I Can’t Believe He Ate The Whole Thing…

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Deborah

We had the pleasure of our Daughter and her Husband up to the Homestead for 9 days (they left yesterday). While here, they enjoyed the sun, the stars, the wildlife and kayaking on the lake.

Our son-in-law is also a great cook, and I sincerely appreciated the help in cooking duties giving me some much needed breaks from the kitchen. As their time with us was winding down, there was a mish-mash of ingredients and leftovers to do something with. A little of this and that but not enough to make full meals out of.

So what to do them?… Read more...

Vegetarian Italian Meatballs

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Deborah

My daughter is a Vegetarian. Which can be challenging at times. I think she decided to be one just to make life difficult for her husband (the cook of their family) and myself. Maybe. OK, maybe not. But it sure seems like it at times.

She is a VERY picky Vegetarian too. Any dish prepared for her can NOT have any mushrooms in it, and believe me, there are tons of recipes that use mushrooms as a base of vegetarian meals. She hates the fungi. She refers to them as ‘that dark chicken’ from leftovers I gave her of a … Read more...

How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies….

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Deborah

Is there anything more annoying than a cloud of fruit flies swarming your kitchen? Unless you consider your husband and his buddies swarming your kitchen searching for Super Bowl noshes just as annoying, but I can’t help you there.

I hate Fruit Flies. Yes, they have a purpose in this world and that is to feed upon rotting fruit and be Mother Nature’s garbage disposal (along with ants…but that’s another column for later).

So how do you get rid of these teeny, fast-flying, prolific little buggers?

2 ingredients and a shot glass is all you need. HA! I am sure … Read more...

The Farmer in the…… Market

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Deborah

Nope, the Farmer isn’t in the Dell…he/she/they are at my local Farmer’s Market. I just love going to the market. Nothing screams summer like a Farmer’s Market chock full of fresh produce with Vendor’s hawking everything from cut flowers to ice cream… yes… ice cream and if it wasn’t for it being 8:10 in the morning when I arrived, I would have had an ice cream cone.

But I already had breakfast and was busy scarfing down some very yummy free samples of Smoked Salmon Paté on crackers. SO DEE-LISH…. and of course, I had to buy a small tub … Read more...

Abra Cadabra-Presto its Pesto!

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Deborah

If you are like me, you are probably wishing you could wiggle your nose like Samantha Stevens and turn your seemingly endless supply of Basil leaves into cute, little bottled jars of pesto in an instant. Complete with bows on the lids and fancy labels. But the reality is, you are not a witch like Samantha Stevens, apparently they only exist in tv land. Therefore you must roll up your sleeves and deal with the Basil acreage on your own. Dammit…why is tv make-believe only?

I have 2 Basil plants at the Homestead and one in my garden in the … Read more...

I Can, You Can, Everyone is Doing the Can Can….

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Deborah

No, not the dance. But something equally as exciting and so much more self-satisfying. Unless you’re a gentleman watching some lovely French Ladies perform the time-honoured dance of the same name. But we won’t go there….

I am talking about Canning. Canning is preserving home-grown foods for consumption during the long, drawn-out, cold, miserable, kill your spouse for being cooped up with you for far too long Canadian winters.

Kinda makes you appreciate all the efforts you expended tending to that garden in the nine-million degree heat all summer long. Dealing with the cabbage worms that were eating your lettuce, … Read more...

How to make your own Pizza Dough…and Make it Healthier too.

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Deborah

HA! No way…she’s crazy you say. But it’s true. It is much easier than you think to make your own pizza dough. Especially when I have taken all the guesswork, time trials, marginal successes and some downright failures in perfecting this Pizza Dough recipe for you. I had gradiose ideas of wanting to use just whole wheat flour, but it ended up being just like making 100% whole wheat bread. It turned out heavy, chewy, no flavour and was almost suitable for boat anchor material (*almost* – it wouldn’t be because the fish will have eaten it once you threw … Read more...

Chiles Rellenos….Meets a Jalapeño Popper

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Deborah

How many things have been invented over the years that have actually come about from either a mistake, or the crazy notion that putting two seemingly oddball things together just might be the next best thing since the day someone dunked a hunk of chocolate in a jar of peanut butter.

I had that revelation today after heading out to the garden and picking the first 2 Poblano Peppers that were ready, and as I looked at the Poblanos, dinner popped into mind.

Chiles Rellenos – Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Chiles Rellenos (pronounced Chi-leys Rey-yeh-nos) are an extremely popular Mexican … Read more...

Heirloom Pickerel Dinner

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Deborah

Our family loves to eat this tasty freshwater fish. So much so that we eagerly await opening season in May and head out to *try* and catch dinner. Sometimes we come back empty handed and therefore resort to cooking hamburgers for dinner, and of course sulk the entire time we are eating.

But when we are able to bring back some of these tasty morsels of the fish world, we are like kids at Christmas time. Absolutely and positively excited about the dinner that is soon to hit the table.

This recipe is from my husband’s grandmother. I was introduced … Read more...

Pickerel or Walleye….

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Deborah

They are called by either name depending on what side of the border you are on. Canadians call them Pickerel. Americans call them Walleye. I call them DEE-LISH on my plate. With a squeeze of lemon for good measure.

They are a freshwater fish with firm, white flesh and have been made famous by many a fishing show shorelunch excursion. Italo…eat your heart out.

Catching a stringer full of pickerel is THE BOMB.

Yummy. Yummy. In my Tummy.

Depending on what lakes you visit in Ontario, there are limits as to how many you can catch/have in your possession at … Read more...