in that I had, I figured, what the hell

I ended up with three jars, don't ask me amnt exactly..

I even did the water bath thing, i usually just stick them in the oven for about 15 min @ 250, but I decided maybe I should do the water bath as per the recipe.

Getting off my ### ass

It all started last Friday.....I decided to take the g'kids somewhere different.

I call these, the stairs from hell.
Way back when.....about 7 yrs ago I would use these stairs to come home after an 8hr shift...standing up on my feet all day....then up these stairs and 5 km walk home.

I did it....
So I figured....I should give it a go again

Well the kids made it up, running
My lungs exploded not even half way up.  I was so exhausted by the time i got up to the top, I had to calm down for about 1/2 hr.

It was way easier to go down, that's for sure

So after the stairs, we decided to check out the river valley on their bikes, and me running after them, screaming wait, wait, wait.....

It was a beautiful day, and I've forgotten how gorgeous the valley really is, since the new foot bridge went in, the city is going all out on spending money on the area to spruce it up.  And they are doing a bang up job

 

 

That was Friday, the kids went home.....and I got it into my head to get on my bike and copy everyone else I saw on friday....and ride around the river bank.  Why not? They all seemed to be having a time of it.

 

So Saturday morning I jumped on the bike, rode around the neighborhood, came back and had to grease up several points, tighten things. After all, the last time anyone rode this thing was probably 5 yrs ago.

 

Then in a crazy fit of "i can do this", "I should get of my butt"....the bike went into the back of the van and away we went.

 

I put on the helmet
Sunglasses, oooops nowhere for the water bottle....darn, oh well should have brought a small pack or something, but too late now.

I am so thankful the bike path is somewhat level, cause otherwise I don't know what would have become of me.  I kept going farther and farther away from the parking lot, then I crossed the river and came back completely the other way...which of coarse I had no choice but to keep going because by now there was only one way back.

And water, water, water....everywhere except some to drink.

When I got back I drove part of the route just to get an idea of mileage, and I had to get home someway or other.  After sitting in crappy traffic along the route I surmised that I went about 25-30 km.  No wonder my ass was so sore.

I was kinda surprised I was able to get out of bed the next morning.  Sunday I gave my butt a rest and drove down to the river valley again, and walked up and down the stairs again, then walked around the gorge

That was enough for me for the weekend.
Come Monday all the energy I had was a walk to the library prob 1km ...if that, but I did shlep a heavy bag of books both ways. And I did stop and watch a bunch of kids doing the "wall"

Someday....I would like to give that a go

Tuesday I drove to my clients....I was sorta thinking I would get my husband to drive me down and I would walk back....and take transit if that didn't work out, cause there are several buses etc I could have taken, but then the weather report said something about late afternoon thundershowers, so I scrapped that idea and just went to work.  No thunderstorms, no rain....felt cheated.

So wednesday I stuck the bike into the back of the van and drove half way to work and biked the rest of the way.  Even though the weather report said the same thing, I decided to chance it.  I didn't realize my ass was still so sore.  It almost killed me, and then all I could think of .... have to ride back to the van.

Wednesday and Thursday I had the kiddies again and thank god they just wanted to veg out in the back yard for two days, and play in the park across the street, and attempt to ride the BIG bike without training wheels, so I pretty much stayed home.

To recouperate my sore ass

Friday it was a walk to the grocery store, and that's as far as it got for getting off my ### ass, And here I am, it's 11:45 A.M. and I'm still in my jammies, in bed ......

And my ass is still sore.....they really should make better bike seats.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food Industry...

I was very happy to get this email from Kraft Canada.

It would have been difficult to eliminate Kraft products from the shopping basket.  There are so many products that I buy.  I can now eat Kraft products as usual.  Thank you Kraft

This is the email that I received

Thank you for visiting http://www.kraftcanada.com.

If a product (or component of a product) is manufactured in a country other than Canada, the packaging will reflect this information. The label will state:
Product of ....

If no statement is made about production in a foreign country on the package, the entire product was made in Canada.

Indicating "Product of Canada/ Produit du Canada" is optional for the purposes of marketing in Canada and export.

If a product (or component of a product) is manufactured in a country other than Canada, the packaging will reflect this information.

Also, all of our cheese is made from pasteurized milk.

Yay, I can continue with my addiction to Cheez Whiz with celery!!!!

Food Industry part 2

Well I finished the book
My food future will be very different that is for sure
Who knew
If I was younger I would be a farmer, for sure. That's the future.
I am going to have to do much research for next years growing season, maybe check into the using others backyards for a garden....thing. That was an interesting turn of events.
I made many phone calls to processors for their sourcing information.  Not good news on that front.
Milk may not be imported from south of us, but that doesn't mean it doesn't get here in milk products.

I remember having a petition in my store for customers to sign to ensure that monsanto doesn't get a foothold destroying our milk supply like they did in the US.  And now I discover the milk by products are in my cheese. Not happy at all.  I will be changing my cheese buying and ice cream buying that is for sure.

Still waiting on a call back from heinz, re my ketchup.....



*update....
Heinz ketchup sources it's tomatoes and tomato paste from Leamington Ontario....yay

one down.....hundreds to go

Food Industry

I Started reading this book around 10AM and almost didn`t go to work.  Then after just reading the intro I realized that I would have to do some research and maybe should read it and take some notes, and make some calls.

As so happens I was hungry, and made some quesadilla`s for brunch.
Once I discovered from the author that most of the tomatoes grown for processing are produced in CHINA......wtf.....CHINA??? I grabbed the salsa I was about to open and studied the label.  Hmmmm

tomatoes

water

jalapeno peppers

tomato paste

onions

distilled vinegar

dehydrated onions, and garlic

natural flavor

So i called Old Dutch Foods Ltd...as it happens - here in Calgary. I got a call back shortly thereafter and was assured that the produce was grown in Texas and no part was ever sourced from China.

So I ate my lunch. I don`t know why I never questioned the tortilla, but I didn`t...another day perhaps.

It was only after I called Sun-Rype the question the source of the apples, that I remembered the dehydrated onions and garlic from the salsa and realized that hmmmm, I didn`t beleive her, cause I know that most of the processed garlic and onions, not to mention ginger come from china. That`s why I stopped buying those little jars of garlic and ginger mush.  Cause I couldn`t trust the ingredients where 100% pure.  So I will have to send an email to make sure about the onions and garlic.   After reading a few labels in the fridge and pantry I have come to the conclusion that I will have to do some canning and processing this month. Darn...that`s alot of work. Pisses me off that the food industry has screwed up like this, and left me no choice - cause I can`t trust their sourcing.

That brings me to apple juice...and Sun-Rype

I have grandchildren, and they are all addicted to apple juice.(have to do something about that one day). And since I lived in the Okanagan in the past and it`s close mileage wise...Sun-Rype is usually my first choice for juice.  But I have been known to buy a cheaper product from time to time.

So when the book stated that most of the apples that are processed into food products, come from CHINA.. I was stunned, to say the least. WTF China...again. with the Okanagan and Washington state right here....and the Niagra region...just over there.  Apples are coming from China.   I always assumed that apples were going toooooooo China. Well guess what?  Apples are mass produced in China and exported all over, as in Apple Concentrate.

I have a history with Apple Concentrate....and it`s not a happy history.

There was a time, way back in the early 90`s that We lived in Oliver, BC and i was waiting for call-ups as a Chef (cook, whatever...I prefer Chef). I was on-call. And since I got the job kinda unexpectadly fast, We really didn`t have much time to get a place to live and start working etc, etc, etc.  So, we had a camper and truck at the time.  What fun, we will go camping while mommy works.  What fun.  Even though my husband was working himself out of town (as in Vancouver) at the same time as I was planning on working in the Okanagan ( I still don`t know what I was thinking at the time!!! I was young....and ....)And since this job wasn`t really a guarantee of hours as on-call, so I wasn`t prepared to move there lock stock and barrel yet.  We loaded up the camper, and all the stuff, tents, camp stove, boat, bikes, everything imaginable.  And parked it all in a lovely campground in almost downtown Oliver BC, next to a lovely lake, and rec center...very grassy, completely fenced.  What could anyone ask for. My husband stayed around for a couple days while I did my training etc. Then he went back to work in Vancouver and two days later threw his back out and came back for the summer on WCB. To the campground, and three kids less than five years apart.

The camper wasn`t fancy, or big, or big...or fancy.  There was a port-a-pottie, and the shower was ....down the lane.

I did most of the cooking on the campstove on the picnic table.  Cause it was way to hot to do it inside. And besides so much easier.  Then we thought ...maybe we should look into a rental ...just in case.  Well that was a surprise.  I then realized that most of the other families (and there were several) were looking for the same nonexistant housing that we were.
 

After about two weeks of this camping thing I got desperate to get away from them all.  This was waaaaay to much togetherness.  And no one was calling in sick at the Longterm care facility. So i was stuck in this family togetherness.  Than one day I spotted an ad in help wanted for bodies at a processing plant, that just so happened to be real close by.  I applied and got the job.  It sounded like a better one than the cooking (ooops I mean chef) one I was waiting and waiting for.  The pay was better, it was seasonal (meaning I could potentionally take the winter off on UI), I could wear cut-off or jeans. The hours were perfect.  Wow...

I went to work one, day, two days....only two hours of three days....
I couldn`t take it anymore.  UGhhhhh

The job itself was a no brainer.  Basically of what I remember I pre-packaged fruit leathers into larger bulk packaging, and then shrink wrapped the whole box, then assembled these boxes into larger shipping boxes.

The problem was, that my station was directly in front of these massive coolers, basically the size of a house each - that stored Apple Concentrate. The Concentrate was in these huge vats, the size of a small hot tub, on wheels.  And they were wheeled in and out of these coolers. They weren`t covered, just sloshing around...with this huge black cloud of flies, fruit flies, gnats....I don`t know what they were exactly. They were just massive and gross. And everytime those coolers were opened and the sludge was wheeled around, I was engulfed in black shit, up my nose, in my eyes, buzzing around.  It was ......awful

This is apple concentrate.....allowable blah blah...parts per million of fly parts and mouse hairs.....yes fly parts and mouse hairs.

(Canned soup is another no no noooo in my house, for the same reason)

Anyway I lasted less than three days.  And have never bought fruit leather or granola bars since.  If my children ever eat these things in front of me, I can be sure to point out those mysterious brown spots on the leathers as fly parts etc etc etc.  And they usually throw them away with a gross look on their faces.

So if Canada has standards for apple concentrate that gross me out, I can only imagine that China has even less.  Therefore A call was made to Sun-Rype about the source of their concentrate in mixed juices that I have on several occassions purchased, not really reading the label before. But apparently most mixed juices all have apple concentrate in them.

According to the rep from Sun-Rype ``we only buy apples from the okanagan valley, then washington state....but when we buy apple concentrate we MAY source it from brazil, venezuala, new zealand, tailand, and CHINA`` blah blah...but it has these high standard shit, blah blah blah....I don`t remember anything after she said CHINA.

SHOCKED, AMAZED, DISSAPOINTED.... heavy sighhhh

I am going to have to read those damn labels more closely now. Damn the food industry all to hell, for slipping this crap into my food.  I am soooo pissed.  Do you know how much work this is going to take now to monitor every-single-thing-i-buy-that-goes-into-my-mouth. ARGGGGGGGGG

Do you feel my outrage food industry!!!!!!
I am pissed!!!!!

And horror of all horror!!!!!  Im going to have to start canning and freezing my own stuff. God...like i need all that work. Shit!

And now I will be on the look out for the 100% from apples juice from sun-rype when it`s on sale and have to buy many cases for the year. Damn

Thanks alot Food F*cking Industry.

A Girl and her Pig

My current fav read. After only a couple pages, I "wanted to", but didn't actually...yet, clean off my counters and sharpen the knives. But I did make it to the market (although...not the farmers market) for some new carrots that I will roast on the bbq along with my new potatoes and honey garlic sausages. I'm sooo hungry already - just thinking about it. I always dreaded thanksgiving...for all the work. When all that is really required is a leg a breast and a whole shit load of app's and booze. But no - one has to get a 15-20 lb bird, prep it, stuff it, make several entrees, salads, not to mention all the stupid app's. The only saving grace was the chow mein for brunch from all the leftover turkey. BUT NOT THIS YEAR..... After reading this book I am looking forward to the "Bubble and Squeak" according to the recipe in the book, from all of the leftover roasted veg, and brussel sprouts. Of coarse since I started roasting the brussel sprouts sliced and doused in bacon fat, there are no leftovers of them. But this year I will make MORE...just for the "squeak" the next day ....along with the chow mein. That will be an interesting brunch for sure.