Walk Widely. Eat Wisely. Live Gratefully.
. What a wintry day! On the way home from the last Mass of Advent, we stopped and watched the waves crashing on Queensland beach. The ocean in winter has awesome power.
Arriving back at the house, we busied ourselves with cleaning out foods from the fridge, in preparation for all the upcoming meals at the homes of friends and family. Today’s lunch: chicken and white bean soup, with oatmeal batter-bread. Instant warmth!
The first winter storm threatened with its presence today. Hard, driving rain and wind, mixed with a little snow. The kind of howling night that makes you want comfort food. But after a day of work, how can slow food be not so slow?
We had some delicious white beans, pre-cooked, in the freezer. A couple of pork chops. And some San Marzano tomatoes. We put the chops in a casserole, topped with the beans and chopped rosemary. Over that, a couple of tomatoes each, and a little juice. More rosemary and pepper.
After 45 minutes in a 400F oven, covered, a delicious tender dinner was waiting. We finished the plates with a handful of greens. Pure comfort.
Yesterday was Christmas tree day…the local Lions Club had set up shop in the parking lot of our nearby grocery store. We stopped first for some provisions, including some delicious-looking peppered smoked salmon, from St. Mary’s Bay.
So this morning, surrounded by the gorgeous smell of balsam fir in the house, we made smoked salmon bennies on homemade English muffin loaf. We’re all set for a day of decorating. On a day like this how can we help but feel grateful?
Silly season has begun…when our workdays are busy but we also have social events every night. The food choices tend to be highly caloric and low on nutrition. This week our solution has been to keep snacking to a minimum, then make something satisfying when we get home, like this delicious salmon risotto. Sorry for the low light, but candles make every day better!
What a day! We worked a good part of the afternoon on our garden,then retired to work on our Christmas cards. For dinner, a lovely slab of local salmon, which will continue to feed us in the days to come.
We started by making a modified “Potatoes Anna”, with sage and some Old Growlet cheese interspersed. Halfway to done, we popped the salmon in the oven, rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with chipotle powder. A few lightly-cooked carrots on the side, and we were satisfied.
We got up early yesterday…lots to do! We fueled up with a delicious omelette – all fresh and local. Eggs, a yellow pepper, green onions, shiitakes, and a little shred of cheddar.
Today as we are free to worship, to work, to travel, to live in peace, we ask that you join us in thanking the brave men and women who have made this possible, and those who continue to help others to do so.
The great thing about pancakes is that most recipes make a large batch, enough for a family. But when there are only two of you, what can you do? Of course there’s always the option of going to a local breakfast place, if you have one close by. But even then, the portions are usually unhealthily large. If you make them at home, your best friend is the freezer. Freeze them in a single layer in zipper bags, and then when you want pancakes again, simply pop them in the toaster on the lowest setting (oven or micro will work as well, but the toaster is so easy!)
Today we warmed up some frozen mixed berries and a sliced banana, and then topped them with Greek yogurt and roasted almonds. That should keep us warm for a hike on the beach!
We’re heading down to the Valley today, to visit 99-year-old Grammy Hergett. So it seemed fitting to start the day with pancakes that remind us of the ones she used to make. We’ve updated the recipe (see our Whole Wheat Pancakes in the recipe tab) but kept all of the taste. Today we served them with Mom’s home-canned peaches and a little Greek-style yogurt.
One of the tastiest things we have added to our new local menu since moving is smoked salmon. Here in Nova Scotia there is a plentiful supply! This morning, we mixed some flaked smoked salmon with cream cheese, spread it on a whole-wheat English muffin (made right here!) along with some grainy mustard, and topped it with a free-range egg. What a way to start the day. Yum!