Month: January 2014

Everything's Coming Up…Peaches?

Brrrr! We started the day with the last vestiges of a 3-hour power outage, some of which happened while we were blissfully asleep. By 6ish NS Power had things up and running again. It was interesting that we were the only “powerless” area in the province! We always knew we were special.

Heading outside, we finished clearing the driveway by starlight, then headed in just as the sun was coming up from behind the hills on the other side of the Bay. The sky was a brilliant peach, which got us thinking…what better way to warm up than oatmeal with peaches that we froze at the height of freshness, last summer? Something to be grateful for, we say!

No photo? Apparently it was too good to waste time doing that!

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Use it Up!

January has been a month of creativity for us – in food, and how we live. We decided at the beginning of the month to follow the old advice: use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. I must admit we haven’t felt as though we are doing without, but instead, finding things in our cupboards, closets, drawers and refrigerators and turning them to a more interesting purpose. The delicious horseradish mustard that we use frequently in summer made a tangy start to this egg-wich, which also amps up its veg quotient with minced broccoli ends and a few straggler mushrooms that were left in the bag.

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We are working our way through the summer’s harvest, our forgotten condiments, and frozen remains of big batch cooking from the fall. And it’s been a delicious journey…one we will continue for as long as possible.

It's a Blue Kind of Day

ImageWhat a wild weather week we’ve had! From knee-deep snow and frigid temperatures, the thermometer dropped yesterday and we had rain and high winds overnight. Now the sun is doing her best to break through the clouds, illuminating spots in the woods with her brilliant gaze. We’ve put the slow cooker on for a pot-roast dinner, and prepared for whatever the blustery day brings with some blueberry whole-wheat pancakes.

Whatever the weather, we’re grateful – for friends, family (thanks for the call last night!), and the good fortune to live with a big garden, great neighbours, and a view of the Bay.

What to Eat When your Plow Guy Quits and you Shovel for Three Hours

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After the apple walnut oatmeal, you go to work like nothing happened out of the ordinary. I love Canada.

Start off on the Right…Food!

I’m off to a business breakfast this morning – a good one, where there are usually great people to network with, and much to learn. But these things can also wreak havoc on healthy habits of both the dietary and professional variety. While buffets are improving in their number of healthy choices, they still tend to feature heavily (no pun intended) in carbs and fat. Besides, with so many bright people to meet, why spend time chewing a chocolate chip muffin?

So here’s how we are fueling up for a more productive day: veggie and goat cheese omelette, with a slice of whole wheat toast. On the toast: apple butter from our daughter’s kitchen. What better start could we have?

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When Friday is Tired-Day

When you’ve had a long week, finishing off with a busy Friday at work, it can be easy to sink into the couch with a glass of wine and let your fingers do the walking to something fatty and not-so-healthy. We had that kind of Friday this week, but we took some time-tested steps to be sure our 2014 plan to stay healthy and happy kept on track.

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First of all, a tall glass of sparkling water with lemon to rehydrate and rejuvenate. Sometimes that rundown feeling is a simple lack of water. Then we put our favourite oven-baked fish and chips on to cook, and turned on an engaging movie that would help put our minds on something else. (In our case it was Dallas Buyers Club – a great movie for reminding ourselves about the difference between our problems and real problems). Before we knew it dinner was ready and we were rebuilding our spirits to face another day.

Get Rich Quick!

Apparently we are in for a wet weekend. So we wanted a quick breakfast that would let us get out on the trail before the rain arrives. Eggs Benedict may not seem like the obvious choice, but this quick Prosciutto Benny with Blender Hollandaise is just the ticket!

For two:

3 large eggs
2 slices prosciutto
1 multigrain English muffin, split
1/4c / 60ml butter
1t /5ml lemon juice
1/2t / 2ml dry mustard
Dash Tabasco
White vinegar
Lemon pepper
1 large tomato, sliced

Split the muffin and toast or warm for a few seconds in the microwave.

Bring a medium pot of water to boil.

Meanwhile separate one egg and put the yolk in the blender with the Tabasco, lemon juice, and dry mustard.

Put the prosciutto in a nonstick pan on low, just to warm it a little.

Heat the butter in the microwave just until boiling. Turn blender on and pour the butter in slowly – it will cook the egg yolk.

To assemble, stack muffin, prosciutto, poached egg. Drizzle with hollandaise and sprinkle with lemon pepper.

Serve with tomato, and go!

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Sometimes Simple is Best

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We started the morning with a serious workout, so a heavy breakfast seemed to defeat the purpose. It was a great opportunity to continue our exploration of the treats we began socking away in the freezer last summer!

Blueberries! Quick frozen without sugar, they only take a few minutes to thaw. (Or a minute or so in the micro if you are really in a rush). Top these with some organic yogurt, plain and unsweetened. A sprinkle of cinnamon will trick your tongue into thinking there is sugar, and if you add the crunch of a tablespoon or two of chopped almonds (roasted without salt) it is like a breakfast parfait. Round it out with half an English muffin and some peanut butter for extra protein. Tasty, fast, go!

Warmth from Within

Weird weather! We go from snow, to rain, to sleet, from freezing to frigid, and windy to calm, all in a day. To be ready, a warm breakfast is always in order. Hot cereal is a great way to start. This is my apple nut oatmeal breakfast. Shout out to the artisanal mug, which has a family connection – my sister’s cousin-in-law (?) makes beautiful pottery like this turquoise charmer!

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For two:

3/4c or 180ml rolled oats
2T or 30ml chopped walnuts and dried cranberries
Sprinkle of cinnamon
1 chopped apple, skin on

Add about 1-1/4c or 300ml water. Cook on the oatmeal setting on the microwave or 3 mins on high and 5 on med-low.

Serve with milk and brown sugar.

Generations of Goodness

One of the things I am most proud of is that both of our kids have turned out to love food, and making things, and building a happy home. (Young parents, the big payoff is out there!) For us, there is a definite connection between food and family – which is why it is every kind of wonderful to start the day with a whole-wheat English muffin and cream cheese, topped with our daughter’s homemade apple butter.

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