Barefoot in the kitchen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.