Losing A Loved One

Well I have had a very busy summer's end.
What have you been up to ?
I have recently taken on a part time job as well as a volunteer position at the local radio station.
I have also been coping with losing loved ones.
The past 2 years seems that every time I turn around someone is sick and dying!
Last night again I received the news that my Aunt passed away.
I also received news that my son's mother in law is going into the hospital on Monday to have a small tumour removed from her lung.
It seems everywhere you turn these days that is all you hear about is death and dying.
I am saddened to hear this news yet again...

I pray to God to bless and keep us all healthy.
I can't believe that there was ice on the windshield this morning!
I know out west the snow started falling last week and as much as I pleaded for our nice weather to stay, we had to give in last night and fire up the furnace!
Luckily my landlord leaves it up to me as to when the heat / air conditioning comes on.
I somehow don't think that the usual October 15th for the furnace to be fired up is going to apply these days.
I keep chanting "Come on indian summer! We don't want snow for the fall fair on Thanksgiving weekend!"
For those of you reading this that live in another country Canada's Thanksgiving is celebrated usually around the 10th of October, this year it is on the 13th.
Well lets hope that indian summer appears and the snow stays away, for a little while atleast.
Do you have snow where you live this early in the year?

Laurie's Borscht

I love borscht I make a pot each season I get fresh beets and beet tops and vegetables from the farmer's market and make a beautiful canning pot full of  borscht.
Every family has it's own recipe and my recipe I have adapted over the years to what it is now...one of my favourite soups!
I make a canning pot and deliver some to a few friends and the rest I freeze for the fall when I want some nice borscht to warm me up.

12-15 large beets boil half of them with 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in the water and remove skins the other half rub with olive oil and spices and roast until almost cooked and skin will pop off  (water from beets to be used for broth)
6 cups beef broth (add to beet water)
Keep beet tops aside and chop finely along with  1 purple cabbage and 1 large bunch of swiss chard,  1 large red onion, 1 large white onion  3-4 parsnips, 3-4 carrots, 6 cloves of garlic 1 small retabaga or turnip
4 potatoes all chopped.
1/2 of the veggies are to be sautee'd in  bacon grease  add to broth and the other half will be added in 1.5 hours after the veggies simmer in the pot  and are mashed up.
Add  a can of diced tomatoes with herbs a large can of tomato paste and 1/2 pound chopped pastrami, some thyme, garlic, cardamon, dill weed and dill paste, 1 cup of dill pickle brine, and a table spoon of butter, a pinch or two of crushed caraway seeds.
After the 1.5 hours of boiling and mashing of the veggies in pot add the other 1/2 of the veggies and cook down until veggies are near done and turn offf pot, adjust seasoning to taste and serve with sour cream on top and a bit of dill and caraway seeds.

This is a large canning pot worth of borscht so adjust to amount you would like to have.
It freezes well but wouldn't keep it in the freezer more than 6 months, most cook books say 3-4 months but have kept and used it for 6 months and it tasted fine and was not frost bitten as I put a layer of waxed paper between the lid and the soup that stops the frost from biting the food.


I hope you and yours  enjoy my borscht recipe

Jack Rabbit!

While I had my granddaughter away for the weekend visiting her uncle we walked out into the backyard and my granddaughter and I got an up close  view of the jack rabbit that lives in my daughter in law's garden!

Chicken,Bacon, Lasagna Roll-ups

Chicken & Bacon Lasagna Roll Ups.

  * this recipe was from  http://chefrecip.es/  The photos are my own.

 Each pasta is filled with an abundance of cheeses; tender, shredded chicken; crispy bacon sauteed with onion and garlic; and finally, topped with Alfredo cream sauce!

Ingredients

8 lasagna pasta, cooked and drained.
1 pound bacon, diced, cooked and drained
1 small red or yellow onion
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cups of Alfredo cream sauce
½ cup mozzarella (to sprinkle on top)
½ cup grated parmesan (to sprinkle on top)
Filling:
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup sour cream
6 oz. cream cheese
½ cup grated parmesan
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
salt and pepper (to taste, your preference)

Instructions

1. Add 8 pieces of lasagna pasta to a large pot of boiling water.
2. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than the directions on the package. It will finish cooking in the oven.
3. Drain pasta in strainer and lay pasta onto paper towels to dry off excess water.
4. Shred chicken breasts. Set aside.
5. Cut and fry bacon.
6. Add diced onions and crushed garlic 3 minutes prior to baking being finished.
7. Drain bacon mixture onto a plate with paper towels. (It will catch the excess fat.)
8. In a medium size bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, parmesan and seasonings.
9. Divide and spread the filling onto the cooked pasta evenly.
10. Add the shredded chicken onto each pasta.
11. Sprinkle the bacon mixture on top of the chicken and cheese mixture. (Save some for the top after you roll up the pasta.)
12. Sprinkle some parmesan on top of the bacon and chicken.
13. Spread ½ cup of cream sauce on the bottom of a medium baking dish.
14. Roll the pasta and put seam side facing down into the sauce that is in the baking dish.
15. Cover the roll ups with the rest of the cream sauce.
16. Top with pieces of bacon.
17. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan on top
    
    
    
    
    
    
18. 
    
19. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes.
20. Let it rest after taken out of oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

The top photo is the test one I made to see if we liked it and Mom and I shared it for lunch and found it to be delicious so I went ahead and prepared the large one for supper tonight.

Lemonade on Ice

This recipe  and photo are  Paula Deen's  from the Food Network, and it is certainly a great lemonade to serve on these hot summer afternoons




Ingredients


2 cups sugar
1 cup hot water
2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 gallon cold water
1 lemon, sliced
Mint sprigs, for garnish
Directions
In a 1 gallon container, place sugar and hot water, and stir until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and cold water to render 1 gallon. Stir until well mixed. Pour lemonade over glasses of ice, squeeze slice of lemon on top of each, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Summer Holidays

I know most people look forward to summer holidays,  but some would say none more than students.
Well that is not the case here.
I look forward to summer holidays so that it is quiet.
I live beside a high school.

Years ago younger folk were more respectful than they are these days.
The kids here swear like it was their job!
I personally don't swear, that was a personal choice.
I think it makes you sound very vulgar but that is my opinion.
I asked my children not to swear and they as even adults do not in my presence.
I told them there are only a few words that I don't wish you to utter and there is a whole dictionary of words you can use to get your point across without using those few.
I may have mentioned that if they wanted to show how intelligent they were using those words were not the way to accomplish that.

I love kids and living close to the school watching the kids walk past each morning on the way to school but the language is really loud and rude these days.

Anyone else have a pet peeve when it comes to swearing?

Wet and Windy Summer

So far this summer we have seen our share of rain and high winds.
I honestly don't remember the humidity being this high either.
How has the weather been in your little corner of the world this summer?
The days seem to drag on when you are inside due to the weather.
The days that is doesn't rain is so hot and humid you can't wait to get into the air conditioning.

Gorgeous No Bake Cake!

I saw this on pinterest today and decided this would be a wonderful idea to make when you have unexpected company I would even serve it with a big strawberry flower in the center just done the same as marshmallow flowers just use icing to hold together.
I may even puree` some and put it in icicng.
http:///photos/aimeebakes/4999353359/in/photostream/

Whatever The Name Of These Are, They Are Tasty!

Last night I made one of my favourite meals on a hot evening.

I am not too sure what to call it or if there is a proper name for what I make.

I make this because it doesn't require the oven to be on longer than 20 minutes, heck you may be able to cook them on the bbq in foil wrap or in a pan.

I call them beef and bean burritos.

Anyone know what they may actually be called drop me a line and let me know, thank-you.

This recipe is not only quick and easy it is inexpensive! 

                                                            Beef and Bean Burritos

Ingredients: 1 steak

                  1 red pepper

                  1 green pepper

                  6-8 tortillas (depending on the amount of mixture you put inside your tortillas)

                  200 grams or more depending on your preference of cheese grated, I like a mixture of cheeses                      mozzarella , monterey jack with jalapenos, and cheddar but you use what you like.

                  1 large onion 

                  chilli con carne  I use homemade leftovers but if you don't have any Heinz Chilli Beans are a                           great substitute.

                  1 package of burrito seasoning

                  salsa

                  sour cream

Directions:  Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees 

                   Fry your steak with some garlic leaving it very pink in the centre

                   Slice the steak into thin strips and set aside

                   The steak will continue to cook once the burritos are in the oven

                   Put your chilli in the same pan as steak was cooked in and heat it up once it is heated through                        add your burrito seasoning package and stir leave simmer until mixture has thickened then                              remove from heat

                   Wash and slice your peppers into strips, grate your cheese and slice your onion into strips as                          well

                   Grease your pan

                   Lay your tortilla flat on a plate put some steak strips in close to center of tortilla lay peppers                          and onions on top of that and then spoon some chilli mixture to cover.

                   Roll up the tortilla and secure with toothpick (use large ones so you can remove them when                          serving and they are easy to see so noone chokes on one).

                   Lay the burritto in pan and continue the same way until pan is full .

                   Spoon salsa over each one  and cover with tin foil and bake for about 20 minutes until the                              tortillas are starting to brown on edges.

                   Remove foil and top with cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

                   This should only take a few more minutes.

                   Serve with sourcream and salsa.

                       

 

       

                   

Happy Canada Day!

This year my little earth angel is away in Nova Scotia for Canada day.
It is pretty quiet around here without her.
I will still be out tonight to watch the firework display but will  be missing her for all the other festivities.
How was your Canada Day Weekend and Canada Day?

Hoping For A Happy, Healthy Family

Well I found out today that the retirement home around the corner from me allows residents to bring their cats with them as long as they are kept in their suite.
I am so happy to hear that as my Nanny was refusing to come to visit as she wouldn't leave her cat for someone else to mind for her.
I am hoping that she will stay at the retirement home for a week or two to see how she likes it here (the country is not near as busy as the city she is use to).
I hope she likes it so we can move her here and I can spend alot of time with her and not have to always be travelling to the city actually it is my Mother that runs to the city all the time and it is wearing on her and I worry for hear health too.
This would be perfect for her if she likes it here so keeping my fingers crossed she will agree to it.
If she was able to handle the stairs I would gladly move her in with me but then she would not be happy as it would be a small room and we have a quiet home she likes hustle and bustle hence the trial at the retirement home we will offer.
Have you faced the task of finding accommodation for a loved one that is aged and still in relatively good health other than being lonely?
I hate to move her but this running to the city all the time takes it's toll on my Mother's health and pocketbook.
This way I am hoping to have a happy,healthy family all in one town.

Heartbreaking To Watch

I must say it is heartbreaking to watch your family  decline and die off one after another in a couple of year span.
I come from a small family and can see that it soon will be me on my own.
My boys have their own lives and I see them around Christmas each year and one of them keeps in touch by phone about once a month one live a great distance away and the other lives 30 mins away and doesn't return e-mails or calls unless he wants something, he is very self absorbed and the other is a very busy man that calls once a month or chats on line with me when he has the time to catch up.
I have never been demanding of my boys time as they are always busy.
Do you come from a large family?
Have you been losing alot of family members lately?

Empanadas

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/empanadas-recipe2.html

This is the link to the best empanada recipe, I use this for a guide for all empanadas I make, play around with the mixture of spices or meats, can use many different things to fill the pastry with.
 Remember to have fun with this and use your imagination ...omit the chicken broth in the pastry and use juice, water, and some cinnamon and brown sugar or ginger as well as fruit.

I make these up and freeze them as they keep in the freezer for 3 months.
Take out of the freezer and deep fry at 350 F  for 2-3 mins each side.
I like mine with hot sauce and Mom likes hers with ceasar salad dressing to dip  in.

Staying Cool

We had a very rainy spring here in Norwood. and now that the summer is upon us I am trying to stay inside and cool. I have spent very little time out of doors this spring/summer so far.

I must be careful due to meds I am on not to be in the sun as I break out in a rash.

Due to thyroid disorder I have spent all winter in -30 celsius temperatures standing outside in a tee-shirt ,
My Mother calls my room" the meat locker" at bedtime in those -30 temps. I had the window wide open a fan in front of the open window blowing directly on me and the ceiling fan above the bed full blast as well the bedroom heat vents blocked off and bathroom door shut so not to freeze pipes.

The poor guy in the basement came upstairs to ask if the furnace was broken as it was 42 degrees celsius in his apartment, I was standing there with sweat dripping off my scalp down my back apologizing profusely and turned on the heat making some joke about the crazy lady upstairs and menopause and thyroid ...thinking to myself I can't stand it now how will I survive the heat on...

I walked into the livingroom to see my significant other and my Mother wearing their winter coats and decided that I must see the doctor about this...again.

I went to the doctor explaining again how hot I have been that I hadn't even worn a coat all winter( I usually hibernate as I am always cold).
I explained that I am going to have to purchase a freezer large enough for me and take the lock off  so I don't get locked in as it would be where I would have to  live to make it through the spring and summer .

The doctor was not my doctor it was the nurse practitioner and she is getting annoyed with me and I am sure she believes I am exaggerating ( as usual I fight with the nurse practitioner about my med changes) she sent me to another doctor as she is tired of me always challenging her ( it is my body and I know it better than someone that spends a mere 5 minutes if that and appointment with me).

Well that I must say was the best move she could have made for me.
The doctor she sent me too immediately added another med  (one the nurse practitioner and my family doctor took me off of 4 years earlier as "studies show it may cause breast cancer")
She put me on this medication for 3 months, the first 3 weeks I noticed a difference (so did my poor family I froze out all winter).
The doctor said I am an anomaly and seem to require this medication along with my thyroid med.

Well I need refill of this medication and of course due to the fact that the doctor I saw was a locum doctor I must see the nurse practitioner again and she must have refused to see me as they sent me to another locum doctor and each time I must explain myself and fight for refills of this medication.
I will continue to fight for what I need.
I need to feel like myself again and if this med makes me feel better and I know the risks I think that it should be my choice whether to take it or not.

I don't think the doctor should choose to not keep me on it and that is where I am right now , finally feeling like my old self and noone wants to keep prescribing the meds I need to continue to feel well.
They don't live in my body and if I choose to take a med that has been known to cause cancer (heck breathing causes cancer these days) then that should be my choice.

What I have been doing for the last 4 years has not been living it has been a cruel existence, the overheating is only a part of what I have gone through not to mention an 80 pound weight gain in 4 months due to ooops a med that is not right for me @!!#!
Losing weight has always been a struggle for me so this is devastating to me.
The doctor gave me 3 months more of the meds and told me that she would not prescribe it to me again that I should try to get off of this med.
I think that it should be my choice to continue or not.

Do you think that the doctor knows best or do you think that you know your body and should be given the choice as to what goes into it or doesn't go into it?

Missing My Daddy And Best Friend Today And Every Day

Loving you and missing you as always Daddy....Laurie xxx....ooo...

Gretchen and Grandma's Weekend

My beautiful granddaughter was here for the weekend and as usual we had a blast, yard sales, bug hunts, cat play, water balloon fights, road trips, tea parties and lots of snuggles.

Gretchen and her Great Nanny at our tea party.


She is my heart.

Eye Infection?

Well I am glad to be back and writing a new post.
I was away bathing my eyes and trying to find out why there is a shortage of Polysporin eye drops since 2011!
I never have had an eye infection before and hope to never have another.

I woke up one morning with right eye all infected, I wasn't sure that I didn't get a bite in the night by a spider but the following morning I realized that my other eye was also infected so it wasn't a spider bite after all.

My sweetie went everywhere looking for polysporin eye drops and found none, the only answer he could get from the drugstores was that it has been on back order for 3 years!
What the heck?
Why is there a shortage?
Does anyone know as I have yet to receive an answer to that question.

So with no eye drops and no chance of getting a doctor appointment within the next few weeks I took it upon myself to try something else.
I soaked my eyes then ensured the cloth went directly into the laundry so not to spread this eye infection.
After soaking my eyes I took some pure virgin coconut oil and put it in my eyes (only one at a time as it blurs your vision, unless you are going to bed then do both eyes at the same time).
The coconut oil is solid but once you touch it the heat from your hands melts it.
*ENSURE YOUR HANDS ARE CLEAN AND DO NOT CONTAMINATE YOUR JAR OF COCONUT OIL BY PUTTING YOUR FINGERS INTO IT.
I USE A Q-TIP TO SCOOP OUT SOME THEN PUT IT IN MY EYE THEN THE OTHER END TO PUT IN THE JAR TO SCOOP OUT ENOUGH FOR THE OTHER EYE.
The coconut oil is very soothing and I did this for 2 days straight and on the third day my eyes were totally clear.

I love coconut oil it is a wonderful item to have in your household.
I keep one can for cooking/baking and one can for firstaid and my skin and hair.
I must say since I have been using coconut oil my eczema has done a disappearing act!

Anyone else use coconut oil for anything other than cooking?

Happy Mother's Day!

                                                                  Mother's Day


Being that it is Mother's Day this Sunday I would like everyone to leave a comment on something your Mother did for you that you appreciated more than she knows/knew.
Thank-you to my Mother for all the wonderful things she did for our family. The one thing she did that I appreciated more than she could ever know was starting a Brownies group in the area we lived in so that my friends and I could join and learn many skills and make new friends and earn our badges. My Mother worked full time and also had a part time job as well as raising us ....Thank-you for taking the time to do this for my friends and I ,Mom. 

I will be spending the day tomorrow with my Mom as she is heading to the city to spend Mother's Day weekend with her Mother<3 nbsp="" span="">
How lucky am I to have my Nanny at my age?
My Nanny will be 93 years old on the 24th of May. 
Nanny is more active than alot of 30 and 40 year olds that I know, probably why she is still with us today.
The picture below is of my Mother hugging her Mother, one of her favourite photos of them together, mine too.
I love you Nanny and Mom, may you both be in my life for many more years to come.

                                                                                      HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Know that you are appreciated and loved 

Empanadas

Well I have to say I love trying dishes made in different cultures.
This week I tried making beef empanadas and let me tell you the results were fantastic.
They were so good in fact that I plan on spending one day making empanadas to freeze and eat at a later date.
I wasn't sure other than myself that anyone would like them and to everyone's surprise it was a hit and will be a supply in the freezer for anyone that is hungry and not wanting to make a huge meal they can thaw one and either bake or fry it, I prefer frying mine.

Here is the recipe I got off line and if you decide to make this the only thing you will regret is not making more of these tasty morsels.

This recipe and photo were from The Food Network


Empanadas


Total Time:
1 hr 25 min
Prep:
20 min
Inactive:
30 min
Cook:
35 min
Yield:6 to 8 servings
Level:Intermediate

Ingredients
Empanada Dough (see Cook's Note, below):
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 cup lard or shortening
1 egg
3/4 cup chicken stock


Empanada Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
Oil or shortening, for frying

Aioli Dip:
1 cup real mayonnaise, such as Kraft
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions

Empanada dough :

For the empanada dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the stock. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and knead until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Empanada filling:

Meanwhile, for the empanada filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and garlic salt and cook until the beef is cooked completely. Drain the grease and set the beef aside.

In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, oregano, seasoned salt, garlic, bell peppers and onions. Cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and let them love each other with fire over low heat for about 5 more minutes. The mixture should be moist but not dripping wet. Now you are ready to fill the empanadas.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 4-, 5- or 6-inch rounds, depending on how large you prefer. Add some meat filling to each empanada and fold the dough over in half to enclose the filling. Use a fork to press and seal the edges closed. You can refrigerate the uncooked empanadas for up to 3 hours.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the empanadas until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.( Mine took 2 mins. per side.)

For the aioli dip: Mix together the mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lime juice. (The flavour will enhance if it sits in the refrigerator.)

Weekend Of Fun

This past weekend I spent with my little earth angel again and we had a blast.
We went to glow in the dark bowling at Dodd's Bowling Lanes in Hastings Ontario with friends of mine and their grandson Cohen.
 Gretchen and Cohen had a great play date.
The following day Gretchen went to my next door neighbour's and played with their boys.
Gretchen drove a battery operated car for the first time (I think she will be asking for one of these babies).

Gretchen and Brayden  having fun driving the battery operated car 

Gretchen and Grandma getting ready for Glow in the dark bowling

Gretchen and I getting ready for the glow in the dark bowling outing in Hastings with friends.

Gretchen and Cohen at the bowling alley 

Great time had by all

Hi-fives in order!

We had such a great time I am sure we will be doing this again in the very near future.

Temperatures in Ontario

Well it was a beautiful day until an hour ago it was sunny with a beautiful breeze and 25 C  couldn't ask for a more beautiful spring day.
In the last hour the winds are high, the temperature has dropped 10 degrees Celsius and the rain is driving!

Listening to the weather report it tells me that tomorrow we will be getting snow!
Living in Ontario, snow suits in the morning sweat shirts in the afternoon and snow suits at night
You really need to be prepared for any type of weather when you live in Ontario.

What was the weather like where you were today?

New Vehicle

Yesterday I went to visit my grandmother and drive home my Papa's Buick I am purchasing from her.
I had a beautiful sunny day for driving and the Buick ran very smoothly.
My Mother took me there and I followed her back home, it was nice to see all the signs of spring.
The trees are budding, the grass is finally out from under the mountain of snow we accumulated this winter.
I actually saw quite a few red winged blackbirds on our drive.
I am really happy to have a set of wheels again, I felt as though my wings had been clipped for the past few years.
Does anyone else feel having a vehicle is freedom?
I felt like I was stranded always waiting for someone to go somewhere so I could get a ride to where I needed or wanted to go and as much as I appreciated all the rides, I never felt I could go and spend the time I wanted out because there was someone waiting on me give me a ride back home.
Now I have the freedom to come and go as I  please , for that I am grateful. This is like the one I purchased, this photo was from Google Images

Daddy, Papa and I

A photo taken about 15 years ago
My Papa in the white shirt , he passed away a couple of months ago.
My Daddy in the burgundy shirt, he passed away 2 years ago today.
Both of these men I love very much and will never get over losing them.
RIP Papa and Daddy, I miss you more than words can ever say, you were not just a parent but my best friend.

Chalk Fun!

April Showers

Well it has been raining off and on for the last few days and it makes me so happy to see the snow slowly receding and my lawn coming into view!
I can hardly wait to start doing some planters up with some herbs and veggies.
Do you make a garden?

Earth Angel Weekend

This past weekend I had my little earth angel here for a visit.
I truly feel that if it weren't for her I probably would not have been able to deal so well with many things that have been happening in my life for the past few years.
I truly believe God knew I needed a little angel here on earth to help me through ...Gretchen is my little earth angel sent from heaven.
Do any of you feel that way about someone in your life?

April Fool's Day

Well April is finally here!
I started going walking again yesterday as it was so nice and sunny outside.
I can tell you I saw a red-winged black bird and to me that is the sure sign it is spring.
I have had robins in the yard for the last month and believe you me our weather has not been spring like in the least .
What do you consider the first true sign it is spring in your neck of the woods?
 Did any of you play any April fool pranks?
If you did, we would love to hear about them.
I actually have a link to some pretty cute April fool pranks I will share with you.

http://www.parentdish.ca/2014/03/24/april-fools-pranks-for-kids/

The prank with the pound cake is going to be done to my granddaughter at some point for sure!

Charlie

This is Charlie enjoying some sunshine and watching me bake.

Happy First Day Of Spring!

I know it is spring, today it is 1 C so good to be above zero!
I have yet to see a red winged blackbird , the true sign it is spring here in the Kawarthas.
I have seen a couple of robins and the squirrels are mating and the snow has  been melting off  making everything a mud hole .
I have a beautiful hyacinth plant in full bloom filling my house with its  pungent,  intoxicating scent.
They have always been my father's favourite plant in spring.
I have grown to love this plant almost as much as the lilacs!

What is your favourite spring plant?

Lemon Scones For Tea Time

Lemon Scones For Tea Time!

Seeing as it is almost spring and we have had a few sunny days where the snow is starting to melt off and turn everywhere you go into a mud hole.
 I felt we needed something light and cheery at tea time.
I loved the citrus smell in the kitchen as I was mixing it up.
Lemon is one of my favourite flavours.
What flavour reminds you of spring?

                                Lemon Scones

 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt,1/4 cup sugar 4 packets of True Lemon dehydrated lemon www.truelemon.com/‎ and 1 tablespoon of baking powder.

Mix together in a large bowl and set aside.

1/4 cup of shortening cut shortening into the dry ingredients until  no large chunks are visible.

In small bowl beat 2 eggs (reserve some egg white to brush on top of scones before baking),1/2 cup of greek lemon yogurt   mix until batter comes away from sides of bowl (don't over mix or your scones will be tough).

 Turn out onto floured board and roll out to be 1 inch thick cut into wedges and brush with your egg whites.

Place scones on  parchment lined pan and bake 12 to 15 minutes on middle rack of preheated oven at 400F.

Once cooled make a icing to drizzle over   of scones with icing sugar, lemon juice and melted butter just add 1 cup icing sugar and make a paste with the lemon juice and butter let cool and add more icing sugar if needed to make it pourable but thick.

Enjoy with a lovely cup of tea and a loved one .

Loving The Sunshine

Today I am so happy to see that sun shining even though it is -15C out there.
I think like everyone else in Southern Ontario I am getting really tired of all of the cold and snowy weather.
I am looking forward to going for walks without my snowmobile boots on !
I think it makes for a much better work-out with them on...  I can just picture me walking down the main drag in June wearing snowmobile boots because it makes for a better work out LOL!

Are you tired of the cold and snow yet?

Apple Cinnamon Scones

I know I have neglected to write the last few days, but my grandfather passed away and we have been finding it quite hectic.

Today I decided to make scones and have made strawberry ones, and plain ones as well as peach and plum scones so this morning I chopped up my green apple fine and  caramelized it with butter and brown sugar and cinnamon.

The results were so tasty I swear I have no idea why I hadn't done this before now!

2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of baking powder.

Mix together in a large bowl and set aside.

1/4 cup of shortening cut shortening into the dry ingredients until  no large chunks are visible.

In frying pan caramelize the apple with a  bit of butter and brown sugar and cinnamon, remove from heat to cool.

In small bowl beat 2 eggs (reserve some egg white to brush on top of scones before baking),1/2 cup of cream and add the caramelized apple, mix until batter comes away from sides of bowl (don't over mix or your scones will be tough).

Add more cinnamon at this point if you want, then turn out onto floured board and roll out to be 1 inch thick cut into wedges and brush with your egg whites and sprinkle with coarse or decorating sugar .

Place scones on  parchment lined pan and bake 12 to 15 minutes on middle rack of preheated oven at 400F.

Enjoy with a lovely cup of tea and a loved one .

Laurie's borscht

Today I thought I would post my borscht recipe for you.
I absolutely love borscht but never seem to make it often these days as I don't care for it after it has been frozen due to potatoes and swiss chard don't seem to have the same texture after being frozen and I tried canning it a few years ago which I thought was going to be a great idea until one night I was laying in bed and heard the cat making odd noises. I went downstairs to find him  ready to fight whatever was in my kitchen cupboard. I opened the cupboard to find my jars of borscht overflowing and the lids tented up , picking up the ones that were already leaking was messy but nothing like moving the ones that were actually rocking on the shelf, I put welding gloves (up to my armpits) and carefully carried the rest of the jars outside, luckily only one exploded and it was out on the patio.
That was quite the mess to clean up and the oil cloth kitchen flooring was permanently stained from the beet juice.
I since have only made this soup in small batches unless I have company to share it with.


                                                  Laurie's Borscht
1 cup of beef boullion
1 dozen beets scrubbed and boiled and chopped keep the water used to boil beets as base for soup with the boullion ( chop beet tops finely and set aside to put in borscht)
1 large can of tomatoe paste
2 bunches of swiss chard chopped fine
1 red cabbage  and chopped
1 red onion chopped
1 white onion chopped
2-3 parsnips chopped
2-3 carrots chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 small turnip chopped
3-4 potatoes chopped
1/2 cup dill pickle brine
1 can tomatoes with herbs diced
pastrami or brisket leftovers chopped (  about 1/2 pound)
add 2 caps full of apple cider vinegar  thyme and cardamon, dill weed and dill paste to taste
boil on stove until all is cooked down and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a few caraway seeds on top as well as a sprig of dill for garnish.
Enjoy!

Snow ,Snow, Snow ....Rainfall warning?

After a winter full of  many snow falls we were to expect another but the temperatures have been hovering around the 0C mark and now as I look at the weather report we are under a rainfall warning.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/alerts/high-alert/CAON0491?ref=wxnetappalertsV5&var1=537121792

I don't know about anyone else but I would rather have the snow then the rain...after all it is only February and old man winter is far from finished with us this year.
The rain will cause much flooding as well as the higher temperatures will cause melt off and places that usually have spring flooding will have much more than they bargained for.

Will you need to put pontoons on your house?

Pork Rub Recipe

Today I thought I would make a pork loin roast.
 I searched the internet and found a recipe from one of my favourite sites it is the BBQ Pit Boy's recipe for dry rub for meats....what a nice recipe I definitely will be eating it again and it just so happens to make enough to cover a few roasts.  If you get a chance pop over  to the BBQ Pit Boy's website http://bbqpitboys.com/

Pork rub   BBQ Pit Boys Recipe

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Paprika
1/8 cup Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1-2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
1-2 tablespoons Onion Powder
1 tablespoon or more Cayenne Pepper
1/4 cup Coarse Salt
1/4 cup Brown or White Sugar

This will coat up to 6 lbs. Pork Ribs and 10 lbs. Pork Shoulder or Pork Roast.