Great A, little a, bouncing B

Ev (4.5 yrs) received a new doll for Christmas. Commenting on the doll's hair style (a smooth bun) she said, "I think the author did it like that, right?"

You Can't Catch Me...!

I had limited time for Christmas baking this year, so after polling my family to find out which treats were 'must-haves' decided on Gingerbread people, and sugar cookies. (The kids like decorating the sugar cookies.) For the sugar cookies we used the 'Rich sugar cookie' recipe in the Joy of Cooking (actually, Abi made those) - with the butter they're almost like a cross between a sugar cookie and a shortbread, which was fine since I didn't get to the shortbread! For the gingerbread, I used this recipe, and really liked it.

Gingerbread Cookies

3 c. flour
3/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar

1 large egg
2/3 cup molasses

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture beating until incorporated.

Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F and place rack in center of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside while you roll out the dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out the cookies. With an offset spatula lift the cut out cookies onto the baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1 inch (2.54 cm) apart. If you are hanging the cookies or using as gift tags, make a hole at the top of the cookies with a straw or end of a wooden skewer.

Bake for about 6-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. Small ones will take about 6 minutes, larger cookies will take about 10 (-12) minutes. They are done when they are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown.

Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minute. When they are firm enough to move, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, pipe icing eyes, mouth and buttons. Enjoy!

Tibbitts and Bibbitts and Solomon Sly

I figured if I kept a record here of the canning I did this year, next year I won't have to go rifling through my recipe cupboard looking for the old envelope with the recipe I want on it! This is the first time I've made Mom's relish, but here it is:

Mom's Cucumber Relish

(1) 8 large cucumbers (12 cups chopped??)
12 onions (mom uses less; I think I used 11 this time, 'cause that's what I had)
2 green peppers
2 red peppers (I used 2 yellow, an orange and a red pepper)

1/2 c. salt

(3) 5 c. vinegar
6 c. sugar (I scooped about 3/4 of a cup for ea. 'cup')
1 Tbsp mustard seed
1 Tbsp celery seed (didn't have!)


(2) 1 Tbsp turmeric
3 Tbsp dry mustard
3/4 c. flour

- Cut off ends of cucs.
- Put (1) through chopper (I used the chopper blade on my food processor. If I didn't overfill the bowl it worked best.)
- Sprinkle with salt. Add 5 cups of water.
Let stand 1 hour. Drain well.

Mix (2) with a little vinegar.
Heat (3). Add (2) and cook until smooth.
Add veggies and cook 20 min. Put in hot sterilized jars and process.

Makes about 10 pints.

Each Peach Pear Plum

OK, so I just made a batch of "Summer Salsa" from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It said I'd get six 500mL jars (pints) but I ONLY GOT 4! I feel cheated, somehow, although it is very tasty. I even carefully followed quantities (much more carefully than usual, anyway). Instead of 3-4 jalapeno peppers I used one chinese five pepper (it was purple), and I don't think I used a full 1/2 cup of honey, but that's not 2 pints worth of salsa! Anyway, here's the recipe:

Summer Salsa

4 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes (drained)
2 cups chopped pitted peeled peaches
2 cups chopped cored peeled pears
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (I used 3 from our CSA b/c they were small)
1 cup chopped red onion (I used white)
3-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (as mentioned above, I used one pepper, but b/c it was rather small - approx 1/2 the size of a jalapeno - I used the whole thing, seeds and all.)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup liquid honey (I used 2 soup-spoonfuls)
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (didn't have - used zest from one orange and a squirt of lemon juice)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

1. Prep canner, jars and lids.
2. In lg pot, combine tomatoes, peaches, pears, red pepper, onion and hot peppers. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly (or frequently ;) Add cilantro, honey, lemon zest and juice, vinegar and mint. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1 cm (1/2 in) headspace. ...
Process for 20 min (pint size); 15 min for 250mL jars.

Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake

So the peach galette was delicious! I wanted to take a picture, but dh had the camera on their canoe trip. I also made a batch of spiced peach preserves which are quite yummy. The kids like a tsp mixed into some plain yogurt. I think it will be good on waffles too (or toast!)

A Dainty Dish

To continue the food theme (since I've done nothing but eat ever since May ;)
this is what I've been up to in the kitchen lately:

First, or rather, most recently, is the "meal" that Ev & I just enjoyed together (Dh has the eldest 2 camping this weekend). It was a case of wanting something good to eat, but quickly and without much effort. (I realize that that could describe most nights, but somehow it's different when there are only 2 of you instead of 5-6). Looking for inspiration I ventured down to the basement to mine our deep freeze. Thus, our "dinner" consisted of: asian steam buns (left over from when the girls from Taiwan were staying with us earlier this summer), swiss chard from our CSA (frozen a couple of weeks ago), and (drum roll, please!) cheese-ball omelette, made with some left-over cheese ball sent home with us from my cousin's wedding. (I really wasn't sure what we were going to do with half a large cheese ball, but this was quite tasty.)

And, still to come, fresh peach galette. (OK, I realize that to some this might not qualify as "fast and easy", but you need to understand that I came home from the market today with 7 litres of seconds (peaches) today - because the 1/2 bushel that I received from a friend yesterday is obviously not enough - and there was a ball of leftover pastry sitting in the fridge from when dh baked me a pie. So, it was pretty quick and easy.)

Over the moon

I'm tired, but content.
I've got great kids, a wonderful husband, good food to eat and a book to keep me up late at night. What more could a gal want?

Recent reads include:
Evelina, by Fanny Burney (I think this is one of my favourite novels.)
Cecelia, also by F. Burney (You know how sometimes you get to the end of a great book and wish it would continue? Well this is what it would be like if it did. It continues. And continues. For almost 1000 pages. Took me almost a week to get through!)
The Paradox of Choice, by Barry Schwartz. Interesting. I'm still only 1/2 way through, but already I can see the wisdom of being satisfied with "good enough" for things that really don't matter.
My Family and Other Animals, by Gerald Durrell. I picked this up at Value Village and found myself laughing out loud at several of his stories. Grabbed another of his from the library and was disappointed to find it contained more 'adult content'. Oh well.