Apples

So its fall!

At least that's what my calendar is telling me.

I suppose if I were to sit and think on it...

It feels like fall too.

The air is cooler.

(Not so stifling and heavy)

The geese are honking their goodbyes.

The nights are beautiful!

(no bugs)

Not to mention, my calendar says its fall today...officially.

When its fall we pick apples.

Certainly not the first time.

Definitely not the last time.

We have picked apples at local farms too!

What makes this year a little different is that our favorite trees are heavy with fruit.

My sister in law has several GREAT apple trees.

The past few years have been hard on them.

Serious winters, porcupine damage, deer thieves...

These trees hardly stand a chance!

And yet this year they are spectacular!

(and luckily for us, they are right around the corner)

We drove up one evening to grab the apples before the deer at them all.

Owen was pretty annoyed that there was only one picking tool to be had...

So I made him the official apple picking photographer.

At 8 years old...he's not to bad!

Apple picking action!

I remembered the cloth in the picking tool this time...

No I didn't bring rum to pick apples...although...

We also scored a cabbage too!

(Located in the nearby veggie garden))

And in case you are wondering...

Here is a handy post that describes what we do with all of those apples.

And if you are interested...

I have posts on Apple and Havarti Quiche

As well as Parsnip Apple and Brie here.

Both are well worth trying!!!

I promise! 

Strawberries...quickest season ever...

Well that was fast!

hot dry May + hot wet June = Crappy Strawberry season 2015

We are fortunate that my husband gets the first two weeks of July off.

If we didn't have that opportunity...we wouldn't have gotten any strawberries this year.

Husband and son went to Fruition Berry Farm on hwy 15, north of Kingston.

They came home with a bunch of baskets.

(They even came home with new baskets!

Our old plastic white ones have lasted almost 10 years!)

They even came home with 5 pints of pre-picked raspberries.

The same equation up above applies to raspberries with one exception.

hot dry May + hot wet June = no picking after noon in July

The boys just missed it.

Thank goodness for pre-picked berries!!!

(and the staff that go in the hot field to pick them!)

We froze 4 large freezer bags of whole, cleaned strawberries

and one large freezer bag of whole, cleaned raspberries.

Perfect for smoothies!

We also jarred 8 jars of strawberry jam,

4 jars of raspberry jam and

1 jar of rasp-strawberry jam!

Perfect for the classic...PB & J.

Which is one of Owen's favorite breakfasts...

Since he can't eat them at school.

I heard mixed reviews about picking from other folks at other patches in our area.

Some had it good....others, not so much.

Did you get to go berry picking?

Where and how was it?

Wonderous White Corn...

We have grown corn for many years.

You might think that makes us experts on corn.

That our corn grows better somehow.

I smile when I hear stuff like that...

Largely because I know that we fail most years at the corn thing.

Doesn't matter where we plant or what we plant...

We suck at corn.

Each year I mainly grow it because I like looking at it.

I also like having free fall decorations...once I've given up and dried the stalks...

Plus, I'm generally an optimist.

I 'think' every year will be different.

Perhaps the 'right' season will come.

The truth is I don't really research how to grow what we grow all that much, 

but I'm sure there is missing something.

The point of all of this, is that this is what our ears normally look like...

Teeny, tiny, wee, little ears...

In my small hand...you can count a handful of kernels...

but you wouldn't ask me to serve you up an ear or two.

Now when faced with a load of wee little corn ears, you might ask...what is a girl to do?

Well, I'm not one for wasting anything!

So while I was happy to have all of these wee corn husks in my compost,

I was actually happier thinking about treasure hunting for actual kernels to save.

It wasn't a bad haul...just labour-intensive.

In the end, I had enough for large freezer bag of white corn kernels for the freezer...

as well as enough to make these jalapeno corn fritters!

While I normally don't subscribe to deep frying as a regular cooking method...

I couldn't resist these puppies!!!!

Here is the original recipe found in the Walmart Live Better magazine:

Whirl one 341 ml can of corn (I used fresh here...obviously), drained,

with /2 onion and 1 jalapeno (both from our garden), seeded, in a food processor.

Add 1 egg (from our girls), 1/4 cup cornmeal, 2 tbsp flour and 1/4 tsp salt.

Whirl until mixed.

Let stand for 20 mins.

Heat enough oil to reach 1 in in a medium frying pan over med-high heat.

Scoop 1/4 cup portions into oil.

Fry until golden, about 2 mins each side.

Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Serve warm.

I served these delicious fritters along with another homemade burger patty.

This time the burger was garnished with homemade relish, bacon and a slice of lemon boy tomato.

The fritters are topped with a bit of mayo and parsley.

While cooking these fritters...I couldn't escape the smell.

The aroma was like a carnival...or a savory donut shop.

THEY WERE GREAT!

Again, not being a fan of deep frying...this will be a special occasion dish.

How do you keep your harvest?

Fishing - feed yer face and have fun too!

There are lots of things to love about fishing...

Sunshine, fresh air, free food...

Our family loves to fish...well...Owen is still trying to find his love of it.

Handsome Husband had a week off in September...so of course...

We went fishing!

Fishing is not just a past time or sport for us.

It is also a way we stock our freezer with protein for the winter.

We aren't hunters (yet).

We always had issues with protein...that is...until we got laying chickens.

But that doesn't mean we'll stop fishing...you have to have variety to your diet!

We still ice fish in the winter...but our luck is pretty poor at best.

Probably my favorite part of fishing...is the lunch break!

There is an awesome island in Desert Lake that is perfect for picnics.

We bring stuff from our pantry and fridge.

Veggies from the garden and home made hummus.

Lemony tuna pasta salad with fresh picked peas.

Tostitos chips and home made salsa.

Freshly cut pineapple we won at a birthday party!

From our camping days, Owen calls it Pirate Island!

(loads of great stories happened here)

Even after a lovely lunch break...some people just can't stop fishing...

Isn't it amazing to be able to feed yourself from a hobby???

How many other hobbies can make such a boast?

(ok except for cake decorating...)

There is another benefit to fishing...but I'll reveal that in a later post...

Seriously!  When I reveal this secret....I'll probably be done as a blogger...

No more secrets to share!

Stay tuned...for the super fantastic gardening secret....

Strawberry Picking!!!

Back on June 30th we decided the time was right.

Timing is everything when it comes to fresh strawberry picking.

If you've been picking as long as we have...you'll see the signs.

Wait for the weather to be sunny with a light breeze.

You'll also want to avoid picking around any rainy days.

The rain will add moisture to the berries...which seems like a good thing, right?

NO!

Moisture on your berries will make them mush by the time you get home.

Another important thing to have is a good hat.

The hat should be well ventilated and have a wide brim.

Owen likes to go berry picking in style...

Most years we just bring the good old white Ontario grows baskets.

They usually charge a nominal fee for the baskets.... 50 cents!

We bought about 12 the first year...but the investment was well worth it.

We have lost a few to breakage over the years...but this year we brought 6 baskets.

This year Owen brought a bucket from the movies to fill.

You can bring whatever size of container you want!

When you bring a container (that isn't a white basket) the farmers at Paulridge Berry farm in Napanee will weigh the basket and mark on masking tape how much the container weighs.

That way, when you go to weight your berries...they will deduct the weight of the container.

I just adored the vintage weight scale!!!

We ride out to the patch on the tractor drawn flat bed trailer.

Darling Son and Handsome Husband all ready to go!

I'm all set too!

Look at the beautiful weather we had!!!

Another thing to note...we bring water floaties to sit on.

We each had a flutter board of some description.

They are perfect for kneeling or just sitting in the rows.

They are lightweight and easy to haul in with you.

(plus you can also use them as trays when getting your baskets back to the car!)

The picking was amazing!!!

Everywhere we looked was a small motherload of sweet berry goodness!

We try to stick with the smaller berries...they have concentrated flavour.

I also have a tendency to pick berries that are slightly yellow still.

I do this because we aren't always able to make jam right away.

Some years we have gotten home and the berries were already jam in the trunk of my car!

If you pick the super ripe ones (which everyone will be tempted to do)

you risk them going all moldy before you get to enjoy them.

You can see some slightly yellow ones on top.

We kept them in the car this time, turning on the AC full blast.

Once we were home, they went straight to the cool basement with a dehumidifier.

The dehumidifier keeps the moisture down and keeps the berries fresher longer.

As soon as humanly possible...make jam!

...or eat them in yoghurt, as a cereal or oatmeal topping, sliced on salads,

as a fruit salsa, in tarts or pies, or try this new recipe:

Strawberry Pinwheels

whole grain tortillas

garlic & herb cream cheese

strawberries

ham

romaine lettuce

-spread each tortilla with cream cheese

-arrange sliced strawberries and ham evenly, top each tortilla with lettuce

-roll up, cut each roll crosswise into 4 pieces to make 16 total.

...and don't forget...dipped in chocolate.

Strawberries are awesome!

More Tips on How to Eat on a Budget!

Budget is one of those words...

It goes with this face...

Painful, but very necessary.

As much as we all hate to admit it...these days,

you have to curb your spending somewhere.

There are so many other areas of life you just can't control...

like car repairs, property taxes and the list goes on.

So when looking to cut down on extra expenses,

I look to the grocery budget!

I have mentioned budgeting before 

in reference to eating healthy at work here.  

I continue to commit myself to finding budget-friendly

tips and tricks.

Use those Holiday Gifts:

Ever get food related gifts for Christmas?

I do!

Usually they are pantry items...non-perishables.

Spice rubs, marinades, preserves.

Make use of those gifts!!!

Not only will you expand your tasting repertoire...

but you can save money by dressing up budget cuts of meat.

This year I was given a WONDERFUL gift!

(well, ok, I received MANY wonderful gifts...but this one was a first for me)

White Sugar flavoured with Vanilla beans.

I have a serious soft spot for vanilla ice cream with the black specks of vanilla beans!!!

(my friend Sam over at Ravels And Tangles blog knows me so well...)

This sugar is probably one of the best things EVER.

I made a quick batch of apple crisp one night and...

WOW.

All I can say is 

WOW.

Look for Sales:

Let me just start off by saying

I'm not one for coupon clipping and

I don't live in an area that gets grocery store flyers.

There's no reason why those methods shouldn't be used.

I just prefer to spend my time on other pursuits

like reading about gardening, dreaming about gardening

and looking forward to gardening.

Wait, what was I talking about?

I do, however, spot sales.

I found brown mushrooms on sale and made a delicious miso broth based mushroom soup.

I already buy spinach as a part of my normal

grocery shopping.  

It's great hot or cold and is PACKED with vitamins.

The garlic we grow, the carrots we grow.

The green onions are usually pretty cheap.

The ginger I splurge on every now and again.

It lasts a long time in the fridge crisper shelf and it goes into so many dishes and drinks.

Hot or cold and is packed with tons of beneficial vitamins.

All of these ingredients came together 

to make a very inexpensive and healthful meal

in almost no time at all!

Make yer Own:

Don't waste your money buying special herb blends!!!

In most cases, you already have the ingredients...

Not only are you saving money but you also control the sodium, 

preservatives (nitrates) and other unnecessary added ingredients.

Its also tailored to your tastes...literally!

Here is a list of spice blends you can make on your own:

(just Google them!)

Apple Pie Spice

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Taco Seasoning

Garam Masala

Italian Seasoning

Pickling Spices

Pesto

Steak Rubs

Just Freeze It:

We spend a lot of time trying to fill a freezer

full of money saving food.

Pumpkins and squashes that were decorations in the fall 

become containers of puree ready for baking or soups or chili.

Frozen stock from local chickens becomes the base of

many soul warming concoctions.

The containers take up a lot of space in the freezer

but these staples are worth every penny.

(Taste WAY better than store bought anyway and NO SODIUM!)

A plastic container of frozen chicken stock
(approx 8 cups)

+

A plastic container of frozen vegetable puree 

(in this case pumpkin mash) (approx 4 cups)

+

1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic pressed

+

1 1/2 tsp each dried Thyme and salt

=

EXCELLENT, VIRTUALLY FREE, WINTER WARMING SOUPS!

(adapted from original recipe here)

Served with Butter Dip Biscuits

(my new FAVORITE biscuit recipe)

How do you skim dollars from your budget?

Hamburger...the Never ending Story

I love an odd cookbook.

I have so many of them...

It's like a fixation really.

I managed to pare the collection down when we moved into 

our current home.

I was not going to be the one with 100 boxes of cookbooks.

No way.

One of the books I knew I'd be keeping is shown below...

Behold!

Published in 1960...this cookbook holds no less than 38 pages of meatball recipes alone!

Meatloaves, burgers, casseroles, soups and sauces.

One of the things I love about this book is that there are specific recipes for up to 100 people.

Not all cookbooks do that, incidentally.

So the other night I figured I would thumb through it and

find a meatball recipe.

I had some ground beef leftover and couldn't really figure 

what to make with it.

I stumbled across Danish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes.

2 lbs hamburger

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix all ingredients and form into 1 1/2 in balls.

Roll the meatballs in 2/3 cup flour seasoned with 1/4 salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.

Brown on all sides in 1/4 cup cooking oil.

Add 1 cup beef stock and 1 bay leaf.

Cover and simmer for 30 mins.

Remove meatballs and set aside.

Blend in 3 tbsp flour and brown. 

Stir in 1 1/2 cup bouillon.

Cook, stirring constantly, until medium thick.

Serve meatballs and gravy with mashed potatoes harvested from our garden.

The end result was a warm yummy dish.

The nutmeg made a beautifully different gravy.

I served this dish with a side of green and yellow beans 

and peas frozen from our garden harvest.

This meal was perfect after a day of yard work on a cold afternoon.

It certainly balanced out the sight of our pond frozen!

We don't eat a ton of red meat...but when we do, we do enjoy the comfort and flavour.

When you buy local meat, you can be sure of the quality.

(Compared to those factory facilities who sell to grocery stores)

Plus, this is a great way to make your grocery dollars go farther!

Stay tuned for more ways to prepare hamburger...for those aficionados of hamburger everywhere.

A Tale of Two Chilies...

Ah fall...

The time of year we celebrate cooler days, shorter days, woolen mittens,

cozy sweaters, thick socks, falling leaves, apple cider, everything cinnamon...

and hearty-warm-stick-to-your-ribs cookin!

TIME FOR CHILI!!!

I have 2 very different recipes for you, my readers...

Beef Chili

INGREDIENTS:  

Browned ground beef, diced tomatoes x 2 cans, chopped onions, pressed garlic, 

sliced mushrooms, corn, kidney beans x 1 can, 2 tbsp chili powder, dash of beer

Throw everything in pot and simmer for a few hrs.

Serve with johnny cake or cornbread, spoon on a bun or over a hot dog!

(Even great on fries!)

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

INGREDIENTS:  

Browned ground turkey, diced tomatoes x 2 cans, chopped carrots from the garden, 

chick peas x 1 can, chopped onions, corn from the garden, 3 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp turmeric

Throw everything in a slow cooker, set the temp for high and cook for 4-6 hrs.

Serve with dinner rolls or bread sticks for yummy dipping!

Although this version of chili may weird some folks out...

It really is worth a try.

I've made it with turkey as well as chicken and they both turn out lovely.

If you are looking for warm meal this fall...try one of these chili recipes!

Healthy, filling and really easy on the budget!!!

We have been taking chili outside for a bonfire in the backyard lately.

You gotta get these activities in while the weather is permitting.

One just had a few of those excellent moon nights where

the moon is so bright...it casts shadows!

What are you doing this fall?

This years pumpkins went far...

We went all out this year with pumpkins.

Fortunate as we seem to be...we came into a bunch of pumpkins.

FREE!

So this year's haul of pumpkin products feels like gold even more!

Let's start with the initial process...

ROASTING.

You wash the outside of the pumpkin and pat dry.

Using a large knife, slice the pumpkin in half.

Scoop out the stringy bits and separate the seeds into a colander.

Cut the remaining hunks of pumpkin into smaller pieces.

Set pumpkin pieces in a roasting pan, skin side out.

Add a bunch of water to the pan and roast at 400 degrees for about 60 mins.

Take pieces out and place in a big mixing bowl until they cool.

Scoop out the flesh into containers.

Blend in food processor if desired...mainly for texture.

Repeat until the entire veggie is reduced to pumpkin skin resting nicely in your compost bucket.

The seeds can be roasted...

Toss seeds in oil or cut a few pieces of butter and spread around a pan of seeds and some cracked salt.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 mins or until brown and crispy.

The flesh can be used in so many delicious ways!

Here is what we managed to make out of a few jack o lanterns still kicking around...

Pumpkin spice muffins freeze really well and can be reheated in under 30 sec in a microwave.

It is a seriously economical recipe, as long as you already have the spices in the pantry.

Creamy Spicy Pumpkin Soup was an afterthought.

I was spooning the flesh out into containers for freezing.

The inevitable happened...I had a half full container.

So soup it was!

This soup recipe is great...it has a spicy kick due to the curry and cayenne.

I had a tablespoon of cream cheese left over so I added it!

The spicy and creamy were perfect compliments.

I garnished the soup with roasted pumpkin seeds...crunchy!

For even more yummy recipes, head on over to my friend Sam of the lovely Ravels & Tangles blog!

She's seriously obsessed with pumpkin...you'll see...

Pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin earle grey latte and pumpkin mac n cheese!!!

Keeping the Kitchen Cool...

It's not much of a news flash to state...the weather is HOT...

Ok...yeah...we knew that already, thank you, Mrs State the Obvious!

Lately I've been posting food pics on Facebook dedicated to keeping cool and not heating up your kitchen.

I thought I would explore this concept a little deeper.

I find it difficult to consider preparing food in weather like this.

The thought of turning on a stove or even a toaster oven makes me cringe.

Especially when it feels like you're melting...

I have posted pics of a variety of salads with a plethora of taste sensations.

...but one can only eat so many salads...

(and I am most certainly a salad FREAK)

So to the grill I go!  We have been BBQ-ing a lot lately.

Even if you live in an apartment that does not allow BBQ-ing, you can most likely find a public park in your area that will allow you to bring grills or coleman stoves.

Check your local by-laws on that one...

When Hurricane Sandy was about to arrive, we made propane and water our first priority.

(we already have a food store in our basement and a fireplace,

so we didn't have to worry about food and heat)

At the time, the storm kind of missed us...so we were sitting one a propane surplus!

We have been experimenting with grilling stuff like peppers, watermelon, peaches and plums.

As well as the usual suspects like steak, burgers, sausages and even a roast!

We also tried our hand at grilling corn on the cob.

Emeril Lagasse swears by it...not that I follow the trendy eating crowd, mind you.

Ches soaked the cobs whole for approximately 1 hr, but the longer you can wait, the better.

He BBQ'd the cobs and we ate them on a 

separate, blazing hot night where the house was sitting at 31 degrees Celsius.

Whatever we grill, I like to grill a large quantity and reserve some for later use.

The pictures included in this post show a dinner we had outside by the firepit one evening.

(A fire?!?!  I know, we still have a fire on occassion to keep the evening bugs at bay,

but only when there is no fire ban)

We BBQ'd burgers and topped them with fresh picked garden lettuce, Old Cheddar cheese from Wilton and previously grilled red peppers.

Complete the meal with cold cervesas and s'mores for dessert.

The grilled peppers gave the burgers a wonderfully different taste, almost sweet.

Like a gourmet burger served in a high end restaurant.

Another way to consume leftover grilled peppers is to use them in a grown up grilled cheese sandwich!

I layer cheese, spinach, cheese, onions and tomatoes, more cheese, the grilled peppers (kept in large pieces) and finally a layer of cheese...muahaha!

Press between 2 pieces of bread buttered on the outside and fry in a frying pan.

**********************

In case anyone was wondering how to make a traditional s'more:

-toast a marshmallow

-press toasted marshmallow between 2 graham crackers and a piece of chocolate.

There are variations and substitutions...but we like to keep it old school.

Also, in case anyone was wondering...the top picture shows our roasting tree...

Anyone how ever toasted a marshmallow or wienie on the campfire will be familiar with a roasting stick...

but our version is a TREE...complete with enough "branches" that you can literally roast a whole meal.

(or a million marshmallows...give or take)

Check out my Facebook page or group for more recipes to keep you

and your kitchen as cool as possible these days.

Take care everyone!

What to do with a pumpkin?

Halloween is over....sigh...

And what are you to do with the pumpkins you bought?

Perhaps they were for the kids to carve out...perhaps just a fall themed decoration?

Well I'm here to help you decide what to do with these enormous squashes!

First you take the pumpkins and wash the exterior of nicely...pat dry.

Chop off the stem and slice in half.

The next part should be easy...gut the gourd just like you would if you were carving a pumpkin!

Reserve the seeds in a separate container.

(To save time, have 2 bins going...one for guts and one for mostly seeds)

The flesh of the pumpkin is soft, but its coated in a slimy, sinuey substance.

Scrape this substance off with a big metal spoon and discard.

The flesh is now ready for roasting.

Place the pieces, inside down, on a deep roasting dish with some water.

Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour or until the flesh is mushy and soft.

Use a metal spoon to carve the flesh away from the deep orange rind.

You can portion the flesh out for future use.

Spoon mush into 1 cup cups and freeze in a freezer bag.

Or you can just spoon the flesh into a large container and freeze the whole thing.

You can opt to use a food processor to blend the mush further before freezing if you wish.

(If you blend the mush, it becomes very tricky to get it to stay in the 1 cup forms until frozen)

Use this mush when ever it calls for canned pumpkin.

Use in baking muffins, loaves or pies.

Whatever you do, it is a very healthy vegetable!  Loaded with iron, fibre, vitamin A & C and actually contains calcium...

If you prefer roasted pumpkin, skip the whole roasting process and cleave flesh from rind raw.

Chop into 1 inch cubes and freeze in large freezer bags.

Roast later with other root vegetables for a great winter side dish!

For a list of 10 intriguing pumpkin recipes, check out this link to Food.com

http://www.food.com/slideshow/seasonal-eats-46/spicy-roasted-seeds-4#./whoopie-pies-1?&_suid=135238663053102653393943930793

A fantastic use for pumpkins is the seeds!!!

Take the container you used for the seeds and rinse the seeds very well.

Take care to remove all orange and stringy bits.

Let seeds soak for a bit in the fresh cold water.

Spread out on a baking sheet or stone.

Add 2-3 tbsp of butter or marg and a bunch of grinds of coarse salt.

You can use parchment paper under if you wish.

Bake at 300 degrees for approx 45 mins (if you use a stone, it will be sooner!)

Just keep checking on them every now and again, giving a stir along the way.

What you have is a great snack that is loaded with fibre, vitamin E and manganese!

You can also adjust the taste of this snack just by sprinkling on a different spice...

Try these:

-garlic powder

-onion powder

-cayenne pepper

-chili powder

-cinnamon & brown sugar

Alternatively, you can also switch up the taste by using other seeds like squash or sunflower.

How do you like your pumpkin?