Rupert Girl

What a weekend!

2012-01-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

First, the exciting news. Found a new salt crock at my favourite thrift store. We had been using a salt box bought many years ago on my first visit to Ikea. It was time for a new one.

Mr. Deer paid us a visit on Saturday afternoon. He really likes our hedge and he cleans up any seeds that fall from the birdfeeder.
For a special Saturday night dinner I decided to try a recipe from Mario Batali's new book called Molto Batali: simple family meals from my home to yours. I chose to recreate Polpettona Ripiena. We love this dish but it is anything but simple. You basically layer spinach, carrots, onions, mortadella, and cheese on a base of sausage, beef, breadcrumbs, grated romano, eggs, milk, and seasonings. You roll the meat up like a jelly roll, put it in a roasting pan, drizzle olive oil over the top and pour in a cup of water. Bake for one hour. The aroma that greets you when you open the oven door will have you thanking Mario for this recipe. I even made my own breadcrumbs for this polpettona, using sourdough bread from Craig's Bakery in Chase. It was all worth it!
I had such luck with Mario I decided to keep going and try another new recipe. This one is for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from one of my favourite magazines - Cowboys and Indians, the July 2010 issue. These cookies are really good. I'm not sure if it's the bread flour or all the oats that make these so scrumptious. This is definitely a keeper!
But I didn't stop with the cookies. The April 2010 issue of Bon Appetit has a recipe for New York-Style Crumb Cake and this, again, is a winner. This is quite the combination; a tender sour cream rich cake topped with a thick layer of cinnamon-scented streusel. Now that is a breakfast treat!

Mr.Cowboy's workshop

2012-01-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

I love hanging little shiny stuff from the holes in my ears so I have quite a collection of earrings. There are, among the many, the Nina Bagley mother-of-pearl creations (over a $100), the two dollar scratched glass bobbles from The Hudson Bay Co., pine needle ovals from Grand Forks, and the button earrings from a good friend. Sad to say they were all thrown together in an old cigar box; you can imagine what it was like to hurriedly try to find a pair each morning before work. Mr. Cowboy solved that problem for me with a couple of old frames, some screen door mesh, and a hot glue gun.
This is my favourite of the two frames.

One-a-day

2012-01-16T19:26:00.000-08:00

The season is almost over but I have been enjoying a pomegranate every day since they appeared in the stores. I look forward to this short but sweet season almost as much as the cherry harvest in July. Not only are the arils great tasting but more importantly they are loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C and potassium. For lunch I sprinkle the seeds on salad or leftovers; they enhance the flavour of just about any food.

Snow day

2012-01-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

What to do on a snow day. Reading. Finished another Donna Leon mystery called Fatal Remedies. This one was quite good because Brunetti's wife commits a crime so I couldn't put it down until it was all resolved. Sewing. Yes, I did some sewing. The blue and white quilt is coming along nicely. A movie. Watched a Noel Coward movie called Easy Virtue. Always good for a laugh.

Baking. Tried a couple of new recipes. Pumpkin Buttermilk Scones are super good.
And Ever-Ready Bran Muffins. This is an old recipe for fridge muffins. These are very satisfying but the recipe makes five dozen so guess what I'm taking to work tomorrow.

La Bella Luna

2012-01-11T20:07:00.001-08:00

One of my favourite scenes in A Year in Provence: The Mayles are washing dishes outside because their kitchen is still under construction. And as they scrub and rinse they sing By the light of the silvery moon.
'We praise you for Sister Moon and all our Sister Stars, who clothe the night with their beauty and, like you, watch over us while we sleep.'

This is from an amazing book called Brother Sun,Sister Moon. Not only is this a great 'reimagining' of Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures, but the cut-paper illustrations are just awesome. As you read, your eyes are drawn to the full page scissor cuts done in the most exquisite colours on a black background.

Hope you all enjoyed the full moon on Monday night.

Green and yellow

2012-01-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti with rapini? Why not. But next time, more garlic and peperoncino.

Maura suggested lemon pie with blueberries. Great idea!

The Best Book

2012-01-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

This is, without a doubt, the best book I have read this year. No matter that this is only the second book I have read so far for 2012, just from looking at the cover I felt an instant connection. It's not everyday that you open a book and find pictures of long lost relatives looking back at you. To be honest, I have not given Campodimele much thought in the past few years. But as I flip through the book, studying the recipes and looking at the faces in the pictures a little closer, I know that this mountain village is at the top of my list for my next visit to La Bella Italia.

Thought for today

2012-01-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

Whatever I do is done out of sheer joy; I drop my fruits like a ripe
tree. What the general reader or the critic makes of them is not my
concern.

-Henry Miller

Back to the salt mines brownies

2012-01-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

Before I get into the brownies, I want to thank Barbara (Sparrow Avenue) from Toronto for my wonderful moose pillow which was featured in my last post.
This is my last day of freedom and at this point there is not much left of my day. But I did manage to enjoy my Monday with a little shopping (yes, quilting fabric and clothes).
Finished reading a great book by Sharon Shinn called Archangel. This one was recommended to me by both of my daughters and when I got to the last page I did not want it to end.
Did not have to make dinner because as I have said before it is my last day of freedom before I go back to the salt mines tomorrow so my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Cowboy for the spaghettini and meatballs.
This recipe for Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies has been on my list for over a year. No cans were used in the making of these delectable treats; the pumpkin came from the farmer's market. Also made a baby brownie with my heart-shaped pan; makes a great gift for 'someone'.

My Moose

2012-01-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Tired from all the travelling but glad to be here.

Just a hike

2011-12-31T19:56:00.000-08:00

Just a hike, the three of us, the icy wind and a hot winter sun, on a trail with ice in the shade, a tree festooned with baubles, and a view that never fails to delight.

Christmas guest post

2011-12-29T15:11:00.000-08:00

I’m sure you all read this blog and smile, and enjoy it, and relate to it - ensconced comfortably as you probably are, in your own well decorated, wonderful smelling homes filled with craft-iness and terrific food. But imagine the experience of coming here to visit after spending months in a nearly bare apartment in the student ghetto of a crowded university off in the outskirts of a huge trembling city like Toronto. You might say it was a transformation, like moving from this:

To this:

A transformation that can only be described as a healing experience, just what a person could ask for in a short week-long vacation. This house is in fact the ultimate in R&R.

We won’t even get into the airline travel I endured that Christmas day, because I shouldn’t complain. Yes there were delays and hectic lines and crying babies…but it is an amazing thing to be able to step into a tin can on one side of a continent and step out of it just hours later, thousands of kilometers away.

Nevertheless the trip had me more than a little drained and stepping into the house that afternoon was not unlike stepping into some magical winter wonderland. The smell of turkey practically satiated on its own. The living room packed with homemade decorations and stuffed to the gills with quilts and books and family memories made me want to curl up on the couch that minute and never move. I was treated to a particularly kick ass welcome home lunch of leftovers from the night before: a ridiculously delicious immune boosting meal of garlic fried rapini, rice, and fresh BC salmon. ‘Nuff said. Spending the afternoon unwrapping gifts was a goofy, fun time – before long everyone was full up with lotto tickets, socks, and all the other random stocking stuffers we had managed to find for each other.

Dinner, need I even go there? The turkey on its own tasted so amazing it needed no embellishment. But, that didn’t deter us from indulging in homemade gravy, cranberry sauce, and piling our plates with side dishes of roasted brussel sprouts and mashed sweet potatoes (the YELLOW not the orange kind, of course). Not long after the feast I was pretty ready for a nap, and what better way to recharge your batteries than stretched out on the bed in your former room, head resting on a lambswool pillow, wrapped up in a star-pattern custom made quilt. I pulled the brass chain on my banker’s lamp and, plunged into darkness, fell into a deep restful sleep.

On Holidays

2011-12-23T19:19:00.000-08:00

There is nothing better at this time of year then to gather round a crackling outdoor fire, breathing in the crisp winter air while enjoying a cup of cheer and making wishes on the starry sky for the new year.

Merry Christmas and lots of happiness in the New Year to all!

Mother of all wreaths

2011-12-19T17:47:00.001-08:00

I have been collecting mother of pearl buttons for years. There are jars and bowls all over the house full of these iridescent treasures from the sea. I try to include some of the pearly buttons on cards that I make. I worked for days encrusting a wood box with the shiny buttons; it is my favourite. But it only took me two days to transform a ribbon covered wreath into a magical one.
As soon as she saw it she put it in the window of the store.

Bread and flowers

2011-12-17T18:02:00.000-08:00

A sure sign in our home that the holidays are just around the corner are the white poinsettias and a fruit-filled or chocolate panettone from Italy.

Ponderosa Pine

2011-12-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

I don't remember where I got the idea (we're talking thirty years ago) but as soon as I saw it I had to try it. You soak a plank of pine wood until it is saturated with water. Then using a really sharp plane, you shave off nice thin curls of pine. Keep the curls in water as you work with them. I made quite a few ornaments and some have survived all our moves around the province over the years. But I absolutely love the pine chain that we made. Each curl had to be cut to a certain length, glue applied and then clamped together with bobby pins. This year instead of the tree, our fragile garland graces the doorway into the livingroom. It is such a long chain that we had to use our ice bucket to hold the extra rings of pine.

Barefoot Contessa wannabe

2011-12-14T19:48:00.000-08:00

No, this is not Ina Garten's blog but she is one of my favourites and her recipes always turn out just the way she said they would. To christen our new stainless roaster we roasted up a chicken and vegetables a la Barefoot Contessa. The bird was tender and flavourful, the veggies al dente.
This new addition to our kitchen is huge, had to rearrange a cupboard just to make it fit. But come turkey time, I will never have to worry about the size ever again.

Counting the days

2011-12-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

This is our version of the advent calendar. A few pieces of scrap wood hammered together, the tiny hearts cut out of pine wood with our trusty jigsaw. Thirty years and still counting.

Weekend chef

2011-12-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

Somebody made their first apple pie ever and it was great!

Work trees

2011-12-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

It took me about an hour to remove all the plastic doodads and tinsel from these two bottle brush trees and replace them with an assortment of buttons and crystals. My windowsill at work is looking festive.

Quick weekend

2011-12-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

This was a quick and easy six-pocket tote to put together. I really like that the handles are stitched on first which creates the six pockets.

A little crowded down at the park yesterday morning as we enjoyed our Cowboy breakfast.

Today went by in a blur as I spent five hours selling at the flea market. I've had better days but it was fun and am going to do it all over again next Sunday.

And for those of you who have asked about Mr. Cowboy's chicken and sage recipe, here it is:
Chicken breasts thinly sliced or pounded, salt and pepper on both sides. Dip each piece into a beaten egg and then coat with flour. Saute in vegetable oil until cooked. Remove chicken from pan. Into drippings add sage, white wine and juice of half a lemon. Once this has simmered a few minutes return the chicken to the pan and heat through. Enjoy!

Easy scones

2011-11-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

The last Farmers Market I bought two sugar baby pumpkins; they were slowly roasted and then scooped out of their shell and frozen right away. And then one morning they were gently mixed with flour, spices, buttermilk, and then baked until golden and crispy. It takes a lot of planning to make a scone.

Lunch time art walk

2011-11-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what you'll find when you walk down the back alleys of the city.

Zero calories gingerbread

2011-11-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

This is a little something I made over the weekend from an old Fons and Porter Sew Many Quilts magazine dated November 1996. It brought together some of my favourite things; buttons, rickrack, ribbon, and a little bit of hand quilting.

I made five of these little babies; four for the store and one for our charity auction.

Two favourites

2011-11-17T21:20:00.000-08:00

We can still go out to the garden, even though we've had a bit of snow, and pick some sage for this chicken recipe. The best part of this dish is the lemon, sage, white wine reduction sauce; the plates are licked clean.
And someone really outdid himself today with this dinner; Beef Stroganoff with lots of mushrooms, onions, and tender beef. I really like the pasta he chose; Pennoni Lisci.

Quiet post

2011-11-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterdays remembering brought tears and sadness
but then the sun came up and again I was filled with hope.
I filled my lungs with crisp morning air.
Pausing in the quiet of the morning knowing it would not last long.
- A D

Master Thesis: Tiramisu

2011-11-03T21:20:00.001-07:00

1. How long should the lady fingers soak in the coffee-booze mixture?
2. If they have not absorbed enough of the liquid, it will be difficult to cut through the dessert with a fork. Left too long, it all becomes mush.
3. Having consulted numerous research papers, a definitive answer is hard to find; most are vague and leave it all to guess work on your part.
4. The best methodology would be to set-up several mixtures of strong coffee and liquor such as Marsala and Grand Marnier. The lady fingers are immersed, the timers are set at one minute intervals, and forks at the ready to taste test each one.
5. Never again will you have to guess at a crucial part of an iconic dessert such as this; you will confidently serve your guests without worrying about the embarrassing moment when the fork meets the layers of cheese, cream, and well-soaked savoiardi.

No tricks, one treat

2011-10-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

No kids, no candy. We live on a very quiet street with no little kids running around. We usually watch a movie and indulge in our favourite pumpkin cookies.

Barefoot in the kitchen

2011-10-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

One of those neat mornings; the fog rolls in and it makes half the city disappear.

The last Farmer's Market is always sad so we stocked up on pumpkins and walnuts and apples. I even treated myself to a new mug; I can never resist the pottery tables.

As usual we had our Cowboy breakfast down by the river with the ducks and the geese and the seagulls.

A crowd-pleasing deli dinner on Saturday night. The sausage-stuffed mushrooms are from Ina Garten's new cookbook - How easy is that? Well, for this recipe it all sounds easy but it takes about an hour and a half which includes the 50 minutes to bake the mushrooms. What makes these so good is the mascarpone cheese that gives the filling a creamy goodness that knocks your socks off.

Purple comfort

2011-10-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite comfort foods is pasta with chick peas. First you have to soak the chick peas overnight. Then you cook them at a slow boil, change the water and boil them for at least an hour. In the meantime, make a thick tomato sauce with lots of garlic, onions, and parsley. Add the chick peas to the sauce. Cook your pasta ( I used Ditali) and reserve some of the water. Mix the tomato-chick pea sauce into the drained pasta and add some of the reserved liquid. Dish out and serve with lots of grated cheese.
My good friend shared some of her purple potatoes with us so Mr. Cowboy paired them with Ina Garten's meatloaf and added some roasted red peppers that we got from the Market. Very colourful and very good.

Sunny weekend

2011-10-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

It's sunny and chilly; perfect for planting garlic. We put in three rows and our fingers are crossed hoping to see some green next year.
Don't these apples look great!
What do you think of my apples now?

The Deer Family came for a visit. First they went through the neighbour's and then at about 8 they meandered up our street stopping for a nibble here and there before heading back into the hills.

Weekend wrapup - part four

2011-10-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

I really like this vineyard; I take pictures of this same angle every time we go down Oliver Ranch Road. No Blue Mountain this time.
Cold morning in Summerland.

Sad to see all the trees that have been ripped out but at least they are serving another purpose before they become firewood.

Had a nice walk along the lake in Peachland; very quiet, no crowds, no boats.
As nice as this weekend turned out to be, it sure is nice to be back home.

Weekend collage - part three

2011-10-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

For brunch one morning I tried The Cuban Mojo; a ciabatta filled with fennell encrusted pork tenderloin, capiccoli, hot peppers, thick pickles, asiago cheese, and mojo sauce. With my Canadiano to sip on and a cinnamon knot for dessert, it was a great way to start the day. Only from The Bench in Penticton.
Apple boxes everywhere. This stack was photographed in Oroville, Washington.

They keep saying that it's going to be a really cold winter this year. I guess Mr. Squirrel heard the same report because he was busy squirrelling away quite a few walnuts as we watched from our patio chairs in Osoyoos.

Tinhorn Creek Winery in Oliver. The wine is great. Loved the art hanging in the tasting room. With glass in hand we stepped out onto the wrap-around veranda, taking in the astounding view of orchards and vineyards as far as the eye can see.
I'm not very good at taking pictures of the quail that run and fly and hide every time we approach them, so this one was taken from the car. I'll keep trying.

Weekend favourites - part two

2011-10-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

It's a combination really, of the quiet, the view, the company, and the mouth-watering buns from Il Vecchio Deli in Penticton. This is the place we head to as soon as we get into town, Munson Mountain.

A quick stop at Hillside Winery to stock up on Gamay Noir and enjoy a stroll through the garden.

Sitting around the fire has always been one of our favourite things to do especially while sipping on a good glass of red.

The grapes at Hillside are almost ready for harvesting.

Weekend discovery - part one

2011-10-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Our last road trip of the year to Naramata; this is a very quiet village with a great pub, a library, and a general store.

Lots of grapes still hanging on the vine; some draped in white netting waiting for the freezing temperatures to make ice wine.

Even though we visit only twice a year, it doesn't take long to reconnect with old friends.
As much as we love the peace and quiet of the village, we may have found a new place to try on our next trip south.
After leaving Summerland you cannot miss La Punta Norte Guest Inn on the right hand side. We were shown one of the suites and the breakfast room by the owner.

All you need here is a good bottle of wine.

Easy pyrahi

2011-10-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

These little dumplings are a wonderful cold weather treat. Mr. Russian Cowboy made over four dozen this afternoon, and they were still warm when I walked in the front door. He made four different fillings: romano beans, peas, cottage cheese, and sauerkraut. They are very tasty just the way they are but we like to serve them with melted butter and sour cream. The recipe is from the 100th anniversary cookbook from Grand Forks called Cooking The Doukhobor Way.

Lots of turkey

2011-10-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Two pumpkins from the Market have been slowly roasted, the edges blackened as the sugar sputters and burns. Mixed with lots of oats, cinnamon, and chocolate chips, the orange puree makes the best cookie you could ever sink your teeth into.

And finally our turkey dinner. The bird was ok but what I enjoyed more was the chocolate brown gravy and Grand Marnier spiked cranberry sauce made by Mr. Cowboy.

No turkey

2011-10-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

Usually I do not take photos or even acknowledge that mums exist; they are a cemetery flower. But these mums (which are everywhere right now) caught my eye. It could have been the colour or because they remind me of buttons.
This year the apples on our tree are huge and they are still on the tree waiting for that first frost. But Mr. Bear, who has been visiting down the street, might not care about the whole frost thing.

It's Thanksgiving, so to thank that special someone, I made a heart shaped apple pie using a Martha Stewart heart-shaped pie pan and local Macs, of course. And not only that, but I made a deep-dish apple pie in case this one wasn't enough.

Friday list

2011-10-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

1. Phone call from TO.

2. Ribs for dinner.

3. Fantastic sunset.

4. New quilting book.

5. A bale of straw.

6. Gerbera daisies.

7. New measuring spoons.

Monday sky

2011-10-03T19:55:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning

2011-10-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

Seems like we all had the same idea this morning; breakfast al fresco except we had ours by the river.
Then to the Market on St.Paul; the colourful displays of pumpkins, melons, apples, grapes,romano beans, and so many other fruits and vegetables were a feast for the eyes.

Quiet post

2011-09-29T21:44:00.001-07:00

At the store, almost

2011-09-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Had to give these frames a new coat of white before taking them to the store. Well,I tried leaving them at the store but was told I have to phone ahead of time before bringing any work
to the tea joint. So these are still at home.

Sensa parole

2011-09-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Plum rewards

2011-09-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Two pails full of juicy plums from a dear friend.
The Canadian Living recipe for plum sauce.
Lots of help from Mr. Cowboy.
Four jars of the tastiest plum nectar ever!

Saturday night special

2011-09-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

The whole wheat hoagies were toasted, the sirloin steak was paper thin, the mushrooms and onions were caramelized with balsamic vinegar, and the provolone cheese was fresh and salty. Put this all together and we had our version of Philly cheese steak.

Quiet post

2011-09-22T21:33:00.001-07:00

Comfort food

2011-09-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

Because my camera does not do justice to the chicken pot pie that Mr. Cowboy cooked up the other night, you will have to take my word for it when I say that it was rich and creamy and full of chicken and lots of veggies. Another winner from our latest favourite cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

More pillows

2011-09-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

These pillows are now living in a university apartment in Toronto. They were a lot of fun to make. And all it takes is a tea towel, an old blouse or shirt, and some cotton bits.

Terry Fox

2011-09-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

A tattered grey blanket covering the sky, blue batting spilling out through the holes. The cold wind whipped at our faces as we walked along the river. An easy walk under the bridge, past the tennis courts, and along the railroad tracks. We repeat this three times. We are given a sticker. We go home. We think of another walk, many years ago that was not so easy.

We love Jamie!

2011-09-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

I will pretty much cook anything that has Jamie Oliver's name in front of it like this recipe which was featured on Barefoot in the Orchard - Jamie Oliver's Zucchini Carbonara. We picked up some zucchini at the Farmer's Market, a slab of pancetta from the Fratelli, and used local farm fresh eggs. We added the prawns just because.

Monday moon

2011-09-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

La Domenica

2011-09-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

The tomato harvest continues; today we picked bowlfuls of the tasty red and green orbs, spread them out on newspaper to let them ripen just a bit more before we freeze them.

Took a drive out to Tranquille Farms. Did a bit of beach combing along the river; came home with a bag of driftwood to make into a mirror.

As the moon rises and the sun sets we open all the doors and windows. The heat dissipates quickly as the breeze slowly wafts in. Another Sunday seeps away leaving us longing for another.

The TO collection

2011-09-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Went to the St. Lawrence antique market; prices were out of this world but did find a wooden box and some huge buttons.
York University
Elephant ears outside in Canada.
I love taking pictures of doors in Italy; this was too funny to pass up in Toronto but I can't remember where it was.
The Royal York Hotel
Neat bench next door to the Dark Horse Espresso Bar on Queen St East.
Beautiful garden at my Zia's house.
No time to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Fancy shoe store bench.

Had a wonderful dinner at the Kit Kat Italian Bar and Grill on King St West.
Everywhere you look- The Tower.

The PG collection

2011-08-31T21:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday pasta

2011-08-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is something we take for granted; egg noodles. Can you imagine what this would taste like if there were no eggs? But during the war, they had to make do with noodles made with flour and water when they were lucky enough to get flour.
And without this handy dandy pasta machine I would have had to roll out all that dough with a four foot long rolling pin. I' ve tried it and it is not fun.
After letting the dough sheets dry, I add the attachment for cutting noodles and before you can say Baronia, it's all done.
Fresh egg noodles; there is nothing else better!

Home and garden

2011-08-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

No, this is not airplane food. This is what you get after sitting on a bus for seven hours (seemed a lot longer because of road construction) made by my very own chef.
What is the first thing you do after being away from home for ten days? You walk the property line of course to see how the tomatoes are doing.

It looks like I'll be making more pesto.

Can't wait to cook these beauties.

I will not be making lemon squares with my very own lemons this year.
Lots of cherry tomatoes on the deck.
And my bay leaf tree is looking really good.

It's in the bag

2011-08-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

This bag has been across the ocean to Italy, up and down the boot on countless trains. Tomorrow it's headed to Hogtown for a weekend visit with TG. Then back across the Rockies to BC's Northern Capital.

Sunset card

2011-08-16T22:03:00.001-07:00

It took me over an hour to make one card; had to stop and take in the sunset every so often. This is not unusual though, the length of time to create a special card. First I have to sit and consider the person I am making the card for. I will zone in on one specific and go from there. My starting point tonight was a perfume card in the shape of an apple. Then I found an old cancelled stamp depicting a woman reading to children; perfect. A rosy pink ribbon, a mother-of-pearl button, some yellow wrapping paper from Japan, and celadon green card stock for the background.

Monday mosaic

2011-08-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

There is a definite coolness in the air; is summer over already?

Lucky to have caught some of this rainbow in the evening sky.
We do not get up at 4 in the morning, milk cows, drive cattle, or break horses. That would be the only reason to have meals like the one we just had this evening. Mr. Cowboy decided to make Chicken-Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. The recipe is from Ree Drummond's The Pioneer Woman Cooks. The best part was the green beans I picked from the garden.
Wish I had planted more sunflowers.

Baby gone

2011-08-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Little did I know that as I captured these images of Baby Robin, he or she was contemplating trying out the new wings for the very first time. The nests are empty but we are enjoying our very own airshow.

Thinking outside the box

2011-08-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

The hardest part is starting a project but once I get inspired I keep at it until it is finished. This was a simple wooden box. The fun part is sorting through the hundreds of old stamps. The inside is painted a robin's egg blue ( in honour of our resident robin family) and lined with cork.

Hot food

2011-08-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

When it's hot out, there is no better way to cool down then to have a bowl of peaches from Keremeos and ice cream. Or for a real treat, figs from California.

Nesting

2011-08-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

The robins are back and the baby seems to be doing fine.

It's a little bit funny

2011-08-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

Pancake hike

2011-07-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

Early morning hike to the radio towers. It was already warm by the time we started the climb but thank goodness for the breeze that rearranged our hair every step of the way.

After that gruelling hike we couldn't wait to dig into these little babies; pumpkin-cornmeal griddle cakes from Marilyn Smith's new book called Healthy Starts Here! These are made with yoghurt and of course pumpkin so they are very soft but still have lots of texture thanks to the whole wheat flour, cornmeal, and wheat germ.

Basil Brownies

2011-07-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

My basil has gone crazy so I cut enough to fill two jars and took them to work.
I also baked The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie N' Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar, a recipe from kevinandamanda.com. It's a long weekend, we have to work Saturday, so this just says, Hey it's ok, you still have two days off!, but while you're here have a goodie.

Last night

2011-07-29T07:10:00.001-07:00

Flax and chili

2011-07-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

Just can't get enough of my flax. The front garden has a nice swath of blue flax which was given to me by a friend. Not only are the flowers a nice shade of blue but it scatters it's seeds and every year there are lots more flax plants to enjoy. I planted red flax in the back garden, doing well with a little support.
Chili and spaghetti? Tried a new recipe - Cincinnati Chili. The chili is full of spices, cinnamon, cloves, and all spice plus chocolate. With lots of fresh parsley and a good handful of grated gouda, this recipe is a keeper.

And the winner is....

2011-07-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

I used my best pottery bowl, wrote all the entrants names on scrap paper from the recycling bin using a black fine point Sharpie. Mr. Cowboy did the honours and pulled the winning name.
The winner of my Summer Skinny Scarf is Barbara from Sparrow Ave. Congratulations, Barbara! As soon as you email your address to me I will send off your scarf via Canada Post. Thanks everyone.

Just flowers

2011-07-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

Work treats

2011-07-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

I have a thing about snickerdoodles. Love the original recipe but have also tried adding chocolate. Last night I made Pumpkin Snickerdoodles and they are out of this world good.
And when I saw the recipe for S'mores I could not resist making a batch and am so glad I did. Cookie dough on top of graham crackers with a chunk of chocolate gently embedded in the dough. Makes going to work on Saturdays almost bearable.

Russian pizza

2011-07-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is a first for our kitchen - Mr. Cowboy made pizza today using Jamie Oliver's recipe. The thin crust pizza was soft and chewy, with lots of basil, and a really nice tomato sauce that he made from scratch.
Both pizzas were good but I especially liked the second one; loaded with artichokes, olives, roasted red peppers, and caramelized onions. Tinhorn Creek Merlot pairs up really well with pizza.

Four hundred posts, one skinny scarf

2011-07-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

As a thank you to all who have visited my blog and left comments, this being my 400th post, I am giving away my first ever Summer Skinny Scarf. A comment on my blog will enter your name in the draw and this is open to all no matter where you live. I will pick a winner on Monday July 25th.

Pasta e piselli

2011-07-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

The pea vines are hanging low with the weight of the many pods filled with the sweet green pearls. We sat and shelled peas this morning feeling good that come this winter we will enjoy a feast of peas while the snow blows all around us.
Mr. Cowboy is constantly tweaking and reworking his Bolognese sauce and the second time he made it this summer, it was so good that the plates were licked clean. It could have been the mixture of meats or all the fresh from the garden parsley and basil. Or it could have been the addition of peas that sent it over the top. I was so busy with my fork that I didn't even take a picture (the above photo is from the first ok sauce).

Not today

2011-07-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Quiet post

2011-07-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Bake on Saturday

2011-07-09T20:02:00.001-07:00

I woke up today with lots of good intentions of going down to the Market and then having breakfast by the river but what I really wanted was a quiet morning at home to bake and so I did. Oatmeal cookies are always good so when I saw this recipe for Triple Oat Cookies I knew I had to try them. The three oats are large flake, steel cut and oat bran with some dates for sweetness. Really nice with a cup of tea.

I just finished reading The Pioneer Woman: black heels to tractor wheels by Ree Drummond and thoroughly enjoyed it except the part where they go to Australia and decide to eat at McDonald's and I quote, 'for some safe and predictable American food' end of quote. But it is a cute love story. From the recipes at the back of the book, I decided to try the cinnamon rolls. If you are on a diet, forget these. They are loaded with whole milk, butter and sugar and after they are baked you drizzle the still-warm buns with icing made with yes more sugar, butter, coffee, and maple syrup. Fantastic recipe!

Our basil has gone crazy so the only thing to do is make pesto. I always use the recipe from one of my favourite cookbooks, Cooking with Herbs by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead. It's a very simple recipe - garlic, basil, pecans, olive oil, and lots of grated Romano cheese.

My favourite

2011-07-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

A year ago the lavender in the front garden edging the path was magical to see, the stalks of purple, violet, pink and even white lavender spilling over onto the gravel walkway, brushing against your legs as you walked along stopping every so often to watch the bees busy at work.
But,sadly, these lavender plants did not survive the winter.
In my back garden the feverfew now gets all my attention, the hundreds of tiny flowers filling the lower terraced garden with their oh so happy faces.

Last night

2011-07-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

Mending

2011-07-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

Does anyone do mending anymore? We should rethink this one. We live in such a disposable society; it's worn out then throw it out. And then buy brand new. But just imagine the look on someone's face when their cherished and well worn item of clothing is brought back to life with a simple square of cotton and some decorative hand stitching. Someone who likes airplanes was very happy to be able to wear their old summer pj's.
When the girls were little and I had lots of time, I always patched the girls jeans. Patches, in my books, signify that someone cared enough to restore and reinvigorate the families favourite clothes. My motto - love it again for a second time.

Raspberry cakes forever

2011-07-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

Tables at the Farmers Market will be a sea of red soon as raspberries come into season. We still have a bin from last year so this morning I baked two new recipes and both are good but the bread was our number one choice. The Raspberry Buttermilk Cake from the June 2009 issue of Gourmet is a very simple and small cake, just enough for six.
And then there is the Raspberry Almond Crumble Bread from the May/June 2011 issue of Victoria magazine. This brunch bread is good, full of flavour, and the streusel topping makes it a winner. Both of these recipes are keepers.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

2011-07-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Pesto, pesto do your very besto

2011-06-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

Have you seen 'Houseboat' with Sophia Loren and Cary Grant? It is one of our favourite movies.
This year I am growing a pot of basil on the deck and I have also direct seeded some in the garden. As you can see the plants are doing quite well and we are looking forward to a meal of pesto pasta.

Prezzemolo

2011-06-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

The green stuff used to make me gag when I was a kid, I'd pick it out of my food, no way was I going to eat it. How times have changed. Now I can't imagine making a meal without parsley.
Harvested our first batch the other day. After a good wash the stems are removed and the leaves are spread out on cotton tea towels to dry. Mix really well with a few glugs of olive oil and freeze. Come winter, every time you cut up some parsley, it will take you back to those hot summer days.

Enough with the pillows

2011-06-28T20:21:00.001-07:00

For now, this is the last of my pillow posts. This last pillow was a lot of fun to make because I just went a little overboard with my choice of fabrics. The front panel of course is Naramata linen and I love this one so much that I made it into bags, lavender pillows, bookmarks, and even a housecoat. The embroidered button panel was a blouse from the thrift store which I had bought just for this. I can never get enough toile and the purple cotton from my stash is brand new.
It's amazing how these simple pillow covers have made our couch more inviting for reading and napping.

Deck with a view

2011-06-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally here; sit back and enjoy the view!

Three down, one to go

2011-06-27T10:50:00.001-07:00

Found under the many piles of thrift store goodies, I came across this little embroidered cloth which I triple stitched onto an Irish linen napkin.
For the back of the pillow I used some Naramata linen, cotton, and again, the button panel from an old shirt. I made this pillow a little bigger for the recliner.
For my pillow I used one of my favourite quilting cottons, the Dogwood stripe.
And on the back, the brown totem poles plus the button panel from one of my old blouses. One more pillow to go.

Three days, three recipes

2011-06-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

I agree with Gwyneth when she says that cookbooks are for ideas and then you need to make it your own. Which is exactly what Mr. Cowboy did with a Rachel Ray recipe from her Big Orange Book. On Friday night he made Italian Nachos; he rightly omitted the bay leaf but added lots of basil and parsley right out of the garden. What made this so good was the smoked scamorza cheese,nothing else will do.

Mr. Cowboy really kicked it up a notch Saturday night with his rendition of Lemon Chicken Scaloppine. Made his own bread crumbs with Squirrelly bread and again with lots of fresh basil plus a good squeeze of lemon juice. This recipe is from The Oprah Magazine Cookbook from Chef Rory Trovato.

Sunday mornings the kitchen is all mine so I decided to give pancakes a rest and try something a little fancier. Given that I was still half asleep and had not had a coffee yet, I did not follow the directions in the recipe so we were very surprised that these muffins turned out as good as they did. These Sour Cream Maple Walnut Muffins are attributed to Chef Tom Bivins from The Oprah Magazine Cookbook.

Deli lunch

2011-06-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

It was a hot day with a warm wind blowing from the east so I decided to walk down to the Deli for lunch. I was surprised and happy to find the place empty but cool as a cucumber. Instead of my usual broccoli salad, I feasted on baby greens with a cheese biscuit. After lunch, as the gardener watered the wilting plants, I strolled through the nursery and stopped to smell the flowers.

Birthday breakfast

2011-06-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

This is Mr. Cowboy's favourite breakfast; a savory croissant bursting with ham, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and brie. So, for this special birthday we took our little picnic to the river and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We waved to the Rocky Mountaineer as it made it's way to the station.
We were not the only ones out this early in the morning.

Before and after

2011-06-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

This is the 'before' picture of one of the couch pillows. Note the artistic stitchery and the wonderful shade of mud puddle brown. The other side is even more hideous so I am sparing everyone by not showing it here on my tasteful blog.
And here, after just over an hour in the sewing room, the ugly pillow has been transformed using a beautiful Naramata linen.
The back panel was a lot of fun to design. One section is cut from a vintage halter top, the embroidered flowers echoing the flower motif on the front of the pillow. The striped fabric is from my quilting cotton stash and the button panel is cut from one of Mr. Cowboy's old shirts. Makes it so easy to remove the pillowcase for washing.

Crowd control

2011-06-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

I remember being in the middle of a huge crowd in an open field; the Bryan Adams concert had just ended and we were headed en masse for the exit, a very narrow exit. It was just dusk, a warm summer evening and the lake breeze played with our hair. As we shuffled along, shoulder to shoulder, the surge and jostling of the crowd carrying us forward we heard a sound.No, it wasn't the band coming back onto the bandshell for another encore. Someone in the throng mooed like a cow and we all laughed. And from that point on we all calmly advanced to the exit, took our turns going through the gate and walked down the road back to town.

Poppy love

2011-06-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

It was quite windy when I tried to capture the beauty of these huge poppies at St. Andrew's but I took the picture anyways knowing that I could never really duplicate what my eyes were seeing.

Hockey biscuits

2011-06-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

At 4:28 I made my escape hoping no one would notice. I hurried across the courtyard and breathed a sigh of relief; no security guard to impede my getaway. As I turned the corner into the alley I quickened my pace, happy to see Mr. Cowboy, engine idling like a Clyde waiting for his Bonnie. Through alleys and deserted streets, we made it back to our hideout with just enough time to uncork some red to enjoy with our linguini as we watched the Canucks hammer the Bruins.
To celebrate another great win by the Canucks, I made a triple batch of my award winning blueberry biscuits for our brunch this morning.

Thursday collage

2011-06-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

This far-reaching rainbow appeared in the sky last night after the Canucks won the first game in the Stanley Cup Finals.
My lemon tree is now outside; it's blooming and looking good.
He was 77 when we first moved here and he is still going strong despite losing his wife and a son. Always up on current events, the latest scuttle-butt on our cul-de-sac, and knows how to fight city hall. Loves home-baking and to show his appreciation for the latest treat (buttermilk pancakes) he brought over this wonderful bouquet of my favourite flowers.

Sunnier days

2011-05-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

My usual spot for lunch at St. Andrew's; these pictures were taken a few weeks ago when it was actually sunny even though I have had lunch in the gazebo a couple of times when the grey clouds moved in. Rain or shine, this is a great place for lunch.

Day and night

2011-05-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

Flea market deals

2011-05-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

A vintage jewelry box encrusted with shells and mother-of-pearl buttons; that is what I am working on now and even though I have hundreds of said buttons I could not pass up the collection that was offered to me by my one-time button supplier who used to visit me at my workplace with one ounce baggies full of shiny white pearlies, the tiny iridescent orbs hard to resist. My name is Anna and I am a button junkie.
Legwarmers for my chairs - aren't these a great idea? Granny was selling these at the flea market so I bought some to try out and I must say they are much better then those sticky pads. These are washable and at only a loonie each, a great deal.

Sunday collage

2011-05-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

This is the best soup (yes, we are still making soup because it's cold) I have ever tasted! Mr. Cowboy followed the recipe in the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics Cookbook and it is a winner. I'm not sure what I enjoyed most about this soup; the three cups of arugula or the crispy shallots garnish.
I know it's the wrong time of year to be baking with peaches but I had a craving for this delectable dessert- Peach Kuchen- so I made it for the potluck at work. It was nice but the store-bought canned peaches were not that good.

I tried out these hand carved chairs at the flea market. It was a set of 7 - 6 chairs and a table for $900. Tomorrow I will post pictures of what I actually bought.

A pair of robins have set up their nest under our deck. They have built multiple nests all along the beam. My duties as Nanny right now are to make sure the bird bath is always filled with fresh water.