Sunday, June 30, 2013

Meet Joey Gnome



While on a garden tour with my Mom and sister on Friday, I picked up a new garden friend, meet Joey Gnome(pronounced Ga-No-Me).


I've tucked him under one of Steve's new hosta's and we'll see how long it takes Steve to notice him.

Will let you know how long it takes, lol.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Baby's First Year - A Mini Album

Happy Canada Day weekend to all my Canadian friends!

Today I thought I'd share a baby book I recently made for friends Kevin and Jen who are expecting
a son early August.

I got the idea for this book from one that Tammy made here.

But of course, as so often happens ,while Tammy's book provided the inspiration, my book ended up being a fair bit different.

I started with a burlap covered book I found at Michael's.


Then I added some KI Memories patterned paper and stickers.


Along with matching cardstock from my stash for photo mattes.


I made the journal cards from the Papertrey spiral page die.


And added Studio Calico wooden stars onto each page for continuity.


Ribbons, KI stickers, buttons, twine and the PTI Baby Button bits stamp set were also used to create page embellishments.


I looked online for an appropriate quote or poem to end the book.


And finally found one that I thought was perfect, click on the photo below to enlarge and read.


I hope they enjoy adding photos of their son to complete this book.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Little Red Wagon #191 - Red and White

So I was a week ahead this morning and posted next week's Little Red Wagon challenge in error.

So now that I'm home from work, here's this week's challenge by Carolyn, to use red and white in honour of Canada Day this weekend.

I created a thank you card:


Please join us over at Little Red Wagon with your red and white project, we love to see you what you create!


Monday, June 24, 2013

150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes



Today I'm featuring another cookbook, one that quite intrigued me, 150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes.


It took me a little while to find the correct pan to make them in but it was worth the wait.

I made Classic Ebelskivers filled with raspberry jam and they were so yummy!


They are a nice variation on pancakes and very easy to make too!

And I'm able to share 3 recipes from the cookbook as follow, enjoy!


Buckwheat Blini

Tips
If buckwheat flour is unavailable, whole wheat flour makes a good substitute.
Plain Greek yogurt may be used in place of the sour cream.

• 7-well ebelskiver pan

11⁄4 cups buckwheat flour
3⁄4 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil
3⁄4 cup sour cream
3 tbsp minced fresh chives
2 oz caviar (optional)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, egg yolks, milk and butter until well blended.
3. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended (the batter will appear slightly lumpy).
4. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix one-third of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites.
5. Brush wells of pan lightly with oil. Set pan over medium heat. When oil begins to sizzle, add 2 tbsp (30 mL) batter to each well. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Using two skewers, flip the puffs over. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove pan from heat and transfer puffs to a plate. Let pan cool slightly.
6. Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing wells with oil and reheating pan before each batch.
7. To serve, make a slit in the top of each puff. Spoon in a dollop of sour cream and top with chives and caviar (if using).

Makes about 21 puffs


Raspberry Blintz

Delivering all of the flavor of cheese blintzes, but with a fraction of the time and effort, these portable, popable ebelskivers are small bites of bliss.

For best results, do not use nonfat ricotta cheese. Softened cream cheese or mascarpone cheese may be used in place of the ricotta cheese in the filling.
These ebelskivers are delicious with any combination of berries. Blackberries with blackberry jam, blueberries with strawberry jam — it’s almost impossible to go wrong!

•7-well ebelskiver pan

Filling
1⁄2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract, divided
Ebelskivers
11⁄4 cupsall-purpose flour
3⁄4 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
Vegetable oil
Confectioners’ (icing) sugar
Raspberry Sauce
1⁄2 cup raspberry jam, at room temperature
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries

1. Filling: In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, sugar and vanilla until blended. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the batter.
2. Ebelskivers: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, egg yolks, milk, butter and vanilla until well blended.
4. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended (the batter will appear slightly lumpy).
5. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix one-third of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites.
6. Brush wells of pan lightly with oil. Set pan over medium heat. When oil begins to sizzle, add 1 tbsp (15 mL) batter to each well. Place 1 tsp (5 mL) filling in the center of each well and top with 1 tbsp (15 mL) batter. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Using two skewers, flip the puffs over. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown


Antipasto Puffs
Salami, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese go well together on more than a platter. These puffs are staggeringly simple to make, belying their complex taste.

• 7-well ebelskiver pan

11⁄4 cupsall-purpose flour
3⁄4 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3⁄4 cup chopped drained marinated artichoke hearts
1⁄3 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
1⁄4 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1⁄4 cup chopped salami
Olive oil or vegetable oil
3 oz fontina or Brie cheese, cut into 1⁄2-inch (1 cm) cubes

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, milk and oil until well blended.
3. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended (the batter will appear slightly lumpy). Gently stir in artichoke hearts, basil, tomatoes and salami.
4. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix one-third of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites.
5. Brush wells of pan lightly with oil. Set pan over medium heat. When oil begins to sizzle, add 1 tbsp (15 mL) batter to each well. Place 1 cheese cube in the center of each well and top with 1 tbsp (15 mL) batter. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Using two skewers, flip the puffs over. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a bit of cheese and a few moist crumbs attached. Remove pan from heat and transfer puffs to a plate. Let pan cool slightly.
6. Repeat with the remaining batter and cheese cubes, brushing wells with oil and reheating pan before each batch. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 28 puffs

Excerpted from 150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Little Red Wagon #190 - Cardstock Only!

Time for another Little Red Wagon challenge!

This week Jayne is challenging us to use cardstock only.

I found inspiration to make a few cards from Pinterest:



And a couple of closer views:





Hopefully they inspire you too!

Please join us over at Little Red Wagon with your cardstock projects, we love to see what you create.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Weekend First and Last



Monday again!

Well, I'm not quite ready to let go of the weekend yet!

Thought I'd share my first rose bouquet of the season using roses from my garden.



And one of my last feeds of asparagus for this season this time with quinoa.



how was your weekend?

Friday, June 14, 2013

Asparagus and Chicken Stir Fry

Before I head to Barrie's to get some fresh asparagus I thought I'd share a yummy and easy stir fry recipe using asparagus.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. honey
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1-inch)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 scallions, chopped
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
(optional) 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Method

In a small bowl or in a ziplock bag, combine soy sauce and honey. Add chicken, and stir to coat. Set in the refrigerator until ready.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, and saute until cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Remove chicken from marinade, and add to skillet. Saute until nearly cooked through (with the insides still slightly pink), about 5 minutes. Then add garlic, scallions, and the reserved marinade to the pan. Saute for an additional 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil. Serve immediately with rice, garnished with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

I found this recipe at Gimme Some Oven.

Enjoy!


Thursday, June 13, 2013

Local Highlight - Barrie's Asparagus Farm

One of my favourite things to do is explore local attractions, shops,farms etc.

And I'm going to try to regularly feature them on my blog.

So today I'm featuring Barrie's Asparagus Farm.



Asparagus is a vegetable I grew into as I did not like it as a child.

But really asparagus fresh from the farm is so yummy!


Barrie's is a fourth generation farm established in 1892.

They harvest fresh asparagus from May to July and while much of it is sold fresh, they offer many other asparagus themed products from asparagus flour, tortilla chips, pasta, salsa, relish and more.

They also have other fresh produce including rhubarb,corn, pumpkins, eggs, honey all from nearby farms. And I hear their butter tarts are quite good too!

Barrie's is quite active on Facebook here and has a great website too. They are open year round.

In fact, I think I'll make a trip there this weekend for another feed of asparagus.

And stay tuned for a great stir fry recipe I found using asparagus.


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Little Red Wagon #189 - 3 or More Patterned Papers


Happy Wednesday!

It's time for another Little Red Wagon challenge!

And this week I would like you to use 3 or more patterned papers on your creation.

For a bit of inspiration, I used 5 patterned papers on my card below:


We'd love it if you would play along with us and link up your patterned paper project over at Little Red Wagon.

Have a great day!

Saturday, June 08, 2013

In The Garden

Thought I'd share a few pics from my garden.

Siberian Iris that is lasting quite well in our cooler weather.



And a closer view.



Also a pot of begonias that we've placed in a shady spot.




Stay tuned for more garden photos throughout the summer.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Little Red Wagon #188-Heavy Metal

Happy Wednesday!

Time for another Little Red Wagon challenge and this week Regan wants us to use metal.

I dug through my wagon and found a plethora of metal pins and decided to use two on this card:




I also broke into to some previously unused Crate Paper.

Please join us over at Little Red Wagon and show us how your heavy metal, we love to see what you create!


Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Triple Slow Cooker Entertaining - Cookbook Review


I'm back today with another cookbook review published by Robert Rose, this time Triple Slow Cooker Entertaining.

What buffet table is complete without a slow cooker full of meatballs, dip, chili or another tasty dish? With triple slow cookers, you can offer a greater variety of these delicious, hot, slow-cooked foods. The recipes have been created by the team behind the bestselling BabycakesTM cookbooks and are sure to be crowd-pleasers. There’s a menu for virtually every occasion, from New Year’s Eve to a child’s birthday party to Halloween to Oscar night.



And while I don't have a triple slow cooker, I tested out variety of recipes including Tex-Mex Spinach Dip from the Cinco De Mayo menu.



It was a nice variation the more traditional spinach dip and I will definitely make it again.

And don't let the title of this book deter you, there are lots of great recipes that can be served alone.

Enjoy this recipe!

Tex-Mex Spinach Dip

Makes about 4 cups
This all-time favorite is so simple, yet it tastes just like the dip at the best Mexican restaurants. Serve 
with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.
Tips
Be sure to squeeze the spinach dry before combining it with the other ingredients.
Shredded Cheddar, Cheddar-Jack, Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend can all be used 
in place of the 
Colby-Jack cheese.
If you prefer a thinner dip, stir in an additional 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup (60 to 125 mL) salsa during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Make Ahead
Prepare dip through step 3, cover and refrigerate overnight. Cook as directed.

1 package (10 oz/300 g) frozen chopped spinach
Nonstick baking spray
1 can (10 oz/284 mL) diced tomatoes and green chiles, with juice
8 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes 250 g
 1⁄2-inch
2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
1⁄4 cup salsa

1.Thaw spinach and drain well, squeezing between paper towels until dry.
2.Spray one slow cooker stoneware with baking spray.
3.In a large bowl, combine spinach, tomatoes and chiles with juice, cream cheese, Colby-Jack and salsa. Transfer to prepared stoneware.
4.Cover and cook on High for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted and dip is hot. Turn to Warm for serving.



Excerpted from Triple Slow Cooker Entertaining by Kathy Moore & Roxanne Wyss © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Printed with publisher permission.