There are apples and peaches piled everywhere so today right after work we peeled and pitted and made sixteen dumplings. Some will go to the neighbour. Some will go to our friend who lost the love of his life a few years ago. Some might even make it to the freezer and some will be eaten for breakfast tomorrow morning. 
Not too many Saturday market days left so we try to go every Saturday. This weekend I bought a basket of peaches from my favourite vendor from Keremeos. I was going to make peach dumplings which were a hit last year, but this time I decided to try a new recipe from Martha - peach and cornmeal upside-down cake made in my cast iron skillet. We love anything made with cornmeal and this is a keeper.
Why would I get up at 6:00 am on my day off? Today was 50% off day at my favourite junk store and the sale started at 7:00 am. All the treasures, except one, that I had scouted out the day before were all there waiting for me. A demijohn with the willow cover for my collection. A heavy lead crystal vase, a mother of pearl necklace, an abalone pendant, blue fabric and several embroidered scarves and hankies to be sewn onto a quilt. A very successful treasure hunt.
Every year since 1982, we have participated in the TERRY FOX RUN. That first run was very special because we were living in Port Coquitlam, Terry's hometown, at the time. And Rick Hansen was there, we got to meet him and he autographed books and shook everybody's hand.
In honour of Labour Day, I made a special brunch. These cinnamon buns are the best I have ever tasted. Yes, they are a little extra work (they have to rise overnight in the fridge) but they are well worth it. The recipe is from FAMILY MEALS by Maria Helm Sinskey.
So in order to burn off all those calories, we took a hike in Kenna Cartwright Park. It was overcast but by the time we got to the top we had to take off our jackets. The view as always was fantastic.
Spent the afternoon in the kitchen - I tried another new recipe - Apple Galettes. Rustic individual pies - Valodya was in seventh heaven when he had a taste. I used the recipe from the June 2008 issue of Canadian Living magazine.
And for dinner, Valodya really outdid himself on his favourite Onion Tart. He added roasted red peppers and lots of olives to the onion and cream cheese mixture. With an insalata mista it was a perfect ending to a wonderful long weekend.
This is Maura's t-shirt quilt, a quilt that has been a year in the making. It took me quite a while to find just the right blanket for the backing. It had to be cotton and it had to feel good. The only size I could find was a twin blanket so I bought two because Maura has lots of t-shirts. The t-shirt squares are pinned on and I have basted the cotton twill tape over all the edges. This is a labour of love.
As a little reward for getting so much done on the quilt, I whipped up my favourite pesto recipe using the basil from the farmers market. I mixed walnuts and pecans, added extra parmiggiano and lots of olive oil. It was a hit at dinner.
Our beautiful rain barrel was overflowing this morning so we did not need to water the garden. Just had to grab a bowl and fill it with golf ball sized squash, celery, tomatoes, and cukes.
We tried cantaloupe for the first time this year; we have three babies and they look really cute but we will not be enjoying our own melons this time. 
The celery went crazy and it tastes wonderful. Somebody mentioned that they were going to make Ceasars - can't wait.
Our turkey stir-fry consisted of veggies from the market or from our own garden. 
Yellow beans from Rock Creek - so good and so simple to prepare. Cooked until al dente, added garlic, salt, fresh parsley, and olive oil. Serve cold with vinegar.
Good news - we had some rain last night which helped the forest fire situation a little but along with that much needed moisture we also got thunder and lightning. The dogs in the neighbourhood were howling their heads off during the storm.
