a lesson in rhubarb.

we had rhubarb growing in our yard.
it came with the house.
i have never tried my hand at cooking or baking with it and last year i let it waste away.
this year i decided to do something about with it.

i had no idea what i was doing to harvest it.
thankfully i have something called google ready at my fingertips and it helped out big time.
did you know that you twist and pull at the very bottom and it comes out quite easy? i sure didn't.
did you know that the leaves are poisonous?? i really didn't know that - i wonder who the poor person was who figured out that gem? poor them. :(

once harvested i took a minute, stared at it and went...now what?
it's such a strange and awkward fruit {vegetable?} that i know i like from eating it - i just have never prepared it. it looks like red celery.

first things first was to prep it - trim off the leaves, cut it into one inch chunks, set aside.

done. look at how awesome the green is against that raspberry type colour? stunning.
after some research i settles on three preparations that would suit us just fine.

fist up - freeze some. rhubarb comes but once a year and if i do happen to fall for what i am about to make, i would like the chance later in the year to re-create such a masterpiece.
i went the individual freeze method and here is what i did:
lay down wax or parchment paper on a sheet pan.
then evenly distribute your rhubarb across the pan in one layer.
pop it in the freezer till the pieces get frozen hard. dump the contents {minus the paper} into a freezer bag and toss in your freezer for safe keeping. easy peasey.

now i have this much left and i am going to use it, by jove! 

after much search i came upon a crumble recipe done by steph over at stephmodo and instantly knew that was what batch #2 was destined for.
after a few tweaks here and there {you know me!} i came up with something that i am quite excited for and now very happy i have a batch of rhubarb hanging out in the freezer.
{and i really like how it looks in my new crate & barrell baking dish. love c & b!}

strawberry rhubarb basil crumble.

adapted from stehpmodo.

this crumble asks for basil - this is optional - i really didn't taste the basil i put in so if you have none on hand please do not let this stop you! if you do have some, please use it and let me know if you tasted it!! maybe i have had too much hot sauce in my life for the delicate flavour it offered. 
who knows.

1.5 pound strawberries, hulled and halved.
1 pound rhubarb, cut into one inch pieces
9 basil leaves, julienned {
1/2 cup of sugar.
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon of corn starch.
the juice from one half a medium lemon.
pinch of good kosher salt.
1 cup of oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
another pinch of good kosher salt.
1/2 cup of butter, cut into small cubes.

pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. source out your best 8x8 style baking/serving dish.

carefully stir together the first seven ingredients in a large bowl. dump into your dish.
in a new bowl stir together your oats, brown sugar, flour and salt. blend butter into your topping with a pastry blender to create pea sized clumps of topping. distribute evenly over the top of the fruit mixture. pop it into the oven and bake till top is golden and the fruit is bubbling - about 35 minutes {oven to vary. bake to 35 minutes then go from there.} let cool slightly then serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of vanilla sweetened whip cream.

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now on to batch #3 and what to do there.
still licking my lips from the above culinary experience i really wanted to do a combo again.
this week is quebec strawberry week.
i had no idea.
i picked up the most glorious flat of strawberries bursting with sweetness and enormous flavour.
perfect.
and more perfect? experiencing that flavour in december/january when the snow gods have descended upon us.
that perfect taste of our summer.
it's settled - jam. beautiful jam.
i have already eaten one jar. it's so good.
one day we smeared it on this bread and another day it was destined to accompany pumpkin waffles {recipe coming soon...still tweaking that one...can't get the spice quite right...}

strawberry rhubarb jam.

via canadian living

i really liked this recipe for the small amount of sugar. the downside - it said it made 7 jars and i got 4. bummer. but that's not stopping me from making another 2 batches this weekend. it's that good.
in my humble opinion.

2 cups hulled crushed strawberries
2 1/2 chopped rhubarb
1 package pectin crystals {if you can get light - that's better}
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar

Pour strawberries and rhubarb into large Dutch oven.

Combine the pectin crystals with 1/4 cup of the sugar; stir into pan. Bring to full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining sugar; return to full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat. Stir for 5 minutes to prevent fruit from floating, skimming off foam.
Using sterilized metal funnel and 1/2-cup (125 mL) measure, pour into hot sterilized 1-cup (250 mL) canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. If necessary, wipe rims. Cover with hot lids; screw on bands fingertip tight. Process in boiling water canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars and let cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Check for seal, ensuring that lids curve downward. (If not, refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.) Store in cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year.

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so there you have it - a study in rhubarb.
i learnt something new.
i hope you did too.

the weekend is here already!!! this weekend is canada day so we will be hanging with friends at the festivities then having everyone over here for our second annual canada day barbeque.
i am hoping this is going to catch on and be our yearly "thing".

:)

how about you? any big plans?
happy weekend! xo

a little bit of this, a little bit of that.

it has been one of those weeks.
the kind where the goal is the widdle down the to-do list.
the dreaded to-do list.
that one where you are all ambitious to what you can accomplish in a day, a week, that no matter how hard you try and how busy your day seems you really only get one or two things crossed off? {except of course if you put laundry, dishes and vacuuming down - which i sometimes do to make myself feel better....}

things on my list right now:

• pay hydro
• set up monthly equal billing on hydro
• photoshop selected photo's
• order photo's
• blank blank blank for summer
• steam clean kitchen
• laundry
• email meg re: bunting and aprons
• aydan's tutu
• sand down door tops
• orange peel cleaner
• week in the life
• december daily

to name a few. it happens to be longer but i won't bore you with all the gory details.
although i have been super busy...in three days i have done three things of my "list."
blerg. ugh.
{notice i actually did put laundry down so i could cross something off!}

plus my constant companion has been a chest cough which makes me sound like i smoke 2 packs a day and gave me a rough sleep last night. no aches and pains anywhere else. just this awful cough.

monday was actually nice {cough and all} and not filled with 60 mile per hour icy winds so we took to the outdoors, going to the park and fixing up the yard.
progress was made - beds were prepped, plants were assigned and now it's been raining for two days.
really??!!

on the weekend we got a box of goodies from my mom and in it were leather jackets for the kids.
they rocked them all weekend and then aydan sported hers to school on monday.
too cute is all i have to say.

tuesday we took to the comfort and shelter of the house {since the rain continued} to do the dreaded house work.
floors and laundry were on the agenda and i did feel rather accomplished when it was all said and done.
even made it to the second floor after the main and basement were complete.
pat on the back - i earned it.

made this for dinner in celebration of the husband being able to join us - he left work the previous night at 12 midnight! poor fella.
it was so good!! broke down and bought the sherry - will be put to good use when i make this a million times over & i bought that fast fry steak which i would normally do this with it but it went with this recipe perfect.

and we ended the meal with this.....to celebrate my extended elliptical time.
i keep adding more time without the huffing and puffing. getting up there.

you will find the recipe here. {next time i will add the oats.}
and you're welcome.

today has a rather gloomy outlook outside so inside has been the top choice for everyone again.
kitchen is actually clean. {amazing!!}
house looks okay. {double yeah!!!}
so i am going to let you peek on the next project.....the tv room.

we are going to paint the walls gray & trim white, add curtains - i'm thinking white and green thick striped, create a desk/computer area behind the couch, some new decorative pieces and a new light fixture.
a new couch would be heaven but the dollars DO NOT stretch that far. too bad, so sad.

this was lunch for my today:

trying real hard to work off the 20 extra pounds i am carrying.
was really good and had most of this for good measure....

but i can't stop thinking about the black bottom cookies hiding in the bread box!!!
what's a girl to do???

for tonight we are going to have poached eggs, pumpkin waffles and bacon {for coop}.
i need to incorporate spinach in there somehow.....or maybe some sweet potato hash.
something.

also i would love to wish our niece jamie a wonderful 18th birthday!!! happy birthday darling and i hope you have a very special day. we are thinking of you. xoxo

{this post took to long to write and i had a cookie. oh crap.}

a winning combination.

here we go. we are in the home stretch of saying goodbye to summer having one last dose of sun and humidity and i had to do it. i had to make the cake that had been on my mind all summer, so come late fall when i probably would have done it i don't look like a complete fool. late fall is for cranberries, apples, cinnamon...you get it - not lemon and blueberries.

oh - lemon and blueberries is, i think, my new favorite combo.

the way they went together was amazing. i'm still scratching my head as to why i have never gone this route before. it. worked. perfect.

i really feel like this has been my summer for lemons. all season you would be able to find lemons in decorative containers adorning my counters as i was wanting them at my fingertips as much as possible. wanting to remember them and use them. to take full advantage of their brightness and taste of summer. constantly juicing them and rasping them for their fragrant zest. savoring them.

baking is where i find my calm. the research, the reading, the planning, the hoping it will turn out. i love to create something and watch it be enjoyed for a grand celebration, a special tea party treat or just because. this was a just because kind of day. this was a friday that was like any other. a friday that marked the end of a long week, the first real week of school as well as it was gordon's birthday (our big hairy companion) and that in it's self was cause for a little celebration.

i used the strawberry cake i had told you about at the beginning of the summer as a jumping off point then i tweaked. and i tweaked. and then it was perfect. what an amazing base this is and so easy to work with. the ratio between lemon and berry was perfect. keeping the berries whole allowed some to burst in your mouth when you bite down - which was both surprising and luscious. this is definitely a forever cake that will be going into my rotation and i'm eager to tweak it to compliment the coming season.

lemon blueberry just because cake.
adapted from smitten kitchen.

now even though i call this a just because cake it can be enjoyed to mark then end of a fabulous meal as well. serve it at the end of a lovely steak, lamb or pork dinner when chocolate just might be a little too much and this will be a satisfying alternative completing the meal out perfectly. give it a light dusting of powdered sugar just before serving or if you want to go the extra mile, pair it with vanilla whip cream or homemade semifreddo. also served to a special guest or two at tea time would be a wonderful treat.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for dish.
1 and a half cups of all-purpose flour.
1 and a half teaspoons of baking powder.
half a teaspoon of salt
1 cup plus two tablespoons of sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of one lemon (at least two teaspoons) - toss in a tsp of flour to separate them.
1 pound of blueberries. if using frozen make sure they are thawed, rinsed and dried.

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. butter a 10 inch or 9 inch deep pie dish and set aside.

whisk together flour, powder, zest and salt. set aside. in a larger bowl beat together the butter and sugar till light and fluffy - about 2 to 3 minutes. add the egg and lemon juice. add 1 third of the flour mix and then the milk until just combined. add the rest of the flour mix gradually.

pour mix into the prepared pan and top with the blueberries covering the entire surface - i found not such a heavy concentration in the middle worked best. sprinkle the two tablespoons of sugar over top.

bake cake for ten minutes then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake until golden brown and a tester comes out clean (some gooey fruit on the tester is okay), about 50 to 60 minutes. place on a wire rack to cool and cut into wedges and serve.

can be stored for two days, loosely wrapped at room temperature, if it survives the night.

stolen: strawberry summer cake.

hello friday - and hello to you my friends!

today i had a whole post i was going to write dedicated to my little twinkle toes and her journey through dance which i am sure we have come to the end with blah blah blah. but that's now old news. yesterday while perusing through smitten kitchen i came across her strawberry summer cake and just had to make it!

the temperatures round here were in the low 30's but did that stop me from turning on the oven in the kitchen that was so humid you could cut the air with scissors? no way!! nothing stands between me and a new cake recipe. i could here the strawberries beckoning me from the fridge and the other ingredients literally marched there way to my kitchen counter that i just had to attempt it. and it being spring/summer and the stores & markets bursting with said fruit i may have gotten a little carried away and bought a tad too much. but what a perfect excuse to use up this bounty of strawberries than in this cake? i also made a batch of strawberry slush, of course.

baking with berries and lemon has become my new thing. chocolate is, of course, king but having a dessert in a wonder of colour is something fabulous all in it's self. we all know that a chocolate dessert will be amazing, no matter how ruined it gets - thinking back to the mud slide cake is 2010 - it can always be put back together creatively. but to master a dessert with berries and have them burst in your mouth with a symphony of taste and juiciness, well that's something all together breathtaking.

we were not disappointed. what an awesome cake! perfect for after dinner on a hot summer night (yes i said it, summer. i know most of the country is not experiencing summer but here in the east it's in full force.) not to heavy, no need of icing - just a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. yum. and it's super simple to put together that even the most novice cooks can pull it off and look like a rock star! 

also the great thing about this cake is the noted versatility to it. after making it and tasting it i can see it many other ways - a great way to use the berries or fruit that is about to take a field trip from your fridge. i can see it covered entirely in blueberries, raspberries and black berries. together or on their own. i can see a little lemon zest mixed into the batter. i can see it getting a light sprinkling of icing sugar just before it makes it's way to the table for that wow factor. i can see it covered in any kind of stone fruit. i can see cinnamon mixed into the batter and have it smothered in caramelized apples. i can see it in a mini cupcake form for afternoon tea. okay now i am getting carried away but you get the idea - have fun with it. it's a fun cake and hopefully your go-to cake for the summer.

i did have one hiccup though and it's a new tip worthy enough to mention - when your room temperature butter is on the verge of melted because your kitchen is so darn hot and after you have whipped it together with the sugar and egg do not add ice cold milk all at once - the whole thing curdle and separate and then you have to start from scratch. if possible bring your milk to room temp as well but if you have to use cold milk (like me because you as well have no patience) pour it in in a slow stream beating while pouring and then add some dry right away, this will help it to incorporate. i had to start again.

i didn't change a thing so i am sending you to her for the details. for the recipe go here.

one more note - at the end it states to sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the entire cake. as always with baking most coffee cakes and simple cakes they have you do this and i always cut back thinking this to be a ridiculous amount of sugar. but i thought to myself this time - do it, use the whole amount and see what happens. and now i am saying to you - do it, use the whole 2 tablespoons - you will be amazed.

i hope you all have a happy weekend, a slice of cake or two and come back next week. we are celebrating an important birthday next week and it will be party countdown week here all next week! we will countdown the days with party diy's, tips & links and baking dry runs!

shortcut to shortcakes.

there are some posts that come easy and some that don't. this one did not.

i have been racking my brain trying to come up with a clever story to tell you about how growing up this was THE mother's day dessert with our clan. how that if we were at our house or at my grandparents that sweet sweet store bought angel food cake was present on the counter along side a carton of juicy sweet strawberries and a container of cream begging to be whipped. about how the cooks of the family wanted to get something foolproof for a 6 & 8 year old to assemble (as the husbands were utterly hopeless, outside having a cold beer and discussing business) so they would not have to bake and it be delicious. about how now as a grown-up when i see these cakes make their appearance around mother's day i remember my grandma, miss my mom terribly and get all teary eyed (as i am right now). about how this symbolizes spring for me and the bounty of fresh produce soon to come. about how three simple ingredients can make something so spectacular you wounder what you are doing with those yard long recipes with ridiculous instructions.

i have been trying to figure out a clever way to convey my thoughts and have been coming up blank.

hang on a minute....i think i just told you. xoxo


simple as one. two. three.

buy one pre-made angel food cake - the one in the black container with the clear top (my son calls these marshmallow cakes) typically found close to the fruit this time of year. buy a container of strawberries that are so sweet and juicy you smelt them from across the store and were hypnotized by them. head over to the dairy department and snag a container of whipping cream. then head home. have your celebratory meal. pour yourself a glass of chilled white wine & tell the others present how to assemble this dessert for you; hull and slice the strawberries - good sized chunks. whip your cream: place 1 cup of cold cold cream into a bowl (chilled bowl if possible) and begin to whip. once you start to see soft peaks add about 2 tablespoons of sugar and one tsp of vanilla. if you are a fancy gourmet and have a vanilla bean on hand, slice and scrape that baby up and add it in. adjust the sweetness to your liking (meaning add more sugar if you want). whip until firm peaks are achieved - don't go to far or you get butter, or do if that's your thing. slice the cake in half inch slices after removing from the container (did i have to tell you that?).  place a slice on the plate top with a dollop of whip cream, add some strawberries and repeat. then go ot to the patio, sip your wine and wait for your dessert. happy mother's day.


now if you have a willing husband or capable children here is an amazing recipe for actual shortcakes. i sold these at the abbotford strawberry festival years ago and they were a hit - sold like hotcakes, well i guess like shortcakes!

preheat your oven to 425f. in a food processor combine 2 1/2 cups, spooned and leveled, ap flour; 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 1/3 cup of sugar; 2 and a half teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. pulse until it becomes a coarse meal. add the milk; pulse 4 to 5 times to moisten. do not over-pulse. turn out dough on to a well floured worktop. with floured hands gently pat the into a 4 by 8 inch rectangle. dust a large knife with flour and cut 8 squares. transfer to a baking sheet and press the squares down slightly.  sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar. bake until golden about 20 minutes - my first time i did 25 and found that too long for my oven but yours might vary. cool on sheet.
to serve split biscuits in half with a serrated knife and layer with berries and cream.

lovingly borrowed from martha stewart.

april 23rd - a celebration of sorts.

one year...one year. 365 days. in this house.

i still cannot believe that it has been one year. it has gone by so fast. a blink of an eye.

it seems like only yesterday that i walked into the house for the first time just steps ahead of the movers, only to find food and junk still in the kitchen cabinets and the garage full to the brim of leftover stuff. yes i am telling the truth. quele nightmare. and the backyard - i am getting heart palpitations remembering the state of the backyard. the horror. this house was in a sorry state of affairs when we moved in and we have definitely brought it up a few notches. is it done? no. is it better? yes. are we happy with it? absolutely.

there's more to read here >>