Monday, October 8, 2012

Water Spout on Lake Superior


Yesterday afternoon as I was cooking our Thanksgiving dinner Mark spotted this water spout, funnel cloud out on the Lake. There wasn't much time for me to get a few photos of it as it was moving east on the Lake. The hospital blocks our view, but it was pretty cool to watch it while I could.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes in Peppers


Roasted Cherry Tomatoes in Peppers

Yesterday morning, as I was browsing through Nigel Slaters book
 Tender, Volume 1, I found this yummy recipe that I based last nights dinner on. 
My sister and her husband were going to stop in for dinner, on their way home from a vacation. I needed something I could have ready for when they arrived, so they could eat and run..
Oh my, they tasted so delicious, it is my new favourite recipe, and very simple indeed! 


Roasted Cherry Tomatoes in Peppers

serves 8

6 large sweet peppers
cherry or grape tomatoes, 2 containers, I used a mix of red and yellow
olive oil
basil leaves, 2 handfuls

Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Cut the washed peppers in half lengthwise, discarding the seeds and white core. Put the halved peppers cut side up in a roasting tin or baking dish. Cut the washed tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Divide the tomatoes between the peppers, and season with salt and black pepper. Pour a little olive oil into each pepper and bake until the tomatoes and peppers are lusciously soft, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Puree the basil leaves in 1/4 cup (70 ml) of olive oil. I used a food processor then sieved the mixture to have a smoother oil. Pour into the peppers, this basil dressing will mingle with the warm tomato juices.
Yum, enjoy!
In the future I might add a little minced garlic to each pepper half with the tomatoes before baking, mmm.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Morning Visitor .. Having Breakfast


red squirrel eating one of our neighbours apples


it didn't like how close I was getting


so, I backed off..

Friday, August 24, 2012

Malt-Roasted Chocolate & Almond Muesli


Malt-Roasted Chocolate & Almond Muesli  

½ cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
100 grams dark chocolate, chopped
5 cups rolled oats
1 cup puffed rice
¾ cup sweetened coconut flakes*
½ cup whole almonds
1/3 cup malt powder
2 tablespoons cocoa
Milk, sliced peaches and blueberries, to serve

Preheat oven to 170 C. 

Place the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the maple syrup, oil and chocolate and whisk until well combined.

Place the oats, puffed rice, coconut, almonds, malt powder and cocoa in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Pour over the hot sugar syrup and mix until well combined. Spoon onto a 30cm x 42 cm baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.

Bake for 30-32 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until crisp and golden. Set aside to cool completely on trays. Serve the muesli with milk, peaches and blueberries. Makes 8 cups.

I found this recipe in Donna Hay magazine, yum!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Family Visit


Thomas & Malia in White River with Winnie the Pooh


Old Woman Bay


after a swim at Batchewana Bay


on the docks, Little Current ON


paddling in Strawberry Channel


enjoying a visit with Grandma at camp


camp at sunrise


Thomas & Jay


beach near Rossport


heading down to Schreiber beach


Schreiber beach

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Garlic Scape Gnocchi


All of our garlic grew this season so we had a glut of garlic scapes to cut and then use. I have scoured the net for new recipes and yesterday decided to try an experiment. So bear with me, my measurements may not be exact. I will do my best to remember how much of everything I added. They were fabulous, so delicious, yum!!!



Garlic Scape & Cheese Gnocchi 

20 garlic scapes, chopped into one inch pieces
2 cups well drained ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
10 heaping tbsp. flour and more as needed for rolling
1 tsp. salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
4 to 6 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook scapes in simmering salted water until they are crisp tender. Puree the cooked scapes in a food processor. 
(I added the three eggs to the cooled scapes to help puree them).
In a fairly large bowl, combine the garlic scape puree with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs,  flour, salt, and pepper. Stir the mixture vigorously until it is perfectly blended and lump free. Chill the mixture for at least 1/2 hour.


Using 2 teaspoons, form little gnocchi about the size and shape of a pecan (mine were much larger, more like a small egg). Scoop up a rounded teaspoonful of the mixture in one spoon, then with floured hands; shape into the oval shape. Drop into a bowl of flour. Roll it in the flour, dust it off, and put it down on waxed paper. Continue forming the gnocchi until all of the mixture is used up.


To cook the gnocchi, drop them carefully into a large pot of simmering salted water. Allow them to simmer (not boil) for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring them very gently once or twice with a wooden spoon to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot or to each other. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and drain them on a clean cloth (tea towel).




Pour half of the remaining butter into a large shallow casserole pan. Arrange the gnocchi in it in one layer. Pour the remaining butter over them and sprinkle them with the Parmesan cheese. Bake the gnocchi in a preheated 350 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are hot through and the cheese is starting to colour.

For the sauce I grilled two containers of yellow cherry tomatoes, 2 red onions and one red sweet pepper on the barbecue. I pureed them and added them to a pot that I melted 2 tbsp. of butter in and then added 1/2 of heavy cream. I added salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. I let it simmer for the time I baked the gnocchi, it was delicious and very simple.
Enjoy!