Category: bread

daddy’s girl

“This tug-of-war often obscures what’s also happening between us. I am your mother, the first mile of your road. Me and all my obvious and hidden limitations. That means that in addition to possibly wrecking you, I have the chance to give to you what was given to me: a decent childhood, more good memories than bad, some values, a sense of tribe, a run at happiness. You can’t imagine how seriously I take that – even as I fail you. Mothering you is the first thing of consequence that I have ever done.”
― Kelly Corrigan, Lift

a few sunny days here on the farm and combines are roaring everywhere…  these last few days have felt like harvest…  I come back from a morning run feeling itchy from the dust still clinging in the dewy morning air…

combine lights dance like fire flies out my window at night…

porcupines, skunks, deer, moose and geese are all on the move… cutting the grass I found three dead muskrats that my dogs proudly left for me…

and after two weeks of my boys being gone to boarding school I have whittled down my crying to generally once a day…  3:40 pm …  the moment all three of my children should be getting home and it’s just one small little girl with mounds of strawberry, blonde hair piled high on her head that I see wondering in off the bus…

in my last text to my dad, I asked him how he ever was happy again after I left home… I was curious to know how he was able to get up in the morning and make sense of the day without his little ‘ray of sunshine’ there to make him smile…  he still hasn’t responded (you know how busy retired life can be) but I’m sure his answer will be that he still struggles to this day to find joy when I’m not around…  (by the way, ‘ray of sunshine’ was a name I made up for myself…  he called me Catherine… my given name)

life goes on… and I am still trying to figure out how to mother my boys from a distance…  tending to teenage boys involved a lot of cleaning, folding laundry, picking up towels off the bathroom floor, flushing toilets, odour control of sporting equipment, odour control of them, grocery shopping, feeding them, dishes, feeding them… feeding them…  and now that has been ripped away from me

fortunately there are farmers to feed… it honestly would have been too painful to cut it down to just Sienna and I…  we need to ease into that…

it was with great enthusiasm that I cut kohlrabi and radishes to add to the pasta salad I was taking out…  until I had a Hutterite stop by to try to sell me a turkey and asked what I was making for supper – only to be told that no one likes pasta salad… and when he spotted a zucchini he informed me that those can ruin a cake pretty quickly…

kohlrabi pasta salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb medium pasta shells
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 4 small kohlrabi, peeled and chopped
  • 8 radishes, diced
  • 1 cup mayo
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • few dashes of sriracha sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, (or 1/2 tsp dried dill)

Directions:

  • bring a large pot of salted water to boil
  • add pasta and cook according to package
  • drain and rinse under cold water
  • pat dry
  • in a large bowl, combine pasta with bell peppers, kohlrabi and radishes
  • in a medium bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients
  • pour over the salad and mix thoroughly
  • chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before serving

when I was in grade 3, my life goal was to be a ‘Weather-Woman’…  for a news crew…  I was thinking perhaps CHCA-TV out of Red Deer, Alberta…  so I wrote out pages upon pages of news updates (it was during the Calgary Olympics of ’88, so it was mainly weather and Olympic coverage) 

fortunately enough, my dad was ahead of the game with technology and we had a news crew style RCA video camera…  he got it out of the giant briefcase it was housed in and set it up on the tripod, focused in on me sitting behind the piano bench, ready to give the news highlights for the evening…

this is the thing about being a parent…  you actually love everything about your child… even the weird things… especially the weird things…

I never felt any pressure from my dad to do anything neat to catch his eye…  in fact, I was under the impression that he was just as proud of me for doing the news that evening as he was when he was videoing me running at track and field… or butchering a song at a piano recital…

this is what I have realized over the last two weeks of the boys absence from home… it is what I remember about my dad and still to this day feel around him… it never has been about what I’ve been able to do or accomplish or work for… he has always wanted to sit with me, listen to me, laugh at my jokes, play a game and talk to me…

not only did my dad want to be around me… he wanted to record it all on a giant video camera…

chili with ground beef and italian sausage

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
8 oz smoked sausage
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4 oz) can mild green chile peppers
2-3 tbsp diced jalapeno peppers, seeds removed
2 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp montreal steak seasoning or seasoned salt
2-3 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
freshly cracked black pepper
extra salt to taste if necessary

Directions:
brown the meat and drain
in an Instant Pot, saute the onion in some olive oil and then add the pepper and garlic
add the remaining ingredients, including the browned meat, and set on slow cook mode for at least 2 hours but preferably longer!

well, dad finally responded to my text with “yes, it took awhile for us to get over the trauma of seeing you leave home, Catherine and this trauma was only exacerbated by the fact that Princess Diana and Mother Theresa both died at the same time you left.“

 the use of the word ‘trauma’ in his text was presumably a bit tongue-and-cheek, although these things can be hard to pick up on in the modern age of texting…  I do believe that he was deeply saddened with the passing of Princess Diana and Mother Theresa however…

cheddar cornbread muffins

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp melted butter

Directions:

  • preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • line muffin tin with paper cups and spray them with cooking spray lightly
  • in a bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk
  • add the egg, milk and butter and combine till well mixed
  • scoop into the muffin tin
  • bake for 17-20 minutes until golden brown
  • if desired, brush the tops with butter and serve

back to my news broadcast…  my dad made a highlight reel of the countless hours of footage he was able to compile of me and my brothers throughout our childhood… this made the cut and the weather forecast I delivered was “it is getting warmer out, but it is still very cold… it might snow or rain”  pretty much nailed the weather…

the highlight reel had me believing I was a far better basketball player than I actually was… the compliation also reveals that my dad really did video us doing just about anything…  he truly enjoyed us kids for who we were because the footage is far from extraordinary…

as I was sitting with the farmer as he was combining a partially hailed wheat crop, I noticed that the variety of wheat was Brandon (this being my oldest boy’s name sent me into a bit of a cry) … some say distance makes the heart grow fonder but I was truly fond of them when they were close to me… when they were home… distance just breaks the heart…

and as I try to figure out how to be a Mom to my boys who are away, I realize that I once again am turning to the advice of my parents…  as long as they aren’t too busy to respond to a text…

and this gives me hope…  so now on we go with harvest…  well it is now raining this morning…  as a ‘Weather-Woman’ once said, “it might snow or rain”

roasted beet & chickpea salad, Italian breadsticks, bacon wrapped chicken, zesty black beans and banana loaf

when your nine year old daughter asks you ‘what is a Kardashian?’…  and your response is ‘it’s a role model honey’…  you know you have this parenting thing down…

now that I feel like a master parent, on to becoming a master chef…

after continuous sugar desserts, I thought perhaps the farmers would enjoy and healthier option to end their meal with…

when I’m not spending time watching the Kardashian show to learn how to be a parent, I either watch cooking shows or running videos on YouTube…

the cooking shows/podcasts have led me to understand that spelt flour is better than all-purpose flour… and the more you can use superfood ingredients such as Costco’s Goldenberry or molasses… the better it is for you…

so this delicious loaf seems like you are doing your body a favour… and I’m not kidding this time… this is good for you!

worried that this loaf might be a bit too healthy looking, I opted to keep it for the kids lunches and made some banana loaf instead…

ginger-molasses bread

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups spelt flour (all-purpose if you don’t have spelt)
  • 1” knob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 cup greek yogurt, plain
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup goldenberries (or raisins)
  • 1 tsp orange zest

Directions:

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • grease 9×5” loaf pan with cooking spray
  • in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda
  • in a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, molasses, butter, and orange zest
  • add to the dry ingredients and stir just enough to bring batter together
  • add golden berries and fold in
  • pour into the loaf pan and bake until a butter knife inserted into the centre comes out clean, 40-45 minutes
  • cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes
  • turn the loaf out and let cool completely on the rack

spelt banana walnut loaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups spelt flour (or all-purpose flour if you don’t have spelt)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (4 ripe bananas)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup chopped goldenberries (or golden raisins)
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • grease 9×5” loaf pan with cooking spray
  • in a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt
  • in a mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar
  • scrape down and add eggs
  • add bananas and vanilla
  • pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined
  • fold in walnuts, goldenberries and chocolate chips
  • pour into the loaf pan
  • bake for 50-60 minutes until a butter knife inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean
  • transfer to wire rack and cool for 15 minutes
  • turn loaf out and cool completely

to balance off the healthy dessert, I then made the trusted and true Italian breadsticks…

the kids had finally got home from school so I could put them to work packing up the loaf and breadsticks…  what I learnt from the Kardashians is that hard work pays off…

golden Italian breadsticks

  • Servings: 1 large baking sheet
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Ingredients:

  • 5 cups flour
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp instant rise yeast
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 4 tbsp canola oil
  • 1/2 cup Golden Italian Dressing
  • 1 bag or 320 g Italiano Grated Cheese
  • 1/4 cup Parmenson Cheese
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

  • mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast till combined in a Bosch dough mixer or a mixer with a dough hook
  • add warm water and oil and mix for around 5-7 minutes until well combined
  • turn into a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel and let rise till it has doubled it’s size, around 45 minutes
  • line a 18×12 baking sheet with parchment paper
  • dump dough out onto baking sheet and press out with hands to the edges of the pan
  • spread with a spatula the golden Italian dressing over the dough
  • sprinkle the grated cheese
  • top with the seasonings
  • bake at 425 degrees for 16 minutes or until golden brown
  • let cool and slice into breadsticks
  • wrap in tin foil to put in supper bags

wrapping bacon around things always looks so great in pictures… and then you attempt it and you are mad at whoever made it look easy…

so instead of being mad at me, I’ll tell you it is frustrating and hard…

so after making up the wrapped version for the farmers, I made the lazy version for my kids…  just cut up the chicken and layered on the spinach, slightly cooked bacon and feta…

same ingredients but I probably saved at least half an hour of work…

if you are a fancy person and like wrapping bacon around things, these long wooden squerers are a must…

back to the healthy again, the side I went with for the bacon wrapped chicken was this zesty black bean mixture…  which I did selfishly because wanted to eat it…

if you have never used chipotle peppers before, they add a lot of heat to a dish…  one is enough…  and recently I discovered you can freeze the rest of the peppers (individually) and use them in the future… so you aren’t wasting the whole can for one pepper…

I had some homemade chicken stock that I added to this bean mixture and right at the end you add lime juice and zest…

zesty black beans

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo (canned), chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • zest of one lime

Directions:

  • heat oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over med/high heat
  • add onion, carrots, and salt and cook
  • add garlic and cook
  • add the beans, chile pepper, cumin, bay leaf and chicken stock
  • cover and reduce heat to very low simmer for 1 hour
  • prior to serving, add the lime juice and zest

if you are interested in protein and are training for the Crossfit Games… this main dish is for you…

last of all an easy salad…  apple cider vinaigrette drizzled over spinach with roasted beets, chickpeas and red onions…

I had roasted the beets, chickpeas and onions in the morning and had put in the fridge for the day so it was easy to assemble in the mad rush to pack suppers up…

if I put chickpeas in or on everything I think the farmer will finally get the hint to grow some chickpeas!!!

as this fall heat wave continues and harvest keeps rolling along, sunsets on the prairies are some of the best you’ll see anywhere…  I generally like to enjoy them with a glass of wine and this is why I’m usually in bed before my nine year old daughter…

I feel like the Kardashians would approve though

crockpot butter chicken, homemade naan bread, creamed garden corn, spinach strawberry salad and rhubarb sour cream pie 

yesterday the young-ins were home from school due to something called labour day… which strikes me as odd due to the fact we’ve had an entire summer off…  and now you are making me look after my own children for something called labour day???

so, I put them to work… in honour of the day…  and we picked two rows of corn from the garden… and got over 120 cobs I figure!  just crazy this year due to the insane rain we’ve had…

my middle son made up a song as he did it… something to do with he likes sausage more than corn…  drove me nuts… but I knew that was his game plan to get out of working so I tried to block him out and not let him win the battle…

he won the battle… Sienna and I finished the job…

after getting a few cobs of corn back in the suppers sent out to the farmers I decided that driving giant machinery whilst eating a cob of corn might be tricky so I’m doing the work for them now and cutting the kernels off the cob…

what I really should do to help them out is throw the entire meal into my Vitamix and wa-la…  dinner in a smoothie!

creamed garden corn

Ingredients:

  • @ 40 cobs corn, kernels cut off into a bowl to use
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 pint half/half cream
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

  • cut the kernels off the corn cobs
  • put kernels in a large roasting pan, add butter, cream, salt and sugar
  • bake covered at 350 degrees for 90 minutes, stirring once
  • allow to cool and store in ziplock bags in freezer for future use or serve immediately

the kids were very excited to eat this… and I have 12 bags in the freezer for our family for the winter now!

now that labour day is done and I can get my kids back to school, the dogs and I took a little run this morning…

I have to stick to the dirt roads as there is an abnormal amount of heavy machinery traffic on the grid roads… and this lovely dog Lacy tends to stand in the middle of road when a sprayer or combine or grain truck comes rolling by…

almost like she’s deaf… or blind… or stupid…

but dirt roads have better scenery anyways…

and the smell of wet leaves on the ground this morning mixed with the breeze blowing through the barley and durum made for a blissful run…

fall is my favourite time of year… maybe…

I was able to steal some rhubarb from the farmers cousin’s place… which used to be his grandparents rhubarb…  and I do this every harvest because rhubarb might be my favourite ingredient ever…

I know what you are thinking… just transplant it already…

I feel like that would take some of my excitement over getting the rhubarb away… and thus make me not enjoy it as much as I do now…

I was planning on making Grandma Swan’s rhubarb cream pie but upon discussion at the local grocery store with the owners of how to go about making a great rhubarb pie I changed my plans and went with a recipe that was told to me as I was paying for my baking supplies…

I might not have remembered well enough and overfilled my pies a touch, but made the adjustments for the recipe I’m posting with this…

so go ahead and try it out…  my kids ate it like they had never ate pie before…

thank you Pat and Craig from P&C Foods!

rhubarb sour cream pie

Ingredients:

  • 1 9” pie shell, chilled
  • 4 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/8 cup butter

Directions:

  • place rhubarb in the unbaked pie shell
  • whisk egg, sugar, sour cream and flour together
  • pour over the rhubarb
  • crumble the flour, brown sugar and butter together
  • spread over the pie
  • bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes
  • continue to bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes
  • allow at least an hour to cool before you serve

easiest salad to make ever… I don’t like it… but seems like there are those out there that do… and it’s better than just sending spinach…

spinach strawberry salad

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz bag of spinach
  • 4 lbs strawberries, washed and sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:

  • place spinach (if too much take some out) and strawberries and almonds in a very large bowl
  • shake the dressing ingredients until well combined
  • pour over salad and serve

I’ve put this recipe for naan bread on before and I still love it… it’s no Opa but if you can’t buy their pitas… make this…

homemade naan bread

Ingredients

– 2 tbsp sugar

– 1/2 cup hot water (not boiling)

– 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

– 4 cups all purpose flour

– 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

– 1 tsp kosher salt

– 3 tsp baking powder

– 2 tsp baking soda

– 1 1/2 cups warm milk

– 2 cup greek yogurt, room temperature

– melted butter for brushing

– fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

– dissolve the sugar in the water and add the yeast in a large measuring bowl… let sit for 10 minutes

– in a mixing bowl, add flour, salt,  baking soda and baking powder

– add the warm milk and yogurt to the yeast mixture

– pour the wet ingredients into the dry and begin mixing together gently

– use your hands to finish mixing it together

– it should be sticky but should be able to form a ball

– cover with a damp tea towel and let rise 1 hour in a warm place

– when ready to use divide it into 2 and divide those two sections into 8 each… keep these balls covered with a damp tea towel

– roll the ball into an oval shape, about 6 inches long and 1/4 inch thick

– brush the dough with butter and place in a frying pan on med/high heat and cover with a lid for 1 minute or until you see bubbles begin to form

– flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more until it looks toasted

– brush with a little bit more butter and sprinkle with kosher salt and cilantro

– place in a 9×13 tea towel lined dish and cover with a tea towel until you have completed cooking all of them

now the butter chicken… which is always a hit around this house…

my advice, if you are are planning on doing this entire meal, go to costco and buy their three pack of greek yogurt…  you’ll thank me…  over and over and over again…

crockpot butter chicken

Ingredients:

  • 7 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into chunks
  • 2 cups onions, minced
  • 1 (14 oz or 398 mL) can coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup half/half cream
  • 1 (5.5 oz) can tomato paste
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2 tsp mild curry powder
  • 2 tsp garam marsala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

  • in a large measuring bowl, mix together coconut milk, greek yogurt and cream
  • add tomato sauce and whisk
  • add garlic, ginger and spices and whisk
  • spray the inside of your crockpot with a cooking spray
  • add the onion to the bowl and then the chicken
  • pour the coconut milk mixture over
  • cook on low for 4-6 hours
  • try to stir at least once during the cooking to break up the chicken
  • season with salt and pepper as necessary
  • serve over white rice and with a piece of warm Naan bread

 

the farmer’s grandma

the farmer’s Grandma passed away at age 83…  she was the matriarch of a family that consists of her amazing farmer husband, 6 children, 22 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren…  (I could be wrong with this count…)

I have begun to write about her roughly 7 times now, have had to stop, delete and re-do…  and I am still at a loss for words to describe how knowing her has impacted my life… and without a doubt all of her family members lives…  I’m sure on different levels and for different reasons…

there are her children who love her dearly… there were those that saw her on a daily basis for coffee and cookies… those that farmed with her… those that had the occasional Sunday brunch… those that were lucky enough to learn how to make bread and buns under her instruction… those that played tennis or kaiser with her…  and those that saw her through her last years, fighting an invisible disease that no one knew was there…

no matter what the role or relationship the members of her enormous family had in her life, every single one of us is a better person because of the life that she lived… it was a selfless life, filled with generosity and service… hard work does not even scratch the surface when it comes to the way she lived…

there was a joy, a magic (as one of the farmer’s cousins recently pointed out) in the way she went through her day…  the organization and planning it took to raise 6 children, help raise their children and never turn down a visitor is extraordinary… how she always had the freezers and the cold room full of baking and food…  how fresh buns and bread magically appeared with no sign of mess or stress…

I met the farmer’s grandma 18 years ago…  I’m sure when she met me she wondered what this city girl was going to do on a farm… she would have been right because I wondered what I was doing here…  and this is when she impacted my life the most…  and when I needed it the most…

forever patient, she always seemed to have time for a tea and a visit…  I was enthralled with the way she did everything… I had never seen anything like it…  she had 6 bathrooms to clean! (I went in all six during one visit and they were all clean… and by ‘I went’ I merely mean I peaked…)

I realized that if I was going to succeed in making my farmer happy, she was one I could definitely learn from… I remember her showing up at our house one morning, in the summer, at 7:30 am with bread dough to be rolled out…  she had taken me literally when I had mentioned I needed to learn how to roll out bread dough and here she was…  she laughed that she had woken me up and on we got with it…

unfortunately, I could not do anything even close to how she did it…  we spent our summer’s going to her and grandpa’s cabin (which is now the farmer’s and my cabin)… most of the farmer’s lake memories go like this…

‘Grandma always would climb to the top of the hill where the saskatoon bushes are and pick berries and make the best jam…  she told me that the over-ripe berries make the best jam’

‘Grandma would be up in the morning making an egg casserole, fresh bread to toast and bacon’

‘Grandma is the best partner for Kaiser…  she never gets mad when you mess up… she actually makes it seem like it could have been her fault’

‘Grandma had a lava lamp up here and we used to burn our hands on it all the time’

‘Grandma washed the window on the screen door at least 5 times in a day when we all were here’

‘Grandma always had cherries and I was allowed to eat as many as I wanted’

‘the best orange juice I’ve ever had was in Arizona when Grandma would make freshly squeezed orange juice’ (not related to the lake but he tends to tell it when we are having orange juice at the lake)

this spring, when I was up cleaning the cabin, where most of my memories of summer reside, I did my best to clean it top to bottom the way I remember her doing…  but I know she would have re-cleaned my cleaning job without me knowing if she could have…

I saw her cleaning the oven at the lake one time and she said ‘there are just some jobs you have to do… no way around it…’

through watching her and through hearing the way the farmer talked about her, I realized how important cooking and cleaning and being there for your family is…  it is such a practical way of saying ‘I love you’…  and if you do it with a sense of joy and a smile it not only fills the belly’s of your family but it fills their souls…

to date I have shared 12 of Grandma’s recipes on this site…  my guess is at least three times more than anyone else I have drawn recipes from… and when I was looking over which ones I have used it only reminded me that I should be using way more for the farmers in the field…  they would appreciate it I’m sure…

macaroni salad, layered salad, german chocolate cake, lemon meringue pie (twice), italian breadsticks, whipped potatoes, cucumber dill salad, peach cobbler, cauliflower taco salad, white bread, clam chowder, and caesar salad dressing…

on Father’s Day, my dad was out and I cooked a Sunday brunch in honour of Grandma Swan…  the farmer has so many memories of Sunday brunches with Grandma and my dad has been a recipient of a few as well…

Grandma had two cookbooks published… I refer to these weekly for sure… the first cookbook was published in 1987 (co-authored by Dawn Bevan) and is titled Sure… You Can Cook! “The Happy Cookers”… they put together another one 18 years later (same title)…  I have copies of these cookbooks to give to my three children when they move out someday…

the moment I tasted her Griddle Cakes I knew you never should make pancakes with a mix…  nothing is better than her buttermilk pancakes… (again, I cannot make them the same way she did)

Grandma Swan was the ‘Pioneer Woman’ long before you could gain any fame by cooking…  she was practical…  they went through times in farming where money was scarce and food was tight…  she cooked, baked, canned and gardened not to blog about it or put pictures on Instagram…  she did it out of necessity and was excellent at it…

this is my tribute and my account of Grandma Swan… my biggest regret is not writing this a week ago and being able to read it to her…  I know other’s knew her in a more intimate way that the farmer and I did and many in our large family are going through a very hard time grasping saying goodbye to someone so special…

the farmer was able to take our two boys and see her before she passed away…  she was unable to speak but she wrote a note to him that forever will spur him on to work harder and live more generously… and it was ‘I’m so proud of you… always be a family’

she will forever be my inspiration to cook, clean, work hard, smile and spend time with family…  I will not come remotely close to what she was able to accomplish in life, but that is ok…  she was the best of the best…

she fed us and she loved us…  and we loved her…

baked hash brown casserole

  • Servings: 1 9x13 casserole
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Ingredients:

  • 2 lb frozen hash browns, thawed
  • 1/4 cup melted margarine
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 pint whipping cream, unwhipped
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 cups grated cheese
  • 2 cups crushed corn flakes
  • 1/4 cup melted margarine

Directions:

  • mix together 1/4 cup margarine, salt, pepper, onion, whipping cream, soup and cheese
  • butter 9×13 inch pan and place hash browns in bottom
  • pour liquid mixture over hash browns
  • mix 1/4 cup margarine and corn flakes and put on top of potato mixture
  • bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

griddle cakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil

Directions:

  • combine dry ingredients
  • add all liquids and beat together
  • drop from spoon on preheated griddle
  • grease lightly
  • fry at 375 degrees

seeding meal #7

the boys had to help me get the meal out yesterday… life was busy and I was not home during the crucial hours of 3:30 – 5:30 pm…  but I had laid out the ingredients and had instructed both boys on what their role would be in this process…

a few concerns I had…  Ethan got his phone out an recorded me word-for-word like a reporter… unbeknownst to me… and I rambled… and paused…  pretty sure he is just going to use that audio for something to embarrass me with at a later point…

Brandon, my 14 year old, grabbed two Cutco knives and started singing ‘everybody was Kung Fu fighting’…  (might I add that I believe there should be more parenting books written to guide one through the murky waters of adolescent boys?)

Ethan, upon seeing that chicken was on the menu, countered with his own little jingle that only had one word ‘salmonella… salm, salm-onella’ (more of a rap really)

seeing that they had dinner prep firmly under control, I headed out to pick up my daughter and couldn’t wait to get home to see the progress they had made…

I had made this Naan bread earlier and it was ready to go…  this might have been a bit complicated for the boys, even though they did keep reminding me that they are learning all this ‘cooking stuff’ at school…

homemade greek yogurt Naan bread

– 2 tbsp sugar

– 1/2 cup warm water

– 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

– 4 cups all purpose flour

– 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

– 1 tsp kosher salt

– 3 tsp baking powder

– 2 tsp baking soda

– 1 1/2 cups warm whole milk

– 2 cups greek yogurt, room temperature

– melted butter, for brushing

– fresh cilantro, chopped and for garnishing

– sea salt flakes for seasoning

Directions:

– dissolve sugar in the water and add the yeast in a large measuring bowl

– let sit for 10 minuts

– in a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder

– add the warm milk and yogurt to the yeast mixture and mix on low speed with paddle attachment

– add the dry ingredients and mix with paddle attachment on medium speed until combined

– turn out onto counter and form into a ball

– place in a greased bowl and cover with tea towel for 1 hour to rise

– when ready, divide into two and then divide those two sections each into 8

– roll each of these into balls and keep covered with a warm, damp tea towel

– roll the ball into an oval shape about 6 inches long and 1/4 inch thick

– brush the dough with butter and place in a frying pan on med/high heat and cover with a lid for 1 minute or until you see bubbles begin to form

– flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more until looks toasted

– brush with a bit more butter and sprinkle with sea salt flakes and cilantro to serve

– place in a 9×13 tea towel lined dish and cover with a tea towel until you have completed cooking all of them

steph curried chicken and vegetable pan roast

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, halved
  • 2 large red onions, cut into thin wedges
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp mild curry powder
  • 4 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Directions:

  • preheat oven to 450
  • in a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts, onion and squash
  • turn out onto a parchment lined baking sheet (or two baking sheets if necessary) and season with salt and pepper
  • combine yogurt, ginger, garlic and curry powder
  • add chicken and coat
  • in a 9×13 pan, pour chicken into
  • place chicken in oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through
  • place vegetable in oven and roast for 15 minutes or until soft
  • serve over white rice and with a slice of Naan bread

all that hard work at school paid off with these finally chopped vegetables!  maybe there is still hope for this 14 year old after all…

the kids also believe that any dish containing curry is simply my ode to Steph Curry… I overheard Ethan talking to Sienna as we were packing up the suppers and she said, ‘ya, it’s Steph Curry chicken night I think’…

now to the sheet cake that the farmer claimed was his favourite dessert through all of seeding thus far…  in the defence of other desserts made, he is sleep deprived and if you asked him to name a single other dessert he has had, I believe he would not be able to…

chocolate coconut macaroon sheet cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • unsalted butter, room temperature, for pan
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup warm, strong coffee
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Macaroon Topping:

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • 6 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2/3 cup warm, strong coffee
  • 1 tsp vanillla
  • whipping cream
  • strawberries

Directions:

  • preheat oven to 350
  • butter a 9×13 pan, line 2 sides and bottom with parchment paper, butter again and dust with cocoa powder
  • whisk in a large bowl, cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt
  • in a mixer, add eggs and buttermilk and mix on medium speed till combined
  • add buttermilk, coffee and vanilla
  • add dry ingredients and combine until well incorporated
  • pour into the baking dish
  • bake for 35 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean
  • set pan on a wire rack to cool
  • in a saucepan, add butter and melt
  • mix together the icing sugar, cocoa powder and coconut
  • add to the melted butter and add vanilla
  • stir until well combined and take off heat
  • when cake has slightly cooled, pour the coconut mixture over it and smooth out evenly
  • when it comes time to cut the cake, lift out gently with the parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board
  • cut 12 for large pieces or 16 for regular pieces
  • serve with whipped cream and strawberries if you so choose

seeding meal #1

I listen to a lot of podcasts…  it used to be audiobooks and then I’d tell people I read the book…  but now I’ve moved on to podcasts…  and let me tell you, it is taking an afternoon in the kitchen to a whole new level…

at times it is a level of missed ingredients, forgetting something is in the oven or too much knowledge going into my head and not enough retention…

but it does make it so I get all excited to get my house chores done, go get the mail and do some banking, hit up the store to pick up a few items, go for the run my calendar tells me I have to go for that day and finish up some yard work… all the while I am thinking that I am going to reward myself with hours in the kitchen listening to podcasts…  while I cook for farmers…

and I think to myself… dream job…  seriously, I have never been more happy…

there is a range of podcasts that I like to listen to… and sometimes it takes around 15 minutes for me to decide on which one to go for…

krista tippett, timothy keller, the longest shortest time, bill simmons, nomad, serial, rob bell…  I held back the urge to listen to ‘game of thrones the podcast’…

the only issue is when I go to take pictures of the food I’m half concentrating on cooking, it pauses my podcasts… and I’m not going to lie…  it has forced me to take fewer photos of food… possibly is forcing me to learn how to use a camera… just so the podcasts go uninterrupted…

beef pot roast with peppercorn gravy

  • Servings: 10 +2 dogs
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 1 head garlic, broken up
  • 4 dried bay leaves
  • 2 tsp rosemary
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 500 mL dry red wine
  • 250 mL beef broth
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 4 lb boneless beef chuck roast (trimmed and tied snuggly with kitchen string)
  • kosher salt
  • lemon pepper
  • rosemary

– 1 pkg bacon, cooked

Directions:

  • in a medium pot, add the first ingredients and bring to boil
  • reduce heat and simmer while getting roast ready
  • in a dutch oven, heat olive oil
  • pat dry the roast and then season with salt, pepper and rosemary
  • sear on all sides
  • pour the vegetable and wine mixture over the roast
  • place in oven at 300 degrees for 3 1/2 hours
  • lift out roast and put on cutting board
  • cover with foil
  • strain liquid and pour the remaining liquid into a medium pot
  • add 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 all purpose flour
  • whisk until the gravy thickens
  • add seasoning as needed to gravy
  • serve with potatoes and a slice of bacon!


garlic roasted white potatoes

Ingredients:

  • around 4 lbs medium white potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 head garlic, minced

Directions:

  • preheat oven to 450 degrees
  • in a large bowl, add cut potatoes
  • add the rest of the ingredients
  • let sit for a bit and then place potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet
  • bake for 25-30 minutes until done and slightly crispy

whole wheat biscuits

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Robin Hood ‘Tastes Like White’ flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted cold butter, cubed
  • 1 cup cold buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup melted butter (for brushing)

Directions:

  • preheat oven to 450 degrees
  • in a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt
  • add butter and with a pastry blender cut the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal
  • pour in buttermilk and gently pull together with a spatula
  • dump out onto floured counter top and gently roll out till it is 3/4 inch thick
  • dip a 2.5 inch biscuit cutter in flour and cut out the biscuits
  • do not twist, as this prevents the biscuits from rising evenly, but just press down
  • place on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with butter
  • bake for 10 minutes
  • best served warm

Brandon, my 14 year old who lost all brain function about 3 months ago, actually suggested the sour cream on the side to go along with the roast, potatoes and burnt bacon… (but I learnt a lot of life lessons from the podcast I was engrossed in while the bacon was burning…  so in the end I think a good thing)…  I was proud of him… prouder than I have been in ages…  months actually… I almost included him in the picture that was interrupting my podcast…

first meal during seeding…  I thought I’d include bacon twice…  just in case nothing else tasted good…

mixed greens with orange balsamic vinaigrette

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 clove of garlic, smashed (removed before serving)
  • mixed greens
  • bacon (cooked and cut up)
  • cashews (roasted and unsalted)
  • mandarin orange slices (canned… drained)

Directions:

  • in a salad shaker, combine ingredients except for the garlic and shake until well mixed
  • add the garlic and store in refrigerator for a few hours
  • make individuals salads
  • take out garlic, shake dressing again and pour over the salads

lemon bundt cake

  • Servings: 1 bundt cake
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp grated lemon zest (around 3 lemons)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (around 2-3 lemons)
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups all  purpose flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees
  • using Crisco or butter, butter a bundt pan and flour it
  • place in the fridge to cool
  • in a mixer, combine sugar and butter until well mixed
  • add eggs, one at a time
  • add lemon zest and lemon juice
  • combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl and add to mixer
  • add yogurt to mixer
  • pour into the bundt pan
  • bake for 1 hour 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean
  • cool on a wire rack, in the pan, for one hour
  • turn cake out and cool for another hour
  • mix powdered sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over room temperature cake

this is what happens to a cake when you put it in the oven and then forget you did and go for a run… and then are rushed for time so you put the glaze on before it is cool…

the farmer told me it was shockingly moist and good… so apparently you cannot wreck this cake…

I spent the weekend in Calgary with a little girl that is dear to my heart…  she is a miniature Brene Brown or Oprah… everything that comes out of her mouth is a ‘life lesson’ or ‘a-ha’ moment…  and I feel close to her as I listen to podcast after podcast and wonder when I am going to be able to handle my kids coming home from school and not screaming at them to put their lunch kits in the proper spot…

I could hibernate

Everything about the idea of hibernation seems wonderful to me.  The eating excessively to ready the body for the months of sleep where it will need to sustain itself off my fat reserve. The deep sleep for a few months when it is dark and cold outside.  The giving birth while asleep in my fat induced coma.  (I’m not expert but this is what I believe hibernation entails.)

Where I live the sun sets at 5:30 pm or so and doesn’t rise until 8:30 am.  My brain is programmed to wake and sleep according to the sun. This has something to do with my cave-men ancestors I’m sure and nothing to do with laziness or seasonal depression.

Needless to say for about a month here I’ve been getting  very angry when my alarm goes off in the morning.   I love how Oprah says to wake up in a spirit of gratitude.  Try living in darkness where everyone starts looking like they are from a horror movie with giant black eye bags due to the fact that we never see sunlight and see how grateful you are Oprah.  Not possible.

The children are not allowing me to hibernate.  First of all I had to birth them awake… drugged but awake. Then they have the audacity to demand breakfast and lunches made for them before they go to school.  Furthermore, they need to be driven to hockey practices every evening in the dark.  They are not understanding my longing for the deep sleep of winter.

My mind wanders to what our ancestor farmers did back when there was no TV or electricity or reason to live.  They obviously made babies due to the fact that every family had about 12 children living in 400 square feet of house. With no TV.   Wouldn’t be my first thought in the lonely darkness of winter to have yet another child to discipline, provide for, pay attention to and share square footage with.

I’m assuming they slept a lot.  I realize they had to worry about keeping the family fed and animals alive and wood supply stocked and clothing sewn and maple syrup tapped.  (now I’m purely referencing Little House on the Prairie)

I’m more into being a modern day farmer’s wife.   I appreciate what those that forged the trail ahead for us did but my guess is I would have starved to death and so would my 14 children.  Which might have been the kindest thing I could have done for them given our circumstances.

Next best thing to sleeping is eating freshly baked bread.  So I am making Grandma Swan’s bread recipe today in hopes to forget that I wish I was sleeping.

All winter… just sleeping. Or at least from 5:30 pm – 8:30 am.  Is 15 hours of sleep good for you?

grandma swan's white bread

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp quick rising yeast
  • 5 cups potato water (or regular lukewarm water)
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 13 to 14 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

  • mix 1 cup water and sugar together and sprinkle yeast over it
  • let sit for 10 minutes
  • in your Bosch machine (or dough machine) add warm potato water, oil, sugar and salt
  • add yeast mixture and combine
  • add flour, 3 cups at a time and mix well after every addition
  • when it comes together, turn out onto a clean surface and work with hands into a ball
  • place in a greased bowl and let rise till double
  • punch down and let rise again
  • shape dough into 7 balls and place on a greased baking sheet covered with a tea towel
  • take one ball and roll out with a rolling pin to approximately 7×11 inches
  • from upper edge, roll dough towards you, jelly roll fashion, sealing dough with the heel of your hand after each roll
  • after roughly 4 turns it will be at the edge and seal the final seam
  • seal ends of the loaf with the side of your hand to get a thin sealed strip
  • fold sealed ends under and place in a well greased (I use shortening) bread pan, approximately 7×11 inches
  • let rise until double with a tea towel over the loaves in a warm area
  • bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes
  • take out of oven and brush tops of loaves with margarine
  • remove from pans and cool on rack

meal to the field #12

if I’ve decided I’m going to fight with you on the phone… nothing you do or say will stop it… no amount of patience, reasoning, intelligence or common sense will quell my anger…

over the past few weeks I have been blogging and posting pictures of either myself or my food… and my internet has been so painfully slow that I’ve resorted to turning it off completely and linking my phone to my laptop to write my posts…  this took considerable effort seeings how a 36 year old like myself has no idea the difference between ‘hotspot’ and ‘bluetooth’…

the farmer would tell you that I like to let my anger get to a level where I can’t be reasoned with, before I start a fight… this allows me to always win… because the other person gives up…

I make the phone call… I am on hold for over four minutes… this only fuels the fire… when Trevor finally gets off his coffee break and can field my call, the first question he asks me is my phone number… I give him my cell number but no he wants my old land line number… which I can’t remember due to the fact I have a poor memory… he was kind enough to ‘dig around’ and found my account which I have been paying $74 a month for…

I tell him my side of the story… “I’m trying to download 6 pictures and it takes me 3 days and I eventually just shut off my internet and hook my laptop up to my phone because your internet service is so horrible”…

Trevor pauses and then says in his nerdy, cocky, early 20’s voice… “our internet service looks like it’s functioning well in your area”…  I said “how would you know? I’d like you to send someone out here to check on it”…  Trevor replies “I can check on it from here and everything from our end is functioning well but you are completely tapped out for uploads and downloads on your end… do you have other devices running in your residence?”…

Sienna… crap… she has three iPads and two mini iPads…  before you judge…  they are all hand-me-downs and out of date… only one doesn’t have a cracked screen… and we won two of them at prize tables at hockey tournaments… whew… I can sense the judgement going away…

and she loves Netflix

but I found the next words out of my mouth to Trevor were “no… I put all devices in the house on airplane mode already… I think it is something on your end”…  he paused and his next words had a bit of a scorning laugh added to them “I can see our end and your end and it definitely is your end that is the problem”…

I did not go down without a fight…  I stuck to my story… told him I was possibly going to cancel my services with them… told him I felt like he could work on his customer service…

as soon as I hung up… I went and looked at all of her iPads… she has them stashed all over the house so it took me a bit… I turned them all on to airplane mode… came back to my laptop and ‘waa-laa’ (the farmer tells me that’s not how you say it)…  pictures downloaded or uploaded… not sure which… and everything working at lightning speed…

in that moment I just about called Trevor back… but I couldn’t (even though I knew I was wrong) apologize to a early 20’s cocky nerd…  it wouldn’t be good for his ego…

cauliflower taco salad

Ingredients:

  • 3 heads Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
  • 2 green peppers, small dice
  • 2 cups mayo
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into small portions
  • 6 green onions, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
  • 1 bag Doritos

Directions:

  • in either a large bowl or in individual containers, place lettuce and green peppers
  • mix the mayo and sugar and spoon and smooth over the lettuce and green peppers
  • add cauliflower, green onions and cheddar cheese
  • chill for at least 2 hours
  • when ready to serve add crushed Doritos on the top
  • if serving in a large bowl, mix ingredients together before serving
  • if putting in containers to take to the field, leave unmixed

chicken pot pie with biscuits

Ingredients:

Chicken Filling:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup flour
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, cubed
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 8 cups shredded chicken
  • olive oil
  • 2 white onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups carrots, small dice
  • 3 cups celery, small dice
  • 3 cups frozen peas

Biscuit Dough:

  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion or chives
  • 1/2 cup cold, cubed unsalted butter
  • 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 egg, for egg wash

Directions:

  • in a saucepan, thicken buttter, flour, broth, cream cheese, salt and pepper and lemon juice
  • add the shredded chicken and pour into a large mixing bowl
  • in the same pan, heat olive oil and add onions, garlic, carrots and celery
  • cook until softened and add to the chicken mixture
  • add peas to the chicken mixture
  • in two 9×13 inch greased baking pans, spread out pot pie mixture
  • for the biscuits, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and pepper
  • add green onions and mix
  • cut in with a pastry blender the butter and cream cheese
  • add buttermilk and combine
  • turn out onto floured surface and knead very lightly
  • roll out till 1/2 inch thick and cut with biscuit cutter
  • place biscuits on top of chicken filling
  • beat one egg with a splash of water and brush on the biscuits
  • bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until chicken filling is bubbling and biscuits are browned


apple crisp with pistachios

Ingredients:

  • 15 macintosh apples (washed, cored and cubed – peel on)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 2 cups oats
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios

Directions:

  • put brown sugar, lemon juice and zest and cinnamon in a large bowl
  • add apples and mix
  • pour into a 9×13 baking dish
  • in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter
  • blend with a pastry cutter
  • add oats and pistachios
  • sprinkle evenly over the apples
  • place 9×13 on a baking sheet in case of it spilling over
  • bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until bubbling and browned
  • serve warm and with vanilla ice cream if possible

meal to the field #11

combining canola… and needing buns for the kids lunches… so I made Tracey’s cheese buns she has told me about… I did not tackle making them in the figure eight shape she does…  I am not that talented… but you should try it because I think it would taste better that way…

 

Tracey's cheese buns

Ingredients:

  • Tammy’s Bun Recipe
  • 2 tbsp onion flakes
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 tsp Maldon sea salt flakes
  • 1 tsp garlic salt

Directions:

  • use Tammy’s Bun Recipe and add the onion flakes and garlic powder to it
  • let rise three times, punching down ever 15 minutes
  • roll out in a figure eight shape transfer to a parchment paper to rise
  • mix the parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese and sprinkle over the buns
  • sprinkle Maldon sea salt flakes and garlic salt over the buns
  • bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes or until browned and done

I love this salad…  my kids not so much… but it is everything I like in a harvest salad… packs well, transfers well, sits well…

frozen pea salad

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups frozen peas
  • 4 small heads broccoli, cut into small pieces
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
  • 2 yellow onions, diced
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 cups Ranch dressing
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 pkg (500g) cooked, chopped bacon
  • 1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews, chopped

Directions:

  • in a large bowl, mix together the peas, broccoli, cauliflower, onions and cheese
  • mix Ranch dressing and sour cream together and add to the salad
  • place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours
  • dish into containers and add bacon and cashews on top

the farmer requested this… beef stroganoff… a favourite from his childhood…

 

beef stroganoff

Ingredients:

  • 6 round streaks, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cans cream of chicken soup
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • olive oil
  • 3 yellow onions, minced
  • 1 head garlic, minced
  • 1 carton (320 g) button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 pkgs Egg Noodles

Directions:

  • heat olive oil in a pan
  • in two batches, place steak in flour, salt and pepper and then to brown on med-high heat in the pan
  • in a large pot, whisk chicken soup and sour cream together
  • transfer first batch of meat to the large pot with the soup mixture and brown the second batch of meat
  • transfer second batch of meat to the soup mixture
  • heat olive oil and add onions, garlic and then mushrooms
  • add this to the soup/meat mixture
  • keep on very low heat until you are ready to serve (at least 1 hour simmering)
  • serve over egg noodles

my mother cans peaches every fall… so I make peach cobbler every fall… as well as eat canned peaches for breakfast at least twice a week until they run out… I can remember blanching the peaches, getting the skin off of them, slicing them and putting them in the sugary juice in the canning jars… messy work and I’m grateful she still does it on her own so we can enjoy them…

peach cobbler

  • Servings: one 9x13 pan
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 3 quarts canned peaches, strained (or 12 fresh peaches, sliced)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • zest of one lemon
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup cold shortening, cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup whole milk

Directions:

  • mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice and zest in a saucepan on medium/high heat
  • add peaches and boil and gently stir for 1 minute
  • pour into a 9×13 greased dish
  • cut shortening into flour, sugar, baking powder and salt mixture
  • add milk and mix until sticky
  • spoon over the peaches and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes
  • serve warm if possible