Don't be fooled by the nice weather - snow is on it's way. With snow comes the inevitable slow drive home. Here's our suggestion - take a couple hours on the weekend and prep some meals ahead of time and toss them in the freezer. Sounds easy enough everyone always says it so I put it to the test.
First I needed to come up with three different but tasty meals I'd want to eat after a long drive and also meals that the boys are going to like to. Yeah I'm saying 'I' as Charlene is away big game hunting or something so I'm flying solo and I think the plan has gone according to plan!
Ok first - the plan. Make brown bread - in the bread maker sorry not fancy this time. The bread was just because I felt like it and if timed properly bread and food should all be ready around the same time. Next on the menu - chicken stew, fish pie and spaghetti sauce.
Chicken stew - decided to do that in the croc pot - easy peasy. Took some chicken breasts cubed, carrots diced into chunks same with potatoes, chicken stock a little veg stock, red pepper - diced, some flour and the usual seasonings you'd expect. Why red pepper you ask? Cause I had one I wanted to use up. Remember it's stew - that's the idea. 'Cause I know I'll be up late I elected to cook it low heat for 7 hours - you can do it on high heat for 4 hours or so. The stew tastes superb - of course if you like stew it always does. Oh forgot to mention I only had one small boneless chicken breast, so I used two breasts bone in. Trimmed the chicken off of those but tossed the breast bone into the mix too (pull it out afterwards of course) but I'm guessing that's where the extra flavour came from - other than my prefect seasoning of course! Have fun play around combine a couple recipes into one and voila - a meal that is delicious and everyone will love.
Fish Pie - Those that read my blog about the fish pie know I wasn't happy with it - despite the rave reviews. They were rave so don't snicker. So, I tackled the fish pie next - I cubed the onion this time. I've posted this story before so I won't repeat it. I did however use cod and haddock this time. No peas so I used corn. This is where I mixed it up a bit. Before pouring on the white sauce I grated cheese over the fish then added the white sauce. If it tastes like it smells it's going to be brilliant.
Spaghetti sauce - there are a million recipes all claiming to be the best. Today I was looking for quick and easy. A little disappointed I didn't have any Italian sausage on hand - I wanted a little spice in there to give it some zing - so I tossed in a jalapeno instead for some bite. I took what I had in the fridge and cupboard and wanting to be different I elected to go for a smoother sauce than I'm accustomed to. I used the magic bullet on the sauce ingredients - except the hamburger of course. Whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, celery, garlic, red pepper, jalapeno all blended up with the usual seasonings. End result a really smooth yummy sauce with just enough heat to warm you up on a winters night.
Sounds like a lot of work I hear the nay sayers moaning. Not so says I! Total time - stew 20 mins prep, fish pie - 25 mins prep and sauce 20 mins prep - 1 hour for enough food for easily 7 days of meals. Okay of course you have to cook it so yes there is cooking time as well. But really are you going to stand there and watch the croc pot and spaghetti sauce simmer?
The result three really tasty easy meals - nothing fancy here. Prep - cook - clean up time - start to finish - 2 1/2 hours - stew of course a bit longer. So, yes if you have a couple hours which most of us do if we pull ourselves away from the goggle box and Internet - you have half your cooking done for the next two weeks. Now I wonder does that mean I get to relax while Charlene cooks the other seven days? Probably not - in the words of Rumpole "She who must be obeyed" will find little humour in that!
Have a good idea - something to add? Add your comment or send us an email. We actually get those now - pretty cool - thanks for reading!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Prince Edward County - above and beyond
This blog is going to be a little long - well there is a lot to say: 800km in 29 hours, three vineyards, wine tasting, art shows and galleries, a local artist, hot house tomatoes, a great big apple, a gourmet meal and... well you get the idea. So to make it easy for you we've created a few new pages where you can get the rest of the story about the places below. It's miles of fun - we promise. We've also added the links to a number of the wonderful places we enjoyed so you can check them out for yourselves - you wont be disappointed!
Prologue - Before I jump too far into this blog I have to say that our experience and the people we met in PEC was absolutely phenomenal. It seemed that just about everyone we met were more than willing to take a moment to share their stories with us and listened to ours, it was truly tremendous. I want to thank the wonderful people you read about here for making us feel so welcome and for allowing us to share our experiences with them.
We left Ottawa 5pm Friday and after a quick top up at the Shell (got to get those airmiles!) we were on our way. Treated to rain and wet snow the drive to Cobourg was going to be miserable. A quick stop in Brockville. I think I've mentioned before that I love Brockville, but this was just a quick fuel stop - this time for us - Harveys. The drive was quiet with us both absorbing some sad news - Charlene drifted off into a light sleep and I plodded along through the driving rain mixed with pockets of wet snow. An ugly drive but, waiting for us was a warm home filled with family. So after 9 o'clock with glad tidings out of the way, birthday presents opened and the little ones tucked in bed it was time to turn our attention to our hosts and our plans for the next day. Before we knew it hours of chat drifted into hours of sleep and in a blink of an eye it seemed we were once again bidding farewell to Shawn and Gayle and three of their six kids.
First stop: The Big Apple - a quick pit stop to buy a pie. I've never been there before but that big red apple outside has been calling to me for literally a couple decades. Did we do the typical tourist thing and get our picture taken next to an enormous apple? Absolutely! Anyway, we bought a pumpkin pie - we're going to see how it stacks up to ours. Kyle our 7yr old is the ultimate connoisseur he will be the final judge on how good this pie is. No disrespect Big Apple but Kyle knows his pumpkin pie so if it comes down to a tie this kid is the swing vote!
Second stop: Stanners Vineyard - We roughly knew which vineyard we were going to visit, by chance we saw the Stanners Vineyard sign on the side of the Loyalist Highway. Without any discussion we did a U turn and were off down a twisty road that led us to the vineyard. Without a doubt this was the best decision we could have made. There we met Colin Stanner the proprietor. We could not have hoped for or planned better than to meet Colin and have Stanners Vineyard be our first port of call. Please see the wineries page for more on this wonderful vineyard.
Third stop: Black Prince Winery - Having had Stanners set the bar so high we expected a lot upon arriving at the Black Prince. The Black Prince has some fine wines many made from grapes bought from surrounding vineyards given they only have 10 acres of their own vines. This appears to be a commercially successful winery, along with a number of award winning wines. A good place to stop - see more on the wineries page.
There was an art exhibit on here as well in the Art Cellar where we also met local artist Brandy Gale - read more on the arts page .
Fourth stop: Cromato - an unexpected stop. But Charlene does love her tomatoes. This time no U turn required we knew we'd be passing by when we double backed. The place was completely vacant except for the trays and baskets of tomatoes, pots of basil, trays of strawberry plants growing. We are so glad we stopped - the tomatoes lived up to their claim best in the county. We loved this place not just for the tomatoes - please see the food page why this place stood out for us!
Fifth stop: Amelie Handpainted Silks - Again not really planning to stop but I had a good feeling and so did Charlene so yes another U turn, and we were so glad we did. Amelie Konning is simply delightful. I cannot say enough about her warmth and the generosity of sharing her knowledge, experience and time. Charlene was filled with inspiration after our visit. We could have spent hours there. If you ever find yourself around Bloomfield look for the 'open' sign in the window of her studio. Please read more on the arts page you'll see why Amelie is a treasure tucked on the shore of west lake.
Sixth stop: SideStreet Gallery - We probably would have stopped anyway but Amelie told us this would be a good place to stop. We looked around the main floor and were enjoying the art when it was suggested that we see the art exhibit upstairs. Wow, we were not disappointed, here we were greeted by gallery owner Paulette Greer and one of the featured artists David Greaves. This gallery had something for everyone. Charlene was enthused. Paulette who's spent the majority of her life in Wellington made us feel right at home - well more like this should be home. I haven't even mentioned Davids art yet. You have to read more on him on the arts page - because if you are thinking it's time to buy a piece of art you can stop looking.
Seventh stop: Chadseys Winery & Vinyard - Chadseys was on our to do list. Operated by Richard Johnston and Vida Zalnieriunas. It was the photograph of Richard lying across the bushels of grapes that caught my attention. Then after a short time browsing their website and reading their fun descriptions I knew this was a place to go. The place was busy - really busy - but Vida and Richard never made us feel rushed and we left there pretty content. They have a super barn that you can rent too - I think if we lived out that way it would be a terrific spot for music, dancing and of course some wine. Read more on the wine page.
Eighth stop: Funktional Art and Design - Owners Dean Munroe and Michael Deyell have also own a gallery called Fad. We met them both in their shop and they really made us feel welcome, even long after closing time. A great shop and filled with interesting art, glassware, jewellery - Charlene saw some nice stuff, and pottery - I liked the pottery wine cups. We found art from their gallery adorning the walls of the Carriage House too. We'd definitely go and visit the gallery next time, the shop too. We really enjoyed meeting them - see the art page.
Ninth and final stop: The Carriage House - We weren't really sure if we were going to do the County-licious dinner until Thursday. In short a number of PECs finest restaurants put out a gourmet three course meal for 30-35$ p/p. After a busy day we were both famished and really looking forward to our culinary experience. We both chose different meals so we could compare and taste each others dinners. Charlene I think had the better overall experience. The salmon was really tasty - see more on the food page.
Yes we really packed a lot into our day but we never rushed, we took it as it came and a lot came our way. We both left our final stop the Carriage House feeling a little pooped, but really content. As we started our drive home we saw a for sale sign and I know we both thought how nice it would be to sink into bed and wake up everyday in Prince Edward County. For the most part the drive home was quiet. Charlene after signing a few bars of a song drifted off into dreams of paints and canvases and the promise of encaustics, while I thought 'how the heck am I going to blog about all this!' We hope you enjoy our stories and more so we hope that you take the drive and enjoy Prince Edward County and meet some of the same wonderful people.
Prologue - Before I jump too far into this blog I have to say that our experience and the people we met in PEC was absolutely phenomenal. It seemed that just about everyone we met were more than willing to take a moment to share their stories with us and listened to ours, it was truly tremendous. I want to thank the wonderful people you read about here for making us feel so welcome and for allowing us to share our experiences with them.
We left Ottawa 5pm Friday and after a quick top up at the Shell (got to get those airmiles!) we were on our way. Treated to rain and wet snow the drive to Cobourg was going to be miserable. A quick stop in Brockville. I think I've mentioned before that I love Brockville, but this was just a quick fuel stop - this time for us - Harveys. The drive was quiet with us both absorbing some sad news - Charlene drifted off into a light sleep and I plodded along through the driving rain mixed with pockets of wet snow. An ugly drive but, waiting for us was a warm home filled with family. So after 9 o'clock with glad tidings out of the way, birthday presents opened and the little ones tucked in bed it was time to turn our attention to our hosts and our plans for the next day. Before we knew it hours of chat drifted into hours of sleep and in a blink of an eye it seemed we were once again bidding farewell to Shawn and Gayle and three of their six kids.
First stop: The Big Apple - a quick pit stop to buy a pie. I've never been there before but that big red apple outside has been calling to me for literally a couple decades. Did we do the typical tourist thing and get our picture taken next to an enormous apple? Absolutely! Anyway, we bought a pumpkin pie - we're going to see how it stacks up to ours. Kyle our 7yr old is the ultimate connoisseur he will be the final judge on how good this pie is. No disrespect Big Apple but Kyle knows his pumpkin pie so if it comes down to a tie this kid is the swing vote!
Second stop: Stanners Vineyard - We roughly knew which vineyard we were going to visit, by chance we saw the Stanners Vineyard sign on the side of the Loyalist Highway. Without any discussion we did a U turn and were off down a twisty road that led us to the vineyard. Without a doubt this was the best decision we could have made. There we met Colin Stanner the proprietor. We could not have hoped for or planned better than to meet Colin and have Stanners Vineyard be our first port of call. Please see the wineries page for more on this wonderful vineyard.
Third stop: Black Prince Winery - Having had Stanners set the bar so high we expected a lot upon arriving at the Black Prince. The Black Prince has some fine wines many made from grapes bought from surrounding vineyards given they only have 10 acres of their own vines. This appears to be a commercially successful winery, along with a number of award winning wines. A good place to stop - see more on the wineries page.
There was an art exhibit on here as well in the Art Cellar where we also met local artist Brandy Gale - read more on the arts page .
Fourth stop: Cromato - an unexpected stop. But Charlene does love her tomatoes. This time no U turn required we knew we'd be passing by when we double backed. The place was completely vacant except for the trays and baskets of tomatoes, pots of basil, trays of strawberry plants growing. We are so glad we stopped - the tomatoes lived up to their claim best in the county. We loved this place not just for the tomatoes - please see the food page why this place stood out for us!
Fifth stop: Amelie Handpainted Silks - Again not really planning to stop but I had a good feeling and so did Charlene so yes another U turn, and we were so glad we did. Amelie Konning is simply delightful. I cannot say enough about her warmth and the generosity of sharing her knowledge, experience and time. Charlene was filled with inspiration after our visit. We could have spent hours there. If you ever find yourself around Bloomfield look for the 'open' sign in the window of her studio. Please read more on the arts page you'll see why Amelie is a treasure tucked on the shore of west lake.
Sixth stop: SideStreet Gallery - We probably would have stopped anyway but Amelie told us this would be a good place to stop. We looked around the main floor and were enjoying the art when it was suggested that we see the art exhibit upstairs. Wow, we were not disappointed, here we were greeted by gallery owner Paulette Greer and one of the featured artists David Greaves. This gallery had something for everyone. Charlene was enthused. Paulette who's spent the majority of her life in Wellington made us feel right at home - well more like this should be home. I haven't even mentioned Davids art yet. You have to read more on him on the arts page - because if you are thinking it's time to buy a piece of art you can stop looking.
Seventh stop: Chadseys Winery & Vinyard - Chadseys was on our to do list. Operated by Richard Johnston and Vida Zalnieriunas. It was the photograph of Richard lying across the bushels of grapes that caught my attention. Then after a short time browsing their website and reading their fun descriptions I knew this was a place to go. The place was busy - really busy - but Vida and Richard never made us feel rushed and we left there pretty content. They have a super barn that you can rent too - I think if we lived out that way it would be a terrific spot for music, dancing and of course some wine. Read more on the wine page.
Eighth stop: Funktional Art and Design - Owners Dean Munroe and Michael Deyell have also own a gallery called Fad. We met them both in their shop and they really made us feel welcome, even long after closing time. A great shop and filled with interesting art, glassware, jewellery - Charlene saw some nice stuff, and pottery - I liked the pottery wine cups. We found art from their gallery adorning the walls of the Carriage House too. We'd definitely go and visit the gallery next time, the shop too. We really enjoyed meeting them - see the art page.
Ninth and final stop: The Carriage House - We weren't really sure if we were going to do the County-licious dinner until Thursday. In short a number of PECs finest restaurants put out a gourmet three course meal for 30-35$ p/p. After a busy day we were both famished and really looking forward to our culinary experience. We both chose different meals so we could compare and taste each others dinners. Charlene I think had the better overall experience. The salmon was really tasty - see more on the food page.
Yes we really packed a lot into our day but we never rushed, we took it as it came and a lot came our way. We both left our final stop the Carriage House feeling a little pooped, but really content. As we started our drive home we saw a for sale sign and I know we both thought how nice it would be to sink into bed and wake up everyday in Prince Edward County. For the most part the drive home was quiet. Charlene after signing a few bars of a song drifted off into dreams of paints and canvases and the promise of encaustics, while I thought 'how the heck am I going to blog about all this!' We hope you enjoy our stories and more so we hope that you take the drive and enjoy Prince Edward County and meet some of the same wonderful people.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Whirlwind
If you've been following along you will know by now we are doing our second jaunt this weekend - and you can find all the details here and below. Tomorrow we are heading up to Coburg 'home of white sandy beaches'. Well it's a bit chilly for that but I'm sure they are lovely. We'll be stopping the night at Charlene's brothers place that he shares with his girlfriend and their lovely kids. We were going to do a B&B (bed and breakfast) but we snapped up their invite to stay there. It will be great to see them and there is a birthday girl that needs a present.
We are looking to head out early(ish) Saturday morning to Prince Edward County and are going to pack in a pretty full day. I think we're looking forward to it - we wanted to be more relaxed but I think we're both feeling a bit of pressure about cooking for our guests on Sunday. I know it will be fine and no doubt we will have hashed out our menu and the plan of attack on the way to Coburg. No doubt by the time Saturday rolls around we'll be stress free and will enjoy all that comes our way. Charlene will probably be tuckered out after putting up with me all day and pretend to be asleep on the ride home - just kidding - but I can go on a bit.
Look forward to sharing our pictures, stories, and experiences with you upon our return. Yes you have to wait until we get back - we're not mobile yet. By the way - if you don't get the feed through facebook you can also find us on Twitter! Till next time ciao.
We are looking to head out early(ish) Saturday morning to Prince Edward County and are going to pack in a pretty full day. I think we're looking forward to it - we wanted to be more relaxed but I think we're both feeling a bit of pressure about cooking for our guests on Sunday. I know it will be fine and no doubt we will have hashed out our menu and the plan of attack on the way to Coburg. No doubt by the time Saturday rolls around we'll be stress free and will enjoy all that comes our way. Charlene will probably be tuckered out after putting up with me all day and pretend to be asleep on the ride home - just kidding - but I can go on a bit.
Look forward to sharing our pictures, stories, and experiences with you upon our return. Yes you have to wait until we get back - we're not mobile yet. By the way - if you don't get the feed through facebook you can also find us on Twitter! Till next time ciao.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The weekend is nigh
Well the days are getting colder and shorter . We're now deep into fall so before we're deep in snow we've decided that a a quick get away is in order. The plan: head out of town enjoy the fall and be back home in time to rest and prepare a meal for our dinner guests Sunday afternoon. The getaway - Prince Edward County. The plan: well it's coming together. We are confident that we not only will see at least 1 art exhibit (perhaps 2), two wineries and quite possibly either a visit with family and a gourmet meal out or a visit to a bed & breakfast and be home late Saturday night. We're talking action packed. How you might ask is that possible? Stay tuned - we'll keep you posted! Interested in Ontario Wines - check out this book.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tart Attack
Ok - just being funny. But as mentioned last time - The Mission - use up left over frozen pumpkin pie filling. So tonight we used the rest of the puff pastry and the defrosted pumpkin pie filling and made some awesome two bite pumpkin tarts. I`m so pleased with them that an encore performance will be coming to this kitchen in the very near future!
For those meringue lovers out there - here`s a quick tip - one part sugar to one part egg white - heat in double boiler until smooth - then pop in the blender till thick and then pipe. Why am I sharing this valuable info - I love meringue and will be testing out this tip myself in the very near future. Enjoy and happy eating!
For those meringue lovers out there - here`s a quick tip - one part sugar to one part egg white - heat in double boiler until smooth - then pop in the blender till thick and then pipe. Why am I sharing this valuable info - I love meringue and will be testing out this tip myself in the very near future. Enjoy and happy eating!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
More Hallows Eve...
Ok - the tacos were a hit. The banana bread not only looked great - see pic - it tasted wonderful too! We didn`t have enough chocolate chips to make chocolate chip banana bread so we improvised. We chopped up using the Magic Bullet a bunch of mini Aero bars and tossed it into the mix. As you can see I didn`t do the pumpkin tarts yet but I did do a mincemeat wheel with puff pastry. The picture well doesn`t make them look as tasty as they are they were actually really good - though I think it would be even better with custard! Now it`s time for a couple of pics and the kids are off trick or treating! Happy Halloween!!!
Halloween - spoooky
Well it's Halloween weekend and we had a bit of an interesting week. While yes we should really be cooking up a storm we have been sifting through boxes of cookbooks. Charlene picked them up from her Uncles earlier this week. So we've got some new old cookbooks which belong to grand mother and great grandmother - cool. So, we've been picking out some recipes that interest us in addition to some we already had. We have though got some stuff cooking today though. Charlene has a stew on the go using a red wine vinegar, red wine as the broth along with Worcestershire sauce, and shallots. It smells really yummy. Later we'll add some veg to it. We're also going to use up the rest of the pumpkin pie filling that we froze from Thanksgiving. We're also going to make some mincemeat tarts too as we have more pastry than pumpkin pie filling. For those who like making stuff check out Gordon Ramsays site from the F Word - he has a really easy recipe there for mincemeat. Of course canned or jarred mincemeat is also readily available from the store. We're planning on making our version of his mincemeat tarts - just not today. Charlene has dug the bananas out of the freezer and will be doing up some banana bread later. I really want to bake a spice loaf - just maybe not today. We've been asked by the kids to do Tacos for supper - really easy meal to do and full of good stuff that the kids like. We do them up every so often - but if time is short El Paso Taco kits are okay and you can add some extra zest to make them your own. We buy the soft tortillaas from the bakery then make up the beef, chop, and shred up the ingredients the kids like - cheese (of course), red/green peppers, green onions, lettuce, and sides of Spanish or Mexican rice, and of cause taco sauce and sour cream for those like that. In between of course we're decorating for Halloween and getting ready for the little trick or treaters later this afternoon. We'll have the three lads aka. football player, ninja, and the wizard out this evening, we carved the pumpkins last night - Happy Halloween everyone!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Ottawa Road Tripper: Long weekend - Fish Pie
Ottawa Road Tripper: Long weekend - Fish Pie: "Well not a holiday long weekend but a long one just the same. Charlene is away on a girls weekend in Mont Tremblant. We were there in the su..."
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Long weekend - Fish Pie
Well not a holiday long weekend but a long one just the same. Charlene is away on a girls weekend in Mont Tremblant, staying at Homeward Suites by Hilton. We stayed at Chalet Lauzon in Tremblant in the summer - very scenic and definitely worth the drive and stay if you ever head that way. I spent part of this weekend moping about but tried to keep busy with the things that need to be done around a home - yeah chores!
So with laundry, yard work, general tidying, vacuuming the cars and what not it was time to cook. I should mention that my cooking of one dish paled by comparison to my dad who informed me via facebook he was cooking up everything from:
"BEEF AND BROCCOLI ...EGG FOO YONG..SWEET AND SOUR PORK AND GINGER AND GARLIC GIANT PRAWNS WITH CHICKEN FRIED RICEVEGGIE LASAGNA ;SPAG SCE ,CHILLI.GOULASH STROGONOF...10 LOAVES OF 16 GRAIN BREAD NOT TO MENTION 6 DARK RYE.OATMEAL AND RAISIN COOKIES BLUEBERRY ..APPLE AND RHUBARB PIES CARROT CAKES AND NOT FORGETTING THE VARIOUS MUFFINS"
Well that's just showing off! Granted the man is a Chef but really does my attempting a meagre Fish Pie compare? Well the proof is in the pudding, and well, seeing I didn't cook a pudding he's beaten me hands down!
Never the less, my Fish Pie started with a craving. My mum made the best fish pie and it has been absolutely ages since I have had what I consider a great comfort food. My goal to perfect the fish pie. We'll see about that. So this is how it went a trip to purchase some fresh fish - not in the mood to go to The Market so I opted for Loblaws and selected some Turbot and Cod as my two main fish ingredients. I like the contrast in tastes and these were the two I chose - though I would have liked something with a smokey flavour. Anyway, I poached the fish with bay leaves, cloves and onions in homo milk strained and then made the white sauce. At the moment I'm still unsure about the white sauce - I prepped it last night as I wanted to have it ready for Charlene tonight. I'm a bit worried the sauce may be too thick - I've never made one before. Dad seems to think it may be alright - I think he's being kind.
Regardless I know some people do eggs on top and have smashed or sliced boiled potatoes etc. I opted for placing the fish in the bottom of the dish, covered in white sauce, added some veg. used what was on hand though I'm thinking fresh leek and carrot would have been nice - but I used frozen Green Giant corn and peas. Covered in my smoothly mashed potatoes and a generous coating of cheddar cheese a top. Now I'm going to toss this in the over to bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours later today and see what happens! Hopefully it isn't too bad and doesn't make Charlene think she should have stayed away and come home after dinner!
Update: The white sauce was `perfect` - Charlene loved it. As I expected!
So with laundry, yard work, general tidying, vacuuming the cars and what not it was time to cook. I should mention that my cooking of one dish paled by comparison to my dad who informed me via facebook he was cooking up everything from:
"BEEF AND BROCCOLI ...EGG FOO YONG..SWEET AND SOUR PORK AND GINGER AND GARLIC GIANT PRAWNS WITH CHICKEN FRIED RICEVEGGIE LASAGNA ;SPAG SCE ,CHILLI.GOULASH STROGONOF...10 LOAVES OF 16 GRAIN BREAD NOT TO MENTION 6 DARK RYE.OATMEAL AND RAISIN COOKIES BLUEBERRY ..APPLE AND RHUBARB PIES CARROT CAKES AND NOT FORGETTING THE VARIOUS MUFFINS"
Well that's just showing off! Granted the man is a Chef but really does my attempting a meagre Fish Pie compare? Well the proof is in the pudding, and well, seeing I didn't cook a pudding he's beaten me hands down!
Never the less, my Fish Pie started with a craving. My mum made the best fish pie and it has been absolutely ages since I have had what I consider a great comfort food. My goal to perfect the fish pie. We'll see about that. So this is how it went a trip to purchase some fresh fish - not in the mood to go to The Market so I opted for Loblaws and selected some Turbot and Cod as my two main fish ingredients. I like the contrast in tastes and these were the two I chose - though I would have liked something with a smokey flavour. Anyway, I poached the fish with bay leaves, cloves and onions in homo milk strained and then made the white sauce. At the moment I'm still unsure about the white sauce - I prepped it last night as I wanted to have it ready for Charlene tonight. I'm a bit worried the sauce may be too thick - I've never made one before. Dad seems to think it may be alright - I think he's being kind.
Regardless I know some people do eggs on top and have smashed or sliced boiled potatoes etc. I opted for placing the fish in the bottom of the dish, covered in white sauce, added some veg. used what was on hand though I'm thinking fresh leek and carrot would have been nice - but I used frozen Green Giant corn and peas. Covered in my smoothly mashed potatoes and a generous coating of cheddar cheese a top. Now I'm going to toss this in the over to bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours later today and see what happens! Hopefully it isn't too bad and doesn't make Charlene think she should have stayed away and come home after dinner!
Update: The white sauce was `perfect` - Charlene loved it. As I expected!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Cooking Up a Storm
So Charlene and I have decided if we are going to be doing this vineyard - winery thing over the next year why not at food to the mix too. C and I are developing a passion for food and cooking - but what better way to enjoy food than to take someones recipes and put them to the test. So, we are going to pick a recipe book - hopefully one - and put it to the test a la Julie and Julia. Though we actually have pretty busy lives - so we'll probably pick 50 recipes and we'll see how it goes. Maybe we'll just pick 50 must make recipes - who knows - but I think we can better 50...
Right now we are prepping for a late Thanksgiving dinner - this time at our place with C's mum and dad and our 3 boys. We're taking some of the things we love most about Thanksgiving dinner and adding our own little touches. The things we like most - we'll of course share it - along with the bad - let's be honest it's not all going to be perfect!
So what's on the menu - Turkey, gravy, broccoli, cauliflower, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.
The turkey we did not stuff. I like my stuffing baked so we opted for a parsley stuffing - very easy to make and absolutely delicious. This stuffing has made stuffing lovers out of my kids and myself. The mash potatoes here`s our little trick - heat up some butter or margarine in a sauce pan along with some cream - bring just to a boil - use this mixture to mash your potatoes with. By all means add garlic or anything else you like in your mash too. The veggies we steamed and the pumpkin pie - almost from scratch. We did use the raw pumpkin from the can but we added eggs, brown sugar, Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, ginger, salt and evaporated milk to make our filling. The pasty we did ourselves - used the recipe on the Tenderflake box, I have heard the one on the side of the Crisco box is pretty good too. Here`s a tip from Chef John - add a little vinegar to your pastry mix - you decide!
Ok so with the meal prepped and pies made the family arrived. The turkey took about 45 minutes longer to cook than anticipated - but was worth the wait. Charlenes dad - not a gravy fan humoured me and tried mine - he didn`t complain so it can`t have been that bad. Like all meals we are our worst critics. But each time we take away some lesson to make the next time even better. Overall, the meal was super - though, the pastry was a bit of a failure in my mind - that being said I did goof on the measurements - it happens even to the best of us!
Right now we are prepping for a late Thanksgiving dinner - this time at our place with C's mum and dad and our 3 boys. We're taking some of the things we love most about Thanksgiving dinner and adding our own little touches. The things we like most - we'll of course share it - along with the bad - let's be honest it's not all going to be perfect!
So what's on the menu - Turkey, gravy, broccoli, cauliflower, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.
The turkey we did not stuff. I like my stuffing baked so we opted for a parsley stuffing - very easy to make and absolutely delicious. This stuffing has made stuffing lovers out of my kids and myself. The mash potatoes here`s our little trick - heat up some butter or margarine in a sauce pan along with some cream - bring just to a boil - use this mixture to mash your potatoes with. By all means add garlic or anything else you like in your mash too. The veggies we steamed and the pumpkin pie - almost from scratch. We did use the raw pumpkin from the can but we added eggs, brown sugar, Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, ginger, salt and evaporated milk to make our filling. The pasty we did ourselves - used the recipe on the Tenderflake box, I have heard the one on the side of the Crisco box is pretty good too. Here`s a tip from Chef John - add a little vinegar to your pastry mix - you decide!
Ok so with the meal prepped and pies made the family arrived. The turkey took about 45 minutes longer to cook than anticipated - but was worth the wait. Charlenes dad - not a gravy fan humoured me and tried mine - he didn`t complain so it can`t have been that bad. Like all meals we are our worst critics. But each time we take away some lesson to make the next time even better. Overall, the meal was super - though, the pastry was a bit of a failure in my mind - that being said I did goof on the measurements - it happens even to the best of us!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Thanksgiving - Ottawa - Cobourg and beyond
Well Thanksgiving arrived and so did the flurry of invitations. C said let's go to my brothers in Cobourg. So it was settled - a 340km road trip. This weekend we were kid free so getting out of the house was a little more relaxed. Though our initial plan to hit the road around mid morning turned out to be more like midday. Though, the late departure was more to do with us having to run a few errands than being a couple sleepy heads. We were actually up early. A travel mug of piping hot cheap Folgers and we were off to our first stop - Wine Kitz. C's been bottling as well as buying wine for the past few years. We've decided we are going to road trip local wineries around the Ottawa Valley. Not the season for it now - but you're going to hear all about it here!
After a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and homefries - C had onion with hers - I like just the potatoes myself and we were back onto the 417 whizzing by Adobe, Corel on our way home to get packed and hit the road. It was of course a one nighter so packing was going to be quick, light and easy - which it was. Yes we brought our pillows. C travels with three pillows - one for her head and two she says for her legs - I think she just likes a garrison around her to keep me at bay. I travel with one pillow - I like a feather pillow and mine is half duck and half goose making it just a little firmer and for me more comfortable than a regular pillow.
I suppose it took a little longer to pack than we thought, the usual stuff; should we bring an extra jacket and hiking shoes in case we go for a walk. I settled on wearing my comfy shoes for the drive and brought my Addidas just in case we went walking, C wore her flat comfies and brought along the Merrills. Then finding the cameras C's Nikon and my Samsung - we have on our want list a new camera with the zoom and macro lens. Anyway, soon we were on our way. We took along a couple bottles of our home made wine for our hosts - I'm big on always bringing the host a little something.
The drive was uneventful - no major snags - well other than C's back taking a turn for the worse. She's been to the Chiropractor weekly recently and it's just not sticking - it sucks. Just one stop along the way - Tim Hortons in Brockville for a coffee. I love Brockville. If you haven't been there you have to go. There is a super fish and chip shop just on the main street down towards the St. Lawrence.
Arrived in Cobourg about 2:30 and had a great visit with C's brother Shawn, his girlfriend Gayle as well as her son and his girlfriend. We had a fantastic turkey dinner - I whipped up some potatoes and did the gravy - I'm not just eye candy in the kitchen! The evening was pretty sweet with the house backing onto lake Ontario - some spectacular views warmed beautifully by a nice bonfire. Though all that fresh air was giving us a bit of a grrrrr - for junk! A quick jaunt in the Kia to Macs Milk - $38 later we're on our way back stocked with coke, gingerale, three varieties of Skittles - C loves her Skittles! Usually we're pretty much night owls on the weekend but by midnight we were feeling a little pooped so talk was soon of which bed we were going to sleep in.
Sunday morning arrived with gorgeous sunshine and we were met with warm fall rays while we sat on the back deck with steaming cups of coffee. Gayle put up a great breakfast - soon after it was shower time and then we were back on the road. Stopped in Grafton shortly after leaving Cobourg to gas up at the local Esso. We had already decided to do the scenic route home - highway 2. A fantastic road trip highway - I'll take the 2 over the 401 anytime that time is not important. Happily for C and I time was not of the essence. We thought that stopping off at places along the way and checking out the various markets and antique shops would be a fine idea. Probably a better idea if we didn't get wrapped up in conversation and kept driving past the sights - yes we could have turned around and actually did a couple times.
Soon we found ourselves browsing through a lovely little antique shop just outside of Brighton. We came across a desk that we would have had shipped back to Ottawa in a flash - if it actually would have fit down our hallway. Anyway, there and then we decided that antiquing could be part of our road trip future, along with checking out the wineries in and around the Ottawa Valley. We were getting a bit famished and had hoped to come across a little local restaurant but instead we had ended up in Quinte so it was a sandwich at Tim Hortons. Ah yes of course there are plenty of little restaurants on highway 2 but just before Quinte we had decided to head to Eganville for schnitzel at The Granery.
A beautiful drive to Eganville with some stops for pictures in Erinsville and Tamworth and a U turn for a must have picture in Coyne Ontario. They have a huge Muskoka style chair outside the gas station - one of the locals was happy to hop off while I boosted C up there to get her picture taken. Snap. Snap and back on the road. Arrived in Eganville 6 sharp and were soon seated at a corner table at the Granery. My first visit C's been there plenty of times - schnitzel with mushroom and bacon gravy. Not bad at all - nice size servings and left me feeling like I had room for dessert. Though I elected to skip dessert - this time. C footed the bill - I really behaved myself this weekend and C wanted to reward me. Not really - she just really loves me.
So of course being at Wine Kitz at 9am on a Saturday morning made us the first customers of the day. The sales guy Barry was superb and like us still just a little sleepy, a sharp contrast to the exuberant owner Linda. I'm a bit of a morning person but I wasn't so much today but was soon sparked to life by her jovial attitude and soon I was making my usual dorky comments. I mean when C's standing there holding a bottle of our wine with a cork sticking out of it - how could I resist stating she was half corked. Sleepy or not I do enjoy my own quips - a lot. We ordered up a batch of red after bottling and labeling our white wine and we were back in the Rondo heading to a greasy spoon just metres away from Ikea. Not the most memorable breakfast, but we were famished.
After a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and homefries - C had onion with hers - I like just the potatoes myself and we were back onto the 417 whizzing by Adobe, Corel on our way home to get packed and hit the road. It was of course a one nighter so packing was going to be quick, light and easy - which it was. Yes we brought our pillows. C travels with three pillows - one for her head and two she says for her legs - I think she just likes a garrison around her to keep me at bay. I travel with one pillow - I like a feather pillow and mine is half duck and half goose making it just a little firmer and for me more comfortable than a regular pillow.
I suppose it took a little longer to pack than we thought, the usual stuff; should we bring an extra jacket and hiking shoes in case we go for a walk. I settled on wearing my comfy shoes for the drive and brought my Addidas just in case we went walking, C wore her flat comfies and brought along the Merrills. Then finding the cameras C's Nikon and my Samsung - we have on our want list a new camera with the zoom and macro lens. Anyway, soon we were on our way. We took along a couple bottles of our home made wine for our hosts - I'm big on always bringing the host a little something.
The drive was uneventful - no major snags - well other than C's back taking a turn for the worse. She's been to the Chiropractor weekly recently and it's just not sticking - it sucks. Just one stop along the way - Tim Hortons in Brockville for a coffee. I love Brockville. If you haven't been there you have to go. There is a super fish and chip shop just on the main street down towards the St. Lawrence.
Arrived in Cobourg about 2:30 and had a great visit with C's brother Shawn, his girlfriend Gayle as well as her son and his girlfriend. We had a fantastic turkey dinner - I whipped up some potatoes and did the gravy - I'm not just eye candy in the kitchen! The evening was pretty sweet with the house backing onto lake Ontario - some spectacular views warmed beautifully by a nice bonfire. Though all that fresh air was giving us a bit of a grrrrr - for junk! A quick jaunt in the Kia to Macs Milk - $38 later we're on our way back stocked with coke, gingerale, three varieties of Skittles - C loves her Skittles! Usually we're pretty much night owls on the weekend but by midnight we were feeling a little pooped so talk was soon of which bed we were going to sleep in.
Sunday morning arrived with gorgeous sunshine and we were met with warm fall rays while we sat on the back deck with steaming cups of coffee. Gayle put up a great breakfast - soon after it was shower time and then we were back on the road. Stopped in Grafton shortly after leaving Cobourg to gas up at the local Esso. We had already decided to do the scenic route home - highway 2. A fantastic road trip highway - I'll take the 2 over the 401 anytime that time is not important. Happily for C and I time was not of the essence. We thought that stopping off at places along the way and checking out the various markets and antique shops would be a fine idea. Probably a better idea if we didn't get wrapped up in conversation and kept driving past the sights - yes we could have turned around and actually did a couple times.
Soon we found ourselves browsing through a lovely little antique shop just outside of Brighton. We came across a desk that we would have had shipped back to Ottawa in a flash - if it actually would have fit down our hallway. Anyway, there and then we decided that antiquing could be part of our road trip future, along with checking out the wineries in and around the Ottawa Valley. We were getting a bit famished and had hoped to come across a little local restaurant but instead we had ended up in Quinte so it was a sandwich at Tim Hortons. Ah yes of course there are plenty of little restaurants on highway 2 but just before Quinte we had decided to head to Eganville for schnitzel at The Granery.
A beautiful drive to Eganville with some stops for pictures in Erinsville and Tamworth and a U turn for a must have picture in Coyne Ontario. They have a huge Muskoka style chair outside the gas station - one of the locals was happy to hop off while I boosted C up there to get her picture taken. Snap. Snap and back on the road. Arrived in Eganville 6 sharp and were soon seated at a corner table at the Granery. My first visit C's been there plenty of times - schnitzel with mushroom and bacon gravy. Not bad at all - nice size servings and left me feeling like I had room for dessert. Though I elected to skip dessert - this time. C footed the bill - I really behaved myself this weekend and C wanted to reward me. Not really - she just really loves me.
Before hoping back in the Kia we took a stroll around Eganville and then back on the road. We made a brief bathroom slash coffee stop in Renfrew and straight back to Ottawa. C was feeling the pinch in her back so faded fast on the ride back and was gently coaxed awake upon arriving home.
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