tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964735821284498562024-03-08T18:12:12.367-05:00The Cat and the Hedgehogfood, decor, art, design Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-15637902978018877752017-02-22T15:13:00.001-05:002017-02-23T09:29:11.763-05:00Smoked salmon is better when shared with a loved one I found myself craving smoked salmon for a few days now (thanks to a friend who shared a tasty looking photo on Facebook). I knew there was a small amount lost in the deep freezer since Christmas so today I caved, fished it out and made a quick lunch. The small amount was actually tiny so it was more like a quick snack. I enjoyed it all neatly piled on a slice of toasted, buttered bagel with a thinly sliced French shallot, a sprinkle of kosher salt and a little drizzle of olive oil. It was very pleasant but something was missing. I wondered if it was the small amount that was disappointing or the lack of cream cheese? Better bread? Capers? In the end I think it was the lack of sharing. No one else was there to experience the pleasure with me. Usually that would make me happy because (I'll admit it), I can be a bit greedy ;) but why is it that sharing always makes this treat better?<br />
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I'm the only one in this house that enjoys smoked salmon. Aside from the occasional visit from my mother who would be my accomplice for this treat, my real partner in crime used to be a cute, furry little feline friend. His name was Yoshi. Named by my oldest (it was actually her cat) but after she moved away, he stayed and after 19 years, he was definitely an old friend. He sadly passed away 6 months ago. Funny enough, I was thinking of him really hard yesterday. I was clearing some pictures from my super full laptop and there it was pictures of Yoshi, politely waiting at the table to share smoked salmon with me.<br />
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I miss him but it's easy now. One of the last memorable smoked salmon treat I had was with this little guy and thankfully pictures were taken. The best part of it (aside from the fact that it was so freaking delicious), was definitely the sharing. I loved how he sat next to me so patiently, waiting for me to choose the right plate, waiting while I took some pictures, waiting while I switched plates, waiting for that special bite and then finally having me sitting by his side to share and indulge.</div>
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He loved the cream cheese just as much. A nice break for me which meant I had time to make little bites for myself and feed him in between.</div>
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Thanks for the memories, Yoshi.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-20701656735895571242017-01-20T09:53:00.000-05:002017-01-22T11:55:10.475-05:00Wiener Winks! Who knew?<br />
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School lunches.<br />
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They can be a pain, a curse, a drag, the bane of a parent's life! In general, I like to play, prep and cook good food but the moment you do it through the perspective of a kid (picky or not), you just face a whole new world of challenges. That challenge gets bigger when you feel like a zombie at the crack of dawn, looking at the clock and trying to make that food to go on time. If you want your kid to eat it, it has to taste good and travel well. It can't look gross, oxidate, get bruised or leak by the time they eat it. It can't be boring but it can't be too new, or weird or touch other ingredients that would take the crispness away or make things wet. It can't shed crumbs on other items (apparently it's too hard to remove one from a carrot stick) and it shouldn't sweat (the cheese has been challenging). Of course that's all before you add your own requirements: It has to be reasonably healthy, include some variety, be safe to eat after it sat in a warm school for hours and most of all, it has to be affordable to repeat the same old routine 5 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 10 months a year… Multiply that by the number of kids you have to feed... Omg, am I really making 400 lunches a year!?? Okay, minus the holidays, PD days... Maybe 340. I need for someone to correct me on this. Oh and how could I forget the school's own demands: To be nut free and to include a "healthy" non sugary snack for the morning. As a parent, I can live with that one but sometimes all I want to do is slap a PBJ sandwich together and call it a day! </div>
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Whoever beams about enjoying making them everyday is full of it!! That or they just started and are being idealistic newbies that will wake up soon enough. Or they're just not the kind of person I can relate to. Ok I'm being a bit harsh and ranting. I'm just struggling and venting. What I really want to talk about is <a href="https://www.google.ca/search?q=wiener+winks&biw=1391&bih=627&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi264PklM_RAhUR3YMKHXQ_BkwQ_AUIBigB&dpr=1" target="_blank">Wiener Winks</a>! It's where this whole frustration led me. When I looked through an online list of lunch ideas, someone mentioned those two funny words and I heard myself say: "Wiener Whaaat?" Not only I felt and sounded like this guy on the right (he and the movie <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHC0J5NRPro" target="_blank">Jaws</a> gets quoted way too often in this house) but I honestly had to look it up.</div>
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I was baffled! I had no idea that such a concept officially existed. I mean I had a wiener in a slice of bread before when running out of buns or when feeling depressed (extra yummy when fried in bacon fat if really depressed). You know, the kind of food that says "I know you're hungry and you don't give a fuck right now but it's okay. Things will turn out. So go ahead, eat me! Tomorrow is another day." In my world (or in the dark side of my mind), hotdogs in a slice of bread say that to me. They said that a lot. Followed by shame. So the fact that it has an official happy sounding name and that it's easy to find on Google really, REALLY surprised me! I got curious then figured the girls would get a kick out of it so yesterday I made some. The twist with mine is that I used cocktail wieners.<br />
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Why? Well, when the weather gets cold or after the first snow, we enjoy fires in our wood stove and when the fire mellows down, sometimes we roast marshmallows with the girls. The last time we did, someone mentioned that it would be fun to do the same with hotdogs so I made a mental note of it. Long story short, when I went to the store to buy some, I was looking for regular sized hotdogs but there were cocktail versions on sale. Practical me thought it would be easier and faster to roast in our wood stove and lets face it, mini food is just cute! I knew the girls wouldn't resist. I thought it would be a fun thing to do around the holidays. It seemed like a good idea at the time and I stored two packs in the freezer and kept it secret. Then I totally forgot about it! That's pretty much it.<br />
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I must have felt a bit guilty though. You know, for puttering over cheap sandwich bread and cocktail wieners for dinner because as I went through the process, I found myself humming a song from Fred Eaglesmith called White Trash. It's a silly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C2re3oG1y8" target="_blank">song</a> (the lyrics are <a href="http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/fred+eaglesmith/white+trash_20986424.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you're curious). I have nothing against Fred Eaglesmith (or Johnny Cash who gets mentioned in the song). They both tell great stories in songs and ballads and that one just happens to pop in my head whenever I give up on being classy which is more often than I'm willing to admit.<br />
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Okay so I'm the girl who never heard of wiener winks before and now that I tried some and show you my take, you realize that this looks nothing like what you expected or saw elsewhere online. I'm just full of it and crazy. I tried to do the classic way but the sneaky little cocktail wieners kept slipping out, it was not fun. Plus I was getting away from why I bought them in the first place. Mini food! I had to change the technique with the bread a bit. I cut each slice in half. I knew it would change the look but nobody cared and I was working with what I had. I also decided to do it in my cast iron pan for better control and as you can see we are out of toothpicks too! Bamboo skewers to the rescue! :)<br />
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I should mention that in our house it's rare to find processed sliced cheese which seems to be the standard choice for wiener winks. I'm always surprised at how expensive it is for what you get! The truth is, I wasn't raised on it so it's not something I would usually buy. If we're going to spend on cheese we go for medium or strong cheddar. It's common enough to be found at the pharmacy with eggs and bread on a milk run. We prefer white cheddar but sometimes the only option is orange (what I used in this picture). In this case, I grated the cheese for easy melting. Not a lot is required. About 4-5 good swipes of the brick of cheese on the grater seemed enough for one slice of bread.<br />
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I'm sadly aware that some look burnt here, but they still tasted great! Unfortunately it's the only pictures I have. By the time I made the next batch of golden perfection, I couldn't bother to take more pics. I was busy with real life, eating and serving. Maybe next time.<br />
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Apparently I'm a DORK for taking pictures of my half eaten wiener wink but he still loves me!<br />
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I can't share a recipe for this but I can describe what I did. I simply spread butter on one side of the bread (whole wheat was all we had and kids didn't mind) then I cut it in half. I flipped the 2 pieces of bread over (it greased the counter a bit but I didn't care). I sprinkled a bit of cheese over the two pieces (about 4 swipes on the grater) and placed a little wiener on each piece of bread before folding them over. I had no toothpicks to keep them together but long bamboo skewers did the trick. I didn't even bother to cut them. I placed two a time in the hot pan (on medium heat). It was an experiment so I wasn't confident to do more on the first try. As they cooked I made more. Once it was golden on one side, I would pull out the bamboo skewers, turn the wiener winks over and stab them again with the skewers just long enough to hold the bread in place till it would get golden and crispy. It didn't take long for them to be ready. It sounds complicated but it really wasn't.<br />
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The girls and I enjoyed these. It was tasty and fun! A little goes a long way. I guess they're like a cross between a grilled cheese and a hotdog but we actually found that they tasted like pogos. Is that weird? Especially when dipped in ketchup (because in this house, we might be doing it wrong but we like to dip pogos in ketchup). They both ate 4 and polished their plates with a big glass of milk and half an apple. I was relieved and they were satisfied. </div>
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Now I have a million questions. How many people actually knew this existed? Pigs in a blanket don't count. Is it an American thing or do Canadians eat it too? French Canadians? How does one pack it up to school? Did people really eat that at school often? How does it stay warm without being steamy? Or do kids eat it cold? Would it be safe sitting there for 3-4 hours before consumption? Living in Québec, our schools are overheated for 3/4 of the year so I'm not sure. I need answers because my girls did ask to try them for school lunch. My youngest had pizza day today (a freaking blissful break) but she's not the picky one. Guess what the other one brought to school though? ;) Fingers crossed!!<br />
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Have a marvelous, school lunch FREE weekend!! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-9704553310773691762016-12-15T17:20:00.000-05:002017-01-22T13:22:11.346-05:00Biscotti my way with roasted almonds and chocolate brandy beans<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gR_H82qvZS8/WFLlP7l94DI/AAAAAAAABrE/JEnhOGiFLwEZEyLFaBOuWK42QZGYiDn3ACK4B/s1600/DSC_0943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gR_H82qvZS8/WFLlP7l94DI/AAAAAAAABrE/JEnhOGiFLwEZEyLFaBOuWK42QZGYiDn3ACK4B/s1600/DSC_0943.jpg" /></a><br />
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I'm not Italian. I'm from a French mother and a Canadian father and born in Germany where I spent half of my childhood. Of all the foods and treats that got my full attention in life, biscotti was not one of them. I never cared to try them at cafés and never thought I would care to bake any. Yet, somehow, during the Holidays one year, it became a thing and it sort of never stopped. It was around 1997 or 98, after baking up a storm for the holidays. I found myself with a bit of extra time and leftover ingredients before cleaning up and packing to join my boyfriend at his parents' home in Kingston. I flipped through the pages of my big Christmas book, looking for a quick recipe. Maybe something I could take with me as a present to offer. There was this recipe that I always saw but never bothered to try and it seemed to fit the bill in terms of ingredients and time I had. In the book it wasn't even called Biscotti. It was simply called Crispy Almond Cookie (in French). It was also described as an Italian style cookie to enjoy with warm drinks.<br />
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I had all that was needed and that was all that mattered. I unfortunately nibbled on almonds as I read and found myself a bit short when I noticed that it asked for 3/4 cup. I was missing a good 1/4 cup. The next decision I made started a tradition that lasted almost 2 decades! I figured that the empty space in the cup could be replaced with dark chocolate brandy beans (chopped up). Chocolate brandy beans are part of an other story but I always have them when the holiday season comes. Always. It should probably be served at room temperature but I find them amazing when cold and hard from the fridge. I love the way the thin dark chocolate shell breaks under the tooth, giving way to the sweet and strong brandy liqueur, slowly warming up the throat and mouth as the flavour lingers. If you're like my husband you will think it sounds cheesy and I agree but it's the truth! :)<br />
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Okay, back to the low count of almonds, I needed about 7 to compensate. I froze them while I gathered my ingredients (it makes the chopping easier and less messy) and added them to the recipe. I'm not sure how the Grand Marnier joined in (I was probably running out of vanilla or almond extract) but the idea stayed. It's amazing with the orange zest and I'm not even a big fan of zest. Whenever I whip the wet ingredients my nose gets excited. Brandy, orange, almonds, vanilla, melted butter, sugar and eggs... To me it just smells like sweet Christmas in a cookie! I followed the biscotti recipe with the few minor changes and couldn't believe how easy it was. I kept checking to make sure I didn't miss a step. I brought those with me to my in-laws, not expecting much but the biscotti were a big hit. It was requested again so I made more and shared more and now even my own mother (the master of German butter cookies) expects them every year.<br />
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It became something we all look forward to when December comes. For years the smell became part of a tradition. My boyfriend became my husband and as Christmas got close, we would prep and create and get ready for the big day. I would bake biscotti and he would create sculptures out of polymer clay that he would also have to bake before painting. They were specific smells in the house that would set the mood. It would join the smells of the Christmas tree and it would mingle with Christmas music and excitement as we got busy for the Holidays. It's associated to great memories shared with my oldest daughter and now my youngest.<br />
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Below is a series of pictures that show step by step, how it's done every year. If you don't have the patience to look at them, too bad. The pictures are pretty and I went through a lot of trouble to stop, clean my hands and snap them with each step. I'm joking. Just scroll all the way down for the recipe. I really hope you try them and enjoy them as much as we do.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RbJiBS31OwA/WFLAi3IDw6I/AAAAAAAABmU/17p0xzzZUd0vRi-15TfJgnpKVvBHMC1nACK4B/s1600/DSC_0447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RbJiBS31OwA/WFLAi3IDw6I/AAAAAAAABmU/17p0xzzZUd0vRi-15TfJgnpKVvBHMC1nACK4B/s1600/DSC_0447.JPG" /></a><br />
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I'm interrupting this pretty picture show to explain that things are about to get frustratingly sticky at this point. This is the part where I might gradually add 1/4 cup of flour to the mix if things are not cooperating. I will also generously cover the counter with flour. Heavily. Don't be shy, flour that counter! A lot! See this below? Not enough.<br />
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I also use a genius contraption that my mother came up with. Rubber spatulas are nice but when it comes to greedily scrape a bowl clean to the last sticky drop, I use a plastic lid from a big yogourt or ice cream container. It's amazing! Just cut the edge off with scissors and make sure you get a good sized circle to hold in your hand. It bends super well, and picks everything up! It evens scrapes my wooden spoons extra clean. I dip it in flour and make short, fast scraping movements as I gather the mass of dough with it. Everything comes out in a ball as I scrape it out of the bowl. When it gets too old, throw it in the recycle. Easy. Now back to work!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zMtwjXw5D8A/WFLP3udkkEI/AAAAAAAABnY/sViQgds7nYABvP2-GlVMkhDv4eWqqx3EwCK4B/s1600/DSC_0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zMtwjXw5D8A/WFLP3udkkEI/AAAAAAAABnY/sViQgds7nYABvP2-GlVMkhDv4eWqqx3EwCK4B/s1600/DSC_0461.JPG" /></a><br />
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The book doesn't mention this but it's worth getting some parchment paper to line your cookie sheet. Seriously. Things won't stick and it's easier to clean after. I appreciate this when I have 4-6 batches to bake. Also another tip that works for me is that I mark on the paper the length of the log required (in this case 12 inches) before I place it on the sheet. It helps me keep the same length with each batch I bake.<br />
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Once the dough has been shaped, brushed with egg wash and slipped in the oven, the waiting game begins. With my oven it's 20-25 minutes to start till it gets firm and golden. Then it needs to rest 10 minutes at least to cool off and firm up before slicing. Some people will disagree with that and claim the opposite. The slicing made me curse many times through the years. Especially because they were presents. It would squish the delicate logs and push down the almonds, driving me nuts along the way and ruining the end result and mood. Turns out a very sharp knife is required. Mine has sharp teeth that could cut through frozen food, bone and can. Yep. Dull knife will make this pointless so get yourself a sharp one. This slicing gets done guillotine style. I don't saw my way through them. I find that if you do, you'll wreck the almonds and fragile dough.<br />
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Place the sliced biscotti like in the picture with enough space in between to cook a bit more and brown. Another 20-25 minutes of waiting. Usually by this point, the smell will tell you if they're ready. You might have to check early if you want to keep them golden but we like them on the brown side. They just taste better!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CkUJKfZfpVw/WFLhv19C8nI/AAAAAAAABpo/3WvlBAmbwhgqRzYxwTNZ9bptYdgospWrwCK4B/s1600/DSC_0501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CkUJKfZfpVw/WFLhv19C8nI/AAAAAAAABpo/3WvlBAmbwhgqRzYxwTNZ9bptYdgospWrwCK4B/s1600/DSC_0501.jpg" /></a><br />
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I'm sharing those 2 pics to show how efficient a sharp knife can be when it comes to cut slices that are chock-full with almonds and chocolate. The truth is, I can't resist the juicy colours of those cutting boards! :) Sadly, I lost the red one (the pic is from last year) but my guy surprised me with this bright yellow one below which is even better and more stable with it's rubber ends.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pj__UZNsQdo/WFLi5dmmfsI/AAAAAAAABqU/zHys5FcFeuM29klh_ydYgPUxmTtD8j7IACK4B/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pj__UZNsQdo/WFLi5dmmfsI/AAAAAAAABqU/zHys5FcFeuM29klh_ydYgPUxmTtD8j7IACK4B/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" /></a><br />
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What it looks like after the first 20 minutes of baking.<br />
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What it looks like after the 2nd baking.<br />
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The size will vary between batches. I sometimes get short ones and sometimes very nice long ones. Some are cut 3/4 inch wide, we prefer a generous 1/2 inch.<br />
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Approved by the youngest who had to taste one or two or three or four...<br />
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<u>Biscotti with roasted almonds and chocolate brandy beans</u></h3>
Heavily adapted from Le Livre de Noël - Coup de Pouce<br />
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1 3/4 cup flour (might need an extra 1/4 cup)<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 to 3/4 whole almonds (with skins and toasted in pan or in oven)<br />
1/4 cup chocolate brandy beans (stored in freezer to make chopping easier)<br />
2 eggs<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1/3 cup butter, melted (for this recipe I use salted butter)<br />
2 tsp pure vanilla<br />
1/2 tsp almond extract<br />
2 tsp Cointreau or Grand Marnier (not necessary but man, it's worth it)<br />
1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest (it's the equivalent of 1 orange. I use a rasp for this)<br />
1 egg (for egg wash)<br />
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Crank oven to 350˚. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can draw guide lines to help you guess how long the logs will be (in this case, 12 inches). Roast your almonds. It's quicker and easier for me to do in a pan set on medium high. I can keep a better eye on them while I shake the pan around. Shake the pan until the almonds are fragrant and toasted. You might have to lower the heat to medium. Or you can put them in your 350˚ oven, on a cookie sheet and check every few minutes till satisfied. Careful, they burn fast. Let them cool in a cold plate while gathering the rest of the ingredients.<br />
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In a big bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add your almonds. In an other bowl, whisk eggs with sugar, melted butter, vanilla, almond extract, orange zest and if you have it Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Chop the chocolate brandy beans into 5-6 pieces each and add them to the wet mixture. You can use the chocolate brandy beans at room temperature if you forgot to freeze them but with the years I found that keeping them in the freezer makes the syrup thicker and the chocolate more brittle. I personally find that it breaks into better rough pieces. It's up to you. Whisk one more time till all is well amalgamated.<br />
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Scrape the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix till it becomes a supple sticky mass. With a rubber spatula or with the help of that smart plastic container lid I mentioned above (see the pics), scrape away onto a very well floured counter. It's sticky so make sure there is plenty of flour. Flour your hands too. With your hands, shape the dough into a smooth ball. Cut in half. Take each half and gently roll into a log of about 12 inches. You can adjust the length by smoothing it out on the cookie sheet with the help of the marks you made on your parchment paper. If not, you can use a ruler as a guide. Overall it's not important, it just helps to keep the size consistent when baking many.<br />
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Beat your egg to make an egg wash and brush the logs with it. Bake in a 350˚ oven for 20-25 minutes. The extra 5 minutes depend on your oven. I often have to add that extra time to get the logs golden. Remove the logs from the oven and let them cool. The original recipe suggests 5 minutes but I struggled too often with the cutting when it was too warm and soft. I find that 10-15 minutes is ideal (if time allows). When ready cut in 1/2 inch slices. You need a very sharp knife to cut through the almonds without breaking the dough. A sharp serrated knife works for me. I keep the point of the blade on the cutting board and cut down guillotine style with each slice. Once in a while the blade gets sticky and it can affect the cutting so it's good to wipe the blade clean halfway through to get nice clean cuts. Put the slices back on the baking sheet with a bit of space in between to let them cook and brown a bit more. Bake for 20-25 minutes more. Your house will smell amazing.<br />
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Let them cool on a rack. I always get 36 slices but we always eat the short ends. When ready to store, gently shake off the crumbs of each slices and layer in a big hermetic cookie tin with pretty paper in between to keep the layers neat and from getting messy. Hey, I said it was going to be my way. It's the extra special touches that makes this extra pleasant. Especially if it's a gift. It's up to you. :) The biscotti will keep well for a few weeks. The flavours also seem to improve with the days. Hope you get to try them. We really enjoy them but it's always better if we can share with others! Happy baking!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-89320784960309984472016-11-02T20:25:00.000-04:002016-11-02T20:25:03.519-04:00Soul fixing soupHi!<br />
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I've been away for so long... I'm still kicking though. I'm still eating too! :) I don't know where I'm going with this blog but in the meantime here is a comforting soul-fixing soup to try.<br />
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Okay, it won't really fix your soul. That's silly but it will fill you up when you're down and if you have a cold or feeling hungry with little to nothing in the fridge to eat, this will feel good and satisfying. It's more broth than soup with a few extra goodies like egg, Parmesan and garlic added to it. I<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;">t's like Stracciatella but it's whisked instead of stirred. I used to eat a German-ish version of this (minus the cheese). It's too bastardized for me to call it anything but yummy. :)</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zdGcqz6yU0g/WBpqsprytNI/AAAAAAAABiY/1eL_jJprPzk4tFBw_v1mF84iqZSw-_3QwCK4B/s1600/DSC_0033.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zdGcqz6yU0g/WBpqsprytNI/AAAAAAAABiY/1eL_jJprPzk4tFBw_v1mF84iqZSw-_3QwCK4B/s1600/DSC_0033.jpg" /></a><br />
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The truth is, it's post Halloween here. I swear I don't steal chocolate from the kids but we do have a big bowl left that is full of cheap candy. I'm not really a sweet tooth but somehow I found myself<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;"> eating about 12 bite size BabyRuth chocolate bars! Maybe more... I don't want to know. Yeah, not my best moment. I figured I should eat something smart to help me forget. It also had to be quick! I had 30 minutes before picking up the girls from school. I needed fuel! I was feeling off and tired and the poison I just binged on wasn't going to make things better. I needed a magic potion. Soup!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;">The good news is that last week, I made lots of vegetable broth so I had something to tinker with. I also had some canned beef broth to finish and little leftovers of this and that with big flavours. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;">This is barely a recipe. Just good things put together. It only serves one. Just double it up or make more if you have to share. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;">So here is what I used. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 cup beef broth</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 cup vegetable broth</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 small handful of thin pasta like vermicelli, capellini or spaghettini, in pieces (small pasta works too) </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 garlic cloves, sliced thin or chopped</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 teaspoons tomato paste, pizza or pasta sauce (I used a small leftover of tasty tomato bread soup)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Olive oil to taste (it's probably a good tablespoon but I just drizzle)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 large egg</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Parmesan, grated (a good 1/4 cup)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Black pepper from grinder </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Salt (I use Kosher salt and I'm hooked)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cilantro or parsley finely chopped (I often have a small leftover kept in the freezer for such use).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a small pot pour in your cups of broth. If it's all vegetable or all beef or chicken, that is fine too. Bring to a boil. Throw in your pasta and cook till it's close to ready (check the package's instructions). Add your garlic a couple of minutes before the pasta is done with a generous drizzle of olive oil. You can do this step first but if you forget like I do, it will make no big difference. I do it for taste. Speaking of taste, stir in your tomato paste or sauce if you have it. Stir it in and taste, if you want more, add more! While the pasta, broth and garlic simmer, quickly whisk your egg and grated Parmesan in what will be your bowl till it forms a runny paste. Grind some pepper, add a few good pinches of salt. Whisk that in and while still gently whisking, add your broth, pasta and garlic concoction. The hot broth will instantly cook the egg. It will be slightly thickened thanks to the starch of the pasta and the egg, Parmesan mixture.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">At this point it's ready to eat but you can add finely chopped parsley or cilantro if you have it. It's a way for me to finish small leftovers that I keep in the freezer. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;">I've been known to experiment with what's on hand. In this particular bowl, I added some lime juice and Sriracha with the cilantro. The Parmesan still worked but I have done without cheese many times. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;">So t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;">here it is, lip-smacking good and ready to eat. Grab a spoon!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-32213823919204724352016-01-09T15:15:00.004-05:002016-01-09T15:17:41.355-05:00Happy Weekend! <br />
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Hope you chill like this guy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-37650635983124391472016-01-06T18:07:00.000-05:002016-01-07T15:51:42.158-05:00Happy Epiphany!<div>
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It's the 6th of January. For those who don't know, it's a Christian feast day. So Happy <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)" target="_blank">Epiphany</a>! :)<br />
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Some like to jump in a river, we prefer to eat cake! :) More precisely, something called: Galette des rois (kings cake). It's better than cake though with it's buttery, flaky, golden pastry and frangipane filling. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frangipane" target="_blank">Frangipane</a> is a mild and sweet almond flavoured paste that is usually made with butter, eggs, sugar and ground almonds. It's good! It is definitely something I'm looking forward to. The kids look forward to the little ceramic trinket that is hidden inside. The person who gets the trinket in their slice, gets to be king (or Queen) and wear the crown! It's a tradition that is practiced by religious, not very religious and non practicing people. Well, French people. I can't speak for the rest of the world but I know others do it too with subtle differences. For us (usually), my mother comes for a visit around this time and buy the special treat in one of the special shops she finds on her way. We also get some bubbly. She couldn't make this week so I was willing to go without. It's not a Quebecer tradition so you won't find this in a grocery store or any bakery. A French person would easily have to learn to go without or bake their own (which is doable but not as simple as it looks).</div>
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That's when Marc surprised me! He took a chance and visited a little French deli down the main street that we rarely visit (mainly because it's out of our way). He thought that if a shop was going to sell some galette des rois, this would be it. He was right! They sell them! Yay! I have to be thankful that in this day and age, we can be spoiled with special shops who specialize in foods we usually wouldn't have access to. Time for me to encourage them and visit more often! ;) We don't have any bubbly or a fancy dinner to entertain us with (plain buttered noodles and a green salad is on the menu) but I will gladly take this with the girls to celebrate the closure of Christmas holidays. After today, we officially take the tree down. I'm ready!!</div>
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We mainly do the French tradition but I will always remember being around the age of 6 or 8 and dressing up as one of the Kings with my brother when we lived in Germany. I mainly remember the dressing up part and the crafty crowns. Oh how I loved those. </div>
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I'm going to shamelessly quote Wikipedia for further explaining since I'm running out of time... I only copied the French and German traditions. Those are the ones I can relate to but the rest of the countries mentioned in the "National and local customs" on this <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)" target="_blank">link</a> are all interesting to read. If you find it boring, skip it but I find other people's cultures fascinating. I like all the differences and similarities.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">In France people share one of two types of king cake. In the northern half of France and Belgium the cake is called a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><i style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_king_cake" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="French king cake">galette des Rois</a>,</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">and is a round, flat, and golden cake made with flake pastry and often filled with</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frangipane" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;" title="Frangipane">frangipane</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">, fruit, or chocolate. In the south, in</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provence" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;" title="Provence">Provence</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">, and in the south-west, a crown-shaped cake or</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brioche" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;" title="Brioche">brioche</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">filled with fruit called a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><i style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortell" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tortell">gâteau des Rois</a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">is eaten. Both types of cake contain a charm, usually a porcelain or plastic figurine, called a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><i style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">fève</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">(</span><i style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">bean</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">in French).</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-70" style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)#cite_note-70" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[70]</a></sup><br />
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The cake is cut by the youngest (and therefore most innocent) person at the table to assure that the recipient of the bean is random. The person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket becomes "king" or "queen" and wears a paper crown provided with the cake. This person has a choice between offering a beverage to everyone around the table (usually a sparkling wine or champagne), or volunteering to host the next king cake at their home. This can extend the festivities through all of January!<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-71" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)#cite_note-71" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">]</a>"</sup></div>
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"In the German-speaking lands, groups of young people called <i>Sternsinger</i> (star singers) travel from door to door. They are dressed as the three Wise Men, plus the leader carrying a star, usually of painted wood attached to a broom handle. Often these groups are four girls, or two boys and two girls for the benefit of singing their songs in four-part harmony, not necessarily three wise men at all. German Lutherans often note in a lighthearted fashion that the Bible never specifies that the <i>Weisen</i> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magi" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Magi">Magi</a>) were men, or that there were three. The star singers will be offered treats at the homes they visit, but they also solicit donations for worthy causes, such as efforts to end hunger in Africa, organized jointly by the Catholic and Evangelical-Lutheran churches.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-72" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)#cite_note-72" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[72]</a></sup> As a sign of gratitude, the young people then perform the traditional house blessing, by marking the year over the doorway with chalk. In Roman Catholic communities this may be a serious spiritual event with the priest present even today, but among Protestants it is more a tradition, and a part of the German notion of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gem%C3%BCtlichkeit" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Gemütlichkeit">Gemütlichkeit</a>. Usually on the Sunday following Epiphany, these donations are brought into churches. Here all of the children who have gone out as star singers, once again in their costumes, form a procession of sometimes dozens of wise men and stars. The German Chancellor and Parliament also receive a visit from the star singers at Epiphany.<span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 11px;">"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Regardless, Happy Epiphany! Happy New Year! It's a wrap.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-64241409235779291412016-01-03T15:35:00.000-05:002016-01-03T15:53:30.473-05:00A copious and quiet evening into the New Year<br />
<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Our New Year's Eve was a quiet and pleasant one. I'm not sure if it was what we wanted but it was certainly what we needed. When we returned from our "out of town" Holidays on the 28th, we were happy but fried. We decided to ignore our suitcases, ordered some grub, made a fire, watched a movie and played with our new toys and treasures. We pretty much cocooned ourselves in which was also great timing as a snowstorm was about to start. Our bare, snowless area went from greyish green to instant white that night. The denial (for me) was over, kids were ecstatic, winter officially arrived. I have to admit, for now, it's pretty.</span></span><br />
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My father was expected for a visit but we had to juggle the dates a bit to give the snow blizzard enough time to spew out it's white fury. We decided to wait and go by feel, depending on what the weather was serving. I'm happy to say that 2 days later my father made it for New Year's Eve. He joined us early on the 31st just in time to shovel our driveway (sorry p'pa) and to help me to the store for some last minute purchases. Once done, we cozied ourselves inside, got set up, made a fire, opened a bottle of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribou_(drink)" target="_blank">Caribou</a><span id="goog_363423878"></span><span id="goog_363423879"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> and it was chin-chin right away! :)<br />
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I took out some Kalamata olives and some <a href="http://fromagestalbert.com/?lang=en" target="_blank">St-Albert cheese curds</a> (the girls love both) while my father opened a perfectly ripe <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roquefort" target="_blank">Roquefort</a> and sliced a crusty baguette along with some good dry sausage which I think was a Rosette de Lyon (kids are addicted to it). I just added butter to the table and we just kept munching until we realized we had to stop to save room for dinner! That was round 1. Even the cat joined in.<br />
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Round 2 was a hearty dish called: <i>Ragoût de boulettes et de pattes de cochon</i>. I'm not sure why it sounds better in French but the translation in English is: <i>Stew of meatballs and pork hocks</i>. I hope I didn't lose you after this. Ha ha! You should know that the words don't work for me either. :) That said, it's a delicious and hearty Quebecer classic worth trying. Tender morsels of pork (pulled off the bone), happily swim with meatballs made of ground pork and spices in a rich gravy made from the cooking liquid and beef broth for more body. A vegetarian's nightmare. We followed <a href="http://www.ricardocuisine.com/recettes/6567-ragout-de-boulettes-et-de-pattes-de-cochon" target="_blank">this recipe from Ricardo</a>.<br />
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My girls were being hams. Very appropriate.<br />
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It was delicious but I'm not convinced it's THE recipe I want to repeat next year. It was lacking a little something (maybe acidity) but for a first timer, I definitely recommend it. We even talked about non traditional additions like Maggi sauce (my German roots talking) and mushrooms. Maybe a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar, or wine... We like to break rules! I'm definitely looking for variations and will keep playing. It's traditionally served with potatoes and we added nice yellow ones but because of it's luscious and savoury gravy, we opted to serve it over egg noodles which believe me, was verrrry satisfying. Napkins a must!<br />
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After a couple of days, leftovers are amazing and I have to say that the potatoes were definitely the prized pieces I was looking for yesterday! Pickled beets, especially if homemade (and at room temperature), are also a big winner with this. This dish made me eat half a jar but back to our New Year's Eve feast! Red wine was poured and boy was I happy as a pig in shit. Terrible Pun intended! ;)</div>
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As we ate, we realized we had no room for dessert. Which was great because there was none. Ha ha! Well, I planned it simple. Vanilla ice cream (with raspberry swirls in it) and lots of fresh berries. Plump blackberries (a favourite with our 5 year old) and very sweet raspberries (a winner with our 8 year old).<br />
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All were happy. My father went for a nap, I went online, tasted a 10 year old tawny port I received from my father earlier (not bad with ice-cream and walnuts) and took it easy.<br />
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Marc and the girls played new video games. Low-key is the best way to describe it. As we got close to 11h00 pm, my little one begged me to take her to bed. She's usually a party animal and danced till 3h00 am last year but not this time. She was done. As she settled in with glee, my father woke up from his slumber just in time to take out the bubbly. Geneviève definitely wanted to stay up with us but she doesn't care for bubbly or fizzy drinks. She was happy to cheer with McIntosh apple juice! With the help of the laptop and a live connection to the big countdown in NY, we counted and cheered and that was that! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Within seconds we settled down. :) Marc got on the phone with family while my father and I settled at the table. After 20 minutes, Geneviève announced that she was done and went off to bed.<br />
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Here is Marc with our first selfie of 2016!! We finished the bubbly which turned into fancy <a href="http://thecatandthehedgehog.blogspot.ca/2015/12/fizzy-fuzzy-navel-tradition-i-can-get.html" target="_blank">fizzy, fuzzy navels</a>. We didn't last long. By 1h30 am Marc was heading upstairs but I had just enough energy to tidy up and chat a few more minutes with my father while making a little chair (a tradition) with the remains of the New Year's bottle. I have a drawer full somewhere... Future post. :)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hm3qCHM1Fv8/VoldhKpqcvI/AAAAAAAABVE/vuZBnD79IJg/s1600/DSC_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hm3qCHM1Fv8/VoldhKpqcvI/AAAAAAAABVE/vuZBnD79IJg/s1600/DSC_0009.jpg" /></a><br />
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I hope that this new year is an easier one. I could use it! <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Wishing everybody a good one. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://thecatandthehedgehog.blogspot.ca/2016/01/happy-new-year.html" target="_blank">Happy New Year!</a> </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-88253582277406134652016-01-02T16:13:00.000-05:002016-01-02T16:13:56.112-05:00HAPPY NEW YEAR!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zg-0G7vLT10/Vog9TBEQNnI/AAAAAAAABUY/yq-Oim00FGM/s1600/Happy%2BNew%2BYear%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zg-0G7vLT10/Vog9TBEQNnI/AAAAAAAABUY/yq-Oim00FGM/s1600/Happy%2BNew%2BYear%2521.jpg" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-86820352708705087702015-12-17T04:16:00.000-05:002015-12-19T01:44:39.672-05:00The pleasure of givingIt's 3h30 am. I finished some pie dough, cleared up a mess in the kitchen (I'm far from done) and dragged my feet towards the stairs when I remembered (thanks to the notes sticking all over my cupboards), that little Évangéline wanted to give her teacher a card and a treat tomorrow. She received a pretty card form her teacher yesterday and a little present. She received a few treats from her friends too. I'm always touched by this. Of course I often forget about it myself. Thanks to my notes though, I headed to my cupboards instead of bed and started to improvise with what I had.<br />
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Earlier she found a blue sparkly bag that was used for her sister's first communion. It's been around for a while (still in great shape). She also helped herself to a box of cards I bought (when I felt like I was on top of things). She chose a nice one with a big red cardinal on it. She then asked her father to write a message to her teacher. She was quite good at dictating the letter! ;) Marc kept it simple though. Then she signed it and even wrote Mme Lynn on the envelope with a little sticker for the finishing touch. I was impressed. This happened while I was rushing and working on dinner at the other end of the room. I told her that I would assemble a few biscotti I made and some chocolates (leftovers from our advent calendar) and put them in a tin box for her to give.<br />
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<i>(There should be a photo of a card with a cardinal here... Too tired to transfer, imagination is better!)</i><br />
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I quickly realized that there weren't any boxes. At least not small ones. I looked and looked. Then I found this Ikea plant pot that was taking space in my pantry. It was supposed to be in the basement with other items that will end up in a garage sale but it was holding tape and string in my kitchen instead. It wasn't very good at its job. So I grabbed it, cleaned it up, put biscotti in it and filled the gaps with chocolates. I secured the whole thing neatly with cling wrap, took some tissue paper to wrap around and in the blue bag it went. Done! It even looked better than expected. A candy cane gives a bit of colour.<br />
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I suddenly felt pretty excited about the whole thing and here I am writing about it. It's nice to give little presents that say "Thank you", or "I care". Madame Lynn happens to be a great teacher and my daughters love her to bits. I'm just glad we can show her. Now if only I could buy her a bottle of wine before school starts! ;)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-28089260885658725042015-12-12T16:14:00.000-05:002015-12-12T16:24:42.988-05:00Fizzy Fuzzy Navel: A tradition I can get used to<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nWPIEmlbgFU/VmvB2-UyUuI/AAAAAAAABTA/_gyBvhmOfUY/s1600/DSC_0345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nWPIEmlbgFU/VmvB2-UyUuI/AAAAAAAABTA/_gyBvhmOfUY/s1600/DSC_0345.jpg" /></a><br />
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This used to be enjoyed at my husband's parents' house during the holidays. They still serve it but for the last few years we started the tradition here in our own home. It caught on quite fast. Nothing like saying: "Fuzzy Navel?" to get a smile on your partner's face with a big "Sure!" or "Yes please!" I love the fizzy drink, the clinking of the ice cubes, the orange juice mingling with the peach Schnapps... :)<br />
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We enjoy it during the prepping weeks leading to Christmas and definitely enjoy it on Christmas morning with fresh coffee and Panettone.<br />
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You can google for the official recipe but this is how we do it.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QiF7GOuXB1Y/VmvbVSyFclI/AAAAAAAABTQ/I4bX2-qLFuE/s1600/DSC_0340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QiF7GOuXB1Y/VmvbVSyFclI/AAAAAAAABTQ/I4bX2-qLFuE/s1600/DSC_0340.jpg" /></a><br />
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Choose a glass of your choice. I'm not picky. Put in 6 ice cubes or less (only 3 were used in this one). Pour in 1 1/2 oz of peach schnapps. Okay I'll be honest, when I do it, I use 2 oz which fills this Elvis shot glass nicely (about 3 tablespoons). Add orange juice to about 1 1/2 inch below the border. Top it off with club soda (the fizzy part). One day I will have to try it with champagne. Stir, stir, stir. Then drizzle a capful of peach schnapps on the surface (don't stir). Personally, I love that last touch and miss it when it's not done.<br />
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Take your 80s drink and go sit somewhere quiet or lively. Enjoy.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-38558662411138033132015-12-12T01:56:00.000-05:002015-12-12T01:57:51.139-05:00Putting me firstEarlier today...<br />
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Those raspberries should have been for my little Évangéline. Her older sister took some to school for lunch. Évangéline's class was having a cheese pizza that day and her sandwich box was already full of thick Lebanese cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives and cheese... Her favourite things. Considering that she also had a cherry yogourt and a full apple for snacks, I felt like she would enjoy the berries later when home.<br />
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Well maman never gets any and I've been fighting a cold for 2.5 weeks (I'm finally getting better), so I could use the little boost of vitamin. :) She doesn't know. What you don't know doesn't hurt right? Also I happened to have a bit of cream so here we go! Our little secret.<br />
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Thinking of me for a change. It's not so bad.<br />
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They were very good too! :)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-34379165719522390872015-12-10T12:21:00.000-05:002015-12-10T13:17:09.839-05:00A tasty soup 3 waysI've been fighting a nasty cold for a while. Chills, fatigue, migraine, sore throat, sinus infection, lungs burning, coughing, hacking... Yada yada. It's been progressing for 2 weeks and a few crummy days. Not fast enough. I would like to move on! One positive thing that came from it is this soup I made when I was at the peak of my misery. That day I had to skip a pottery class and if you ask my husband, I was a grizzly bear about it. I was also hungry. I just wanted to curl up with some hot liquid and comfort food rolled into one. I had been obsessing over soup for a while and even though my husband wished I left the room, I wasn't going to lie down until I had some.<br />
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An old rutabaga, carrots, 2 celery sticks, onion, garlic, a few handfuls of baby spinach, a couple of potatoes, canned goods like tomatoes and chickpeas and a couple of sausages gave me plenty of options.<br />
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I couldn't bother to fuss over the details. I just washed, peeled, chopped and tossed vegetables in my pot as I went. I worked as fast as my aching body allowed and just went with the flow. It was painfully slow. Some olive oil went in the pot followed by chopped onions, celery, peeled and chopped carrots... I moved like a zombie in the kitchen but it started to smell good. I kept adding things like garlic, potatoes, rutabaga... Each time talking myself into it because it was a pain to peel, chop or cube but I knew it would be worth it. I barely took the time to let the vegetables colour on medium high heat. I just added water, salt, pepper, a bay leaf, brought it to boil, turned it down to a simmer, put the timer on for 45 minutes and considered crashing.<br />
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I should explain that this started as a simple vegetable soup. Kind of French (or what my mother would have made). It would have been simple but good with a little knob of butter to stir in my bowl. As the smell stimulated my senses though, I decided to make it more hearty. It went sort of Italian. I added tomatoes (chopped them roughly in a bowl to collect the juice). Chickpeas followed. Garlic, smashed and chopped jumped in. Oregano, a rind of Parmesan... The hardest part was to coax myself into thawing 2 Italian sausages found in the freezer, to fry them furiously in a hot hot pan and to slice them (still half cooked because I couldn't bother to wait). I knew it was worth it the moment I added them and their juices to the soup. Things were looking good! I reset the timer for an other 30 minutes on low. Then I crashed.<br />
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When the timer went off, my husband, who held the fort, served the girls a bit of soup but left it on the burner! I can't say how long, maybe a couple of hours but no panic! It was on low heat so this definitely enhanced the flavours by the time I got up to check on it. I simply added an extra cup of water to loosen things up brought back to boil and then simmered for 10-15 minutes. That evening I ate my first batch with a drizzle of olive oil and a ton of grated cheese on top. No parmesan left. All I had was strong white cheddar. It rocked!<br />
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The next day I decided to wash and add 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach leaves as I reheated the soup. I added 1 more cup of water and hot pepper flakes. The girls were not going to eat this 2nd round. It tasted even better! More cheese... By lunch time, I was fully bloated and in Heaven. I couldn't wait for the last serving and ended up having it for what was too early for supper. Think more "afternoon snack" :) I skipped the cheese, added some cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, harissa, water and extra salt to soothe my throat. What I ended up with is what you see in the pictures. A nice fragrant soup that went kind of Moroccan. As I was getting ready to eat, the sky cleared up and the sun hit me with it's last warm rays of the day. I moved the bowl to the other side to get the sun on my back. Of course I took 3 more pictures. It was the last bowl. It looked so pretty, warm and inviting. I dived in, scraped it clean, mopped it with bread... So Good. To the last drop. I still sat there 5 minutes later, still feeling sick but so content.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m8-aWLupKoU/Vmmh5l43sjI/AAAAAAAABRY/8HrvqHBR48w/s1600/DSC_0617%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m8-aWLupKoU/Vmmh5l43sjI/AAAAAAAABRY/8HrvqHBR48w/s1600/DSC_0617%2B2.JPG" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MGihGRkO3pM/Vmmh-ubaz5I/AAAAAAAABRk/zg4MQSKRKLg/s1600/DSC_0619%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MGihGRkO3pM/Vmmh-ubaz5I/AAAAAAAABRk/zg4MQSKRKLg/s1600/DSC_0619%2B2.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tasty whatever you want to call it soup</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">3 tbsp olive oil</span><br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
2 celery sticks, chopped or sliced<br />
2 large carrots, peeled, chopped or sliced<br />
6 cloves of garlic, chopped or sliced (when sick, bring on the garlic)<br />
1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes<br />
2-3 potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes<br />
8 cups of water or broth of choice (expect to add more later)<br />
Salt<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 Bay leaf<br />
1 can of chickpeas (19 oz)<br />
Can of tomatoes (28 oz)<br />
2 Italian sausages sautéed till brown, then sliced<br />
1 tsp dry oregano<br />
Baby spinach (roughly 2 handfuls)<br />
1 Parmesan rind (optional)<br />
Lots of cheese to grate over your bowl with glee (I used strong white cheddar)<br />
Hot pepper flakes<br />
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When I opted for a Moroccan vibe I skipped the cheese and added the spices below to the leftover in my pot before reheating. It was enough for a generous bowl.<br />
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1/2 tsp cumin<br />
2 pinches cinnamon<br />
1 extra cup of liquid<br />
1 pinch cayenne pepper (or hot pepper flakes)<br />
Harissa to taste (a knob stirred in the liquid)<br />
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In oil toss the onion, carrots, celery, cloves of garlic on medium high heat. Cook a few minutes to give colour. Add potatoes, rutabaga 6 cups of water or broth. Stir and scrape bottom. Add tomatoes (roughly chopped with all the juice), the can of drained chickpeas, a bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Meanwhile sauté 2 Italian sausages (if you have them), in a pan till nice and brown on high heat. Remove with tongs and slice. Add them and juices to the pot. You can go ahead and add spinach now or later. It will get thick and hearty. Add extra cups of water if necessary. I added at least 2 more. Let it simmer for at least an hour then let it rest to let the flavours develop. Reheat again if necessary... You decide. If your hungry, eat! :) It will be better the 2nd time. I served it with loads of strong white cheddar grated finely in my bowl. It was amazing. A full meal.<br />
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<u>The Moroccan finish</u><br />
This was done with the last of the leftovers. The one shown in the pictures. It was getting thick. I loosened it up with a ladle of water, threw in a few pinches of cinnamon, some cumin, cayenne pepper and a bit of Harissa. Brought it back to boil then turned heat down to simmer for 10 minutes. The flavours were amazing together an cleared my throat nicely.<br />
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I could have eaten this all week but by day 2 and 3 meals later (for 2 people), it was gone.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-13522469997015449972015-12-09T00:28:00.000-05:002015-12-09T15:21:35.321-05:00Crafty moment<br />
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This little craft is certainly not related to the Holidays but holy crap it's cute!<br />
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A week ago, my youngest girl took a toilet paper roll and randomly asked me to help her make a bat. I keep the paper rolls out of the garbage to burn in the wood stove and occasionally keep some for crafts. I guess she saw one and remembered that we made little critters out of them before. Now why did this feline lover ask me for a bat when a cat would have been just as easy and less Halloween-ish so close to Christmas? No clue. I just went along with it.<br />
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I was sick and not feeling very crafty (or patient) but I knew this would be easy. She asked me how to bend the top for ears. I showed her that if you push down on the top edge of the roll it will bend on one side and then to repeat on the other side to create that crescent shape. We could have done the same at the bottom for cute stubby legs but she didn't care for that. She was ready to draw a face but struggled with the pencil's light lines so I allowed her to use our big Sharpie. I'm fully aware that with kids that can be lethal but she was good. Then she asked me to add lashes.<br />
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For wings, I didn't look far. The house was cluttered with things all over the place and I spotted a pile of mixed papers on top of a pile of laundry on top of a chair. Yup! On top of that paper pile were wrapping paper scraps from a birthday party we just had for my oldest. Perfect! Sometimes clutter has perks. The paper was sweet and a bit random with it's pattern. Just like my little one's request. She wasn't convinced though and wanted plain paper. "But that's too hard to find!" I said. I tried to sell her on my idea. I bent the paper in half cut a shape that resembled a bat's wing, opened it to show the 2 wings and propped them behind the bat with a little "Taddaa!" It was love at first sight. The paper made it look whimsical and more fun. All it needed was a bit of tape in the back and a second "Taddaa!" (this time with a confident smile). Maybe we'll add a little red hat to show that we are aware of the season.<br />
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I swear she played with that thing for hours! Worth the few minutes I spent on it. She made it flap it's wings (wrapping paper beats cardboard for that) and she propped it all over the place. I took a pic of her "new pet" propped on the lamp and next thing I know she wanted to pose next to it. It went on for a bit... :)<br />
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*Update* Thanks to the red glossy cover of a tiny notepad, a felt snowball from a long lost ornament and lots of tape, we have a Christmas bat! I didn't tell her. I'm going to see how long it takes for her to find out! ;) If she finds it offensive, the hat is easy to remove. I'm having way too much fun with this and isn't that the point?<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KyKDZWzoalI/Vme1uhEbLvI/AAAAAAAABPI/49M01ROzEO0/s1600/DSC_0543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KyKDZWzoalI/Vme1uhEbLvI/AAAAAAAABPI/49M01ROzEO0/s1600/DSC_0543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-32352387437452229632015-12-05T15:40:00.000-05:002015-12-05T15:40:03.161-05:00Advent calendar fun! The sequel!So it's that time of the year again. 6 days ago we were on the ball (yay) and pulled out the old wooden advent calendar to fill up. Ha! I make it sound like we've been doing this for years with my "<i>old wooden calendar</i>" comment but it did feel like we tried (and failed) for ever. Last year we decided to change that. We pulled it out early, bought all the items in one shot which I admit was a lot of fun (after our first failed attempt). You can read all about it <a href="http://thecatandthehedgehog.blogspot.ca/2014/12/advent-calendar-fun.html" target="_blank">here</a> and see the kind of treats we got. When the season was over, I put it away on the top shelf of the pantry right next to the Easter eggs, snowflakes garland and Valentine heart decorations. It was a dead space turned Holiday decoration storage. No more looking around. It instantly made it easier for the future years.<br />
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Now here is a peek of what I added last night! I think I was more excited than the girls!<br />
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I will admit, this year I was a bit slow. I was busy with other pressing matters like renewing expired passports and recovering from a cold that slammed me. I succeeded with one but I'm still sick. It's a struggle. I decided to take it easy, cover a few days and deal with the rest later. On an errand to the pharmacy I noticed a sale for small Lindt chocolate balls. I decided to start with that and grabbed 2 bags (milk chocolate and white). Perfect! I also found forgotten sheets of stickers in the depths of my dresser. The girls never saw them, the stickers were bought on sale during the summer and were cheaper than the dollar store! I was going to surprise them with little love notes for their lunch boxes when September came. Sadly, I forgot. Making up for it now! :) They're loaded with cute critters. I also had some leftover stickers from last year's advent calendar and a few mini rainbow candy canes. All set! :) I will definitely make a run to the dollar store to get some cool washi tape, some candy rings, barrettes and stuff for crafts. Anything fun but cheap.<br />
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Most of all, I wanted to make a few handmade items to hang in the tree this year. For the hearts, the girls often commented on the pattern on my PJs. It's a simple pattern made of hearts shaped out of candy canes. I never really thought about it. They're just cozy flannels but the girls love the idea and I was reminded once more last night when we said goodnight. It inspired me to use our leftover candy canes for a cute idea I saw online. Easy! Heat the oven to 250˚F, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set your canes in a heart shape (I overlapped mine) put in oven for 10 minutes, take out, press together a bit to secure and voilà! A pretty thread attached to it turn it into an edible tree decoration! :) I can't wait to see their faces tomorrow when they find them.<br />
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The best part? They both fit in the little space of the calendar box! Woot! Meant to be!<br />
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I was pretty satisfied and ready go to bed but I felt like I was on a roll. So I tackled the second idea I had. Earlier that week, I was trying to clear up my dresser that collects everybody's clutter. I found a handful of acorns (souvenirs from a day at the park with their father) among rocks, feathers and twigs. 2 of them still had their little hat on so the idea just popped in my head. What if I drew a cute little face on each and tied a coloured thread to hang them in the tree? I got excited (always a good sign) and made a quick sketch on a list that was already made so I wouldn't forget. It sat there for a while waiting.<br />
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Last night my plan went into action. I was a bit nervous to ruin their acorns at first but honestly I know they forgot about them. They get lost. All. The. Time. This was a good idea and THEY TURNED OUT SUPER CUTE! All I needed was: 2 acorns, pretty thread (dollar store), a fine Sharpie (the same I used to fill those passport forms) and some paint to make rosy cheeks. A steady hand helped too.<br />
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Here the little acorns with the coloured threads. Blue for Évangéline and green for Geneviève. Their favourite colours. I tied a knot around each stem and used a drop of crazy glue to secure the threads on the stem of each acorn.<br />
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Then I made a happy face. The kind they like. A fine Sharpie made this easy. I might have to reapply and secure with varnish... Time will tell. A bit of white and red paint was mixed together and applied with a Q-tip for the cheeks. Pretty simple!<br />
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The photos were taken pretty late at night but I think the little acorns turned out pretty well! I even tested them out in our ficus tree. I think this will be a success and if not, oh well, I had way too much fun to regret it.<br />
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I plan on trying a few other things that won't require for me to shop. Most of all, I want to have fun with this. It's the kind of thing that relaxes me. So far so good! I loved the acorns so much I booted the candy hearts into the next slot and placed the cute little nuts there instead. We're decorating the tree today and this will be perfect for the girls to put in.<br />
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*UPDATE* the acorns were a huge hit! The girls kept cooing over them and kept thanking me. Tomorrow they will find the hearts. In the meantime, we're off to find a tree. Leaving you with more pics because it always looks better in natural light, the novelty didn't wear off for me and the girls are cute! Happy prepping!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nzKyQS2-i6o/VmNIvUUN7JI/AAAAAAAABMI/sIhwcM-8wQs/s1600/DSC_0645.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nzKyQS2-i6o/VmNIvUUN7JI/AAAAAAAABMI/sIhwcM-8wQs/s1600/DSC_0645.JPG" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-45930379296394647582015-11-12T16:51:00.000-05:002015-11-12T17:46:37.997-05:00Stop and smell the hibiscus!<span data-offset-key="fkh26-0-0">Last Sunday, a pleasant and unexpected surprise occurred. I was feeling more tired than usual after putting the girls down. </span><span data-offset-key="fkh26-0-0">Marc usually covers this part after dinner while I clean up or take a moment on facecrack. I then go up and do the easy part (tuck them in, sing 2 songs and </span>kiss them goodnight). <span data-offset-key="fkh26-0-0">It works for us. That particular Sunday was rough on the husband so I took over. I'll say this. Our kids really get wired and hyper as they get tired. We see the early signs around 5h00pm and things decline fast from there. By 6h00, we call it "the pumpkin hour". If I can manage to get dinner on the table before that, great! A blessing. The truth is, it rarely happens. We usually grind our teeth and count the minutes till bedtime. We're not bad parents, it's just that phase we're in. Right?</span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="fkh26-0-0">It doesn't matter who puts them down or if we do it together, getting the girls ready for bed </span>is the equivalent of herding cats! The "get undressed and put on you PJs" followed by the "brush your teeth" routine is just so mind numbing. Every. Freaking. Night. That's 2920 nights of practice with our 8 year old!! Yet she and her sister always act as if it's their first time! It's like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/" target="_blank">Groundhog Day</a> again, and again, and again!<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span>So we repeat, raise the voice, physically guide them, remind them of what's going on, rinse and repeat till they stop straying or goof off and end up between bedsheets.<br />
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I don't know where his expression comes from but Marc usually confirms the accomplished mission by saying: "The girls are planted!" Like I said, I usually leave this to him. He has stronger nerves and Seargeant Bé (that's me), isn't pretty.<br />
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Back to Sunday, I'm getting to the point here. The girls were hyper and us adults were drained. It was still sounding like a zoo when I left their bedroom as I dragged my feet into mine. My plan was to resist the bed, recover for a minute, change into cocooning clothes, maybe grab a book and escape into a <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Riptide-Douglas-Preston/dp/0446607177" target="_blank">world of deep ocean, ragged island, secret passages and pirate treasure</a>. Unfortunately, an annoying voice inside my head was nagging about the messy bathroom, piled up laundry, neglected dishes... You know the drill. I was sensing the pressure. Tension was rising. I just sat in my chair in a corner of our room (the only uncluttered one at the time), with my eyes closed and took a moment before deciding on my next move. I should specify that this corner, when tidy, is like my personal oasis. When sitting there I'm surrounded by plants that don't fit anywhere else, there is also a vintage pole lamp, a bit of artwork, a side table and lots of books. A cozy nook!<br />
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So there I was, zoning out, eyes still shut. When I opened my eyes, to my surprise, this beautiful red flower was staring at me right in the face and somehow went unnoticed! It came from my hibiscus who had seen better days during the summer. A gift from my father.<br />
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Stunned, I just sat there and stared at the beautiful bloom for a while. I even smiled. How could I not? My hibiscus was recovering from a bug infestation, it had lost so many leaves since the indoor transition and was slowly healing in our room. This flower was far from subtle. Not only it was repaying me for the care I gave, it was a sign (as clear as daylight), telling me to chill the fuck out (pardon my French). I studied it in the low light and eventually felt relaxed. From there I moved on to more comfortable clothes, went downstairs to join my husband on a cluttered couch and watched what we considered a fun flick before heading to bed. I guess that was my moment to stop and smell the roses. To enjoy what I had (quiet time with my guy) instead of stressing over obligations and building resentment. Plenty of time for that later! I just hope my tree reminds me more often.<br />
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Also, hibiscus don't smell but they sure are pretty! Here it is in it's full bloom the morning after. Such a gift! :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-55424798544341842572015-11-09T11:53:00.000-05:002015-11-09T11:53:05.599-05:00Kale histoire! A true story.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #373e4d;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thanks to Serious Eats, something exciting happened here a few nights ago with… KALE! It's been 3+ days since my tasty discovery but I hesitated to share here because: 1) The kale bandwagon… 2) That old kale bandwagon… :\ and 3) <a href="https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Kale-pocalypse+from+blizzard+2015!" target="_blank">Kale-pocalypse from blizzard 2015!</a> To me that day was a great source of entertainment and a point of no return. It's been really hard to take this mighty green (or the people who preach about it), seriously. Truth is, I was puzzled by the phenomenon for the last 5 years but it's a blur and the kale-pocalypse is way funnier to remember.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I should be clear though. I don't dislike the vegetable but oh how I loathe the trend and with the years, this annoyance just got bigger. I tried to warm up to it but I felt like I was drowning in a tidal wave of food blogs and magazines that just kept shoving more recipes down our throats and so… I became more irritated. This trend gave birth to an army of well intentioned bloggers, food stylists and cooks who pushed mediocre recipes in the name of the mighty cruciferous green (a few of them need to get their tastebuds checked). There are some great recipes out there, yes, but it's hard to navigate through the bad ones (especially when the focus is on aesthetics and less on flavours). I'm not bitter! ;) Also, how many kale chips can one eat! Edible doesn't always equal "tasty" and almost anything taste great if you add enough olive oil and salt to it. This leafy green has great qualities but it's not going to turn your plate into a "clean" lean dish just because it's the main ingredient (the few times I ate kale and enjoyed it, calories were definitely high). </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, so now that I got this off my chest, let me tell you how this "Kale, Parmesan, and Fried Egg Tartine" blew me away! :D <--Worth a happy face here because HOLY CRAP, DID I ENJOY THIS! There. I said it. I munched and moaned with pleasure while eating it. It even distracted me from a movie I was watching at the same time (Kingsman: The Secret Service). The kale was definitely the main star here (in my plate, not the movie), and a few other supporting factors helped. Good olive oil, sea salt, quality of the bread, garlic and freshly grated Parmesan with a runny egg on top... They were all very good ingredients and together they made me and my mouth happy (nothing to do with healthy).</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here it is. From <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/" target="_blank">Serious Eats</a> and <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/08/kale-parmesan-fried-egg-tartine.html" target="_blank">the link to try their recipe</a>. Thanks to them, I can talk about kale and not feel bitter! :)</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I didn't buy kale to try this recipe. If that was the case, I probably wouldn't have bothered with it </span>(which
I now admit would have been a shame). When I stumbled on this link, I
happened to be stuck with quite a bit of kale in my fridge. It was
waiting… Looking neglected. I felt the pressure. I
needed to get rid of it but also needed time to get over a very
disappointing smoothie and a hearty soup I had made. That soup tasted
awesome but not because of the kale. In fact, that kale felt like an
afterthought and made me wish it wasn't in it in the first place. I
considered stir-fry or an other soup to finish that thing but honestly, I
didn't care. I just let it sit there. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's when the sexy pic above popped on my screen. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It totally got my attention even though the word "tartine" in the title left me a bit suspicious. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I used that word since childhood for anything spread on top of bread (mainly butter and jam). Reading it in an English title felt... gimmicky.</span></span></span>
It's just a French term that I'm afraid will be used for that other
annoying trend: "toast". I love savoury goods on toasted bread but I'm rolling my eyes over that one too… Digressing.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I was more excited about the egg, the parmesan and the awesome crusty, country loaf of bread we had. I was skeptical, of course, but the idea that I could get rid of the kale in an interesting way with all those tantalizing ingredients really appealed to me. I almost skipped the kale for ham and tomato slices instead. It was late, we were hungry and I wasn't feeling like experimenting. I went along with it anyway just to say I tried it and it was simple enough. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I read to Marc the instructions: "...broil until kale is wilted and charred" we just both giggled. He could only respond with "Mmm, charred kale, can't wait!" Definitely not a selling point. That said, I'm glad I tried it. Turns out the charred kale was the best part! Maybe charred is too strong of a word. Broiled till brown is a bit better! ;) I just loved the taste. Even Marc enjoyed it, saying it was: "Tasty!" In this concoction anyway. The flavours reminded me of brussels sprouts sautéed till brown in a pan like my mother used to do. No surprise here, since kale is part of the cabbage family. It's called "chou frisé" (curly cabbage) in French.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now here is my less sexy but tasty version below.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ugly pictures aside (bad lighting... It was late... In a rush to eat), I strongly recommend it! Our bread slices were big so we used two eggs for each long slice to make a decent meal out of it. I realize now that the recipe said to use 4 slices. Somehow we piled it on with success on just 2!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were out of lemon juice so I used red wine vinegar to "massage" the kale (with olive oil, salt and pepper). They say to not skimp on the massaging. Apparently it softens the kale so I did just that by squeezing it with my hands as I rubbed the dressing in with my fingers. I wish I was joking. The bonus: It's tasty when you lick your fingers after. The broiling went quite quickly and I would say that our toasted bread was ready a good minute before the time mentioned. Also, for this recipe I think you will get more out of your garlic toast if you generously rub the garlic on the bread "after" it's toasted and still hot. It's like magic, the garlic almost melts away, it glides easily and infuses the bread with it's aroma a lot better than if the bread was cold and soft. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This would rock with poached eggs by the way. One of our eggs was overcooked and it was fine but it allowed me to compare it to the one with a runny yolk. Oh baby... the bites with the runny yolk were by far the best ones! I just remember closing my eyes and taking in all the flavours and textures. A hint of vinegar (used to massage the leaves), mingled with the richness of the egg yolk and nutty kale, the softness right next to the crunchy garlicky toast... I wanted that moment to last for ever! It's easy too get blissful results, when you have good ingredients. Speaking of which, we didn't skimp on the Parmesan. We just finely grated away on top of it all. The pictures suffer from it but who cares my taste buds were happy! </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span>As if that wasn't enough, we also </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sprinkled some roasted garlic hot sauce and for us that was an exciting move.</span></span></span></span></span></span> This kale snack, tartine, or whatever you are going to call it, was tasty and satisfying! A winner! Thanks <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/" target="_blank">Serious Eats</a>!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm not going to preach it. JUST follow <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/08/kale-parmesan-fried-egg-tartine.html" target="_blank">this link</a> and TRY IT! Resistance is futile! :)</span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-3868597367784732012015-04-01T10:18:00.000-04:002015-04-01T11:01:26.462-04:00A kitchen cornerFor the last few months I've been purging and reorganizing our kitchen cupboards. Slowly and painfully, one shelf at a time. For each item I held in my hand, I kept asking myself the same questions: When was the last time I used this? Is it really useful? Do I enjoy using it? Who else is using it? Where could I store it to give us easier access? Why am I really keeping it and what should go away instead? You get the picture... :) It was like playing Tetris. Fun but exhausting.<br />
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I found it hard to stay honest with myself about many items that cluttered our cupboards and I still have a long way to go! :) So far it was worth the trouble though. In return, I found lots of free space to play with to provide better access to the items I love. The result was so uplifting that I even removed a door from a cupboard to fully display the big bowls I enjoy and the cookbooks I actually care to read and use.<br />
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The open shelves are far enough from the stove and the books and bowls do get used so they get washed and wiped often enough which prevents too much dusty, greasy, buildup. That's my reasoning anyway. For now, it works! :) We ditched a big fancy microwave that came with this house and replaced it with a tiny one from Marc's bachelor days. The big one had many cool features but took the whole corner. This little one is handy but doesn't take much space. Moving it gave me more options.<br />
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Also, a fun addition happened over a week ago when I treated myself to a vintage breadbox I found for cheap on Etsy. It's from France and probably from the 70s. For years I had been playing with baskets, trays and big dishes to store our bread. Then this breadbox caught my eye. The colour was fun, the size seemed perfect and the price was right. Inside, I can store a loaf of bread, a bag of bagels, english muffins and even leftover pita we made the other day. If I have too much, I do what I always did and store the extra in the freezer for rainy days and to prevent spoilage. It's just handy to contain what we use for the week. It has many scratches and a small dent but it looks and feels right, as if it always belonged here.<br />
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Below is what it looked like without the box. Nothing bad but the space was allowing for clutter to pile up (mainly books, magazines, cellphone charging which were all removed before that picture was taken). Breads in various packagings are technically not a problem but they don't help in terms of looks. The breadbox just keeps it together.<br />
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It's been slow but good progress and with each little change I can tell after a week if it works or not. So far so good. The kitschy Moomin lamp next to the food processor is working for me at night and lightens up a dark corner during the day. I'll eventually install lights under the cabinets but this one is close to my heart. Many could wonder what a grown woman like me is doing with such an ugly thing but it represents a whimsical world that I discovered and fell in love with at the age of 10 and that I still love now at the age of 44. I'm a huge Moomin fan and a Tove Janson fan and this lamp which was a present from Marc 8 years ago, makes me smile even if it goes against my style. What I love even more is that at this level my youngest one can see the details very well.<br />
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Next to that, more books and my precious iPod station. Music keeps me sane and saved me many times from meltdowns. It's great for healing, motivating, spontaneous dancing (with the girls or by myself). Music, just like food, is necessary in a kitchen!<br />
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Since then I removed a picture, lightened the load of books and kept the ones that I know well and that I keep going back to. It breathes better (see below) and I'm considering painting this wall charcoal or black. Thoughts?<br />
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One day I will tackle a backsplash (hopefully with my own tiles). I dream of white or very pale upper cabinets with the lower ones in a lush dark colour like navy blue, avocado peel or dark grey but you know... Kids, money, time... For now I'll focus on what I can actually do which is clearing a few more shelves and drawers, the pantry (ugh) and definitely clearing a few layers off our fridge below. It's a happy colourful one but it needs to lose a few pounds! :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-15322140284270102442015-03-11T21:08:00.000-04:002015-03-16T19:29:40.239-04:00Peach clafoutis (or flaugnarde)A sweet creation was in the works a few nights ago.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">I'm not someone who craves desserts often but when it hits me I can't let go. We had gone through a few rough weeks and I needed something to bring me comfort on a cold sad night. I won't talk about the sad part but I can say it's been a long winter with too much bad news, sickness and just recently the loss of a dear pet.</span><br />
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As I was rummaging through the freezer for dinner, I found a bag of frozen peach slices. Images of cobbler, pie and upside down cake came to mind. I was left dreaming of warmer days and Summer.</div>
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Without hesitation and no real plan, I grabbed the bag. Turns out they weren't very sweet or flavourful so to boost them up, I let them thaw and macerate in a mix of rum, almond extract and sugar. While they soaked up that tasty elixir, I tried to figure out my options. In the end I went with what was familiar. A billowing, vanilla scented peach clafoutis. With rum.</div>
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This was much needed and a refreshing change from brownies, junk and fatty addictions.</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clafoutis" target="_blank">Clafoutis</a> is a French dessert made of black cherries baked in a custard-like batter which is similar to crêpe batter. It is rustic looking and so simple to make yet I never get tired of the wow factor. You can tell it's ready when the sweet vanilla fragrance permeates the house and when the clafoutis is golden and puffy. As soon as it's out of the oven, the glorious clafoutis deflates and sets around the soften fruits. It is best served lukewarm. If another fruit is substituted (like my peach slices), then it's technically a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaugnarde" target="_blank">flaugnarde</a>. My husband loves to butcher that word and since nobody cares about that technical detail, I go with the flow and just call it clafoutis. In the end, I just want it to taste good.<br />
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This is my method and there is a million out there. I can't even say if it's authentic but it works for me. I often vary the temperature, baking time, liqueur or extract depending on the fruit, the season, the ripeness and sweetness. I tried orange blossom water, rum, port, kirsch, Grand-Marnier and a few others depending on the fruit and mood. Whichever I choose, I try to not go over 2 tablespoons and I always add vanilla regardless. Sometimes I add ground almonds to the flour (it makes it denser and I love the flavour) or I scatter almond slices on top which offers a nice contrast in taste and texture when toasted. It's also irresistibly pretty. This recipe is heavily adapted from the one in <a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Chef John's Food Wishes</a>. I baked many clafoutis before randomly viewing this <a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.ca/2008/07/cherry-clafouti-its-pits.html" target="_blank">video</a> but Chef John's amusing and almost nonchalant explanations sort of stayed with me. His casual approach is beyond simple and whenever my mind gets frazzled, I start doubting myself on quantities and stall so I go see Chef John for a refresher. I like listening to him (I'm easy to entertain) and many of his recipes worked for me so I recommend his site.<br />
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Back to what's happening in the pics below... I buttered a 10" wide dish and sprinkled that with sugar as one would do with flour. The peaches were thawed and ready (soft and cool to the touch) so I carefully laid them in the dish in a circular pattern. The syrup that accumulated at the bottom of the bowl was delicious. There was about 1/4 cup. I was going to drink it but decided to add it to the batter instead.</div>
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With most fruits, I'll throw them in casually but with peaches or pears, I find that a pretty circular pattern works better. I then sprinkled the peaches with sugar.</div>
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I quickly made the batter to which I added the leftover juices. I then gently poured this over the fruits. Some fruits always float to the surface or move around a bit, that is normal and to be expected.</div>
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I carefully transferred the dish to a hot oven. Mine was already cranked to 400˚F. After 10 minutes, I lowered the temperature to 350˚F. Why? I'm not sure... I think I doubted myself and most recipes say 350˚F. I let it bake for 45 minutes. Like most baked dishes, I usually go by smell first to see if it's ready and then by looks. It smelled amazing. When I peeked, it was golden and very puffy. It wasn't as brown as my usual clafoutis and I suspect it was because of the lower temperature. It doesn't matter. It was getting late and I couldn't bother to bake it longer. The moment I took it out of the oven it still jiggled a bit (totally normal) and started to deflate (also normal). By the time I set this down and grabbed the camera, the clafoutis was already down by half an inch. As far as I know, a clafoutis always deflates as it sits to cool off (see pics below). I would have been more worried if it didn't! :)</div>
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At this point it was still pretty hot but I couldn't resist anymore. I took a big spoonful to taste and mildly burned my tongue. Was it worth it? Yes. It was all I expected from this first bite. A moist and sweet custardy blanket with vapours of vanilla and rum, wrapped around a soft poached fruit. Pure comfort. I even went for a second bite. To really enjoy this though, it has to rest and cool down till it gets lukewarm. It's even great cold the next day but to be honest, I rarely have leftovers. To allow the cooling process, I had to step away. That part is always hard but necessary. Watching an episode of Person of Interest was easy to distract me. So I guess 45 minutes went by. I then grabbed the dish and two spoons. Husband and I agreed to respect each other's sides and we scarfed it down while watching an other episode.</div>
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No pictures of cute slice, no sprinkled sugar on top. Just this dish, spoon, my guy and a tv show.<br />
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Total satisfaction.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Peach clafoutis</b></span></u></div>
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Heavily adapted from <a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.ca/2008/07/cherry-clafouti-its-pits.html" target="_blank">Chef John</a>'s Food Wishes video recipe </div>
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1/2 tablespoon butter (for greasing)</div>
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2/3 cup sugar</div>
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3-4 cups peach slices (mine were frozen stiff when measured so it was probably 3 cups when thawed)</div>
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2 tablespoons rum</div>
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1-2 teaspoons almond extract (went by taste here)</div>
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1/2 cup flour</div>
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1 1/4 cup milk (in this recipe, 1/4 cup of that milk was replaced with the rum/sugar/peach syrup)</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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1 tablespoon vanilla</div>
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salt (about 2 pinches)</div>
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Thaw peach slices if frozen. This is one of those dishes where you put as much as your dish will allow. If you have too much, eat the rest or set it aside for something else. In a bowl, mix peach slices with rum, almond extract and about 3 tablespoons of sugar. You want the liquid to be pleasantly sweet like syrup. Let that sit for a bit. Mine sat for 2 hours. If your fruits are fresh, ripe and sweet, by all means skip that step. If you have some peach schnapps, feel free to use that instead. My rum almost made me go for cinnamon but I held back. This is all about improvising. I did it to improve the lack of flavour. You might want to try it with a very specific flavour in mind.<br />
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When you're ready to start, crank oven to 400˚F.</div>
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Grease your dish with butter. I used a flan dish which (10" wide and 1.5" high). Any shallow casserole dish (about 2 quarts) would do. I even tried it in my 9" cast iron pan with success. Sprinkle a tbsp of sugar to coat the bottom but you might need more for the sides. I usually end up using 1 1/2 tbsp. Shake and tap the pan as you move it around to distribute the sugar as much as possible (just like you would do with flour). Add a bit more to the sides if needed. You can return the excess sugar in the bowl you'll use for the batter. Many skip that step but I find it worth it. It doesn't stick (in fact it's super easy to remove a slice of clafoutis when cooled and set) and makes for a nice caramelized crust.<br />
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Take your fruits and place one slice at a time in a circular pattern. You could strain them in a bowl first to collect the juice but I just gently shake each slice from it's liquid as I lay it in the dish. When done and satisfied, sprinkle sugar over the fruits. I rarely measure but I'll guess 3tbsp.</div>
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In a bowl, whisk your flour, rest of the sugar and a pinch of salt. Next is the milk. Sometimes I go all milk (or mix with cream) but if I have a nice sweet syrup from the fruit I'm using, I'll use that instead (it's usually between 1/4 to 1/2 cup) and I top that with milk to make 1 1/4 cup. It's okay if you end up with a bit more (I once went as far as 1 1/2 cup). Hope I'm not confusing but when I cook or bake I just do that. It's like alchemy with food! I play with things, take notes and hope for the best. :)<br />
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Gently pour that batter over your fruits in the dish. I usually pour it slowly in a big wide circle till everything is covered. Some will move, it's okay. Some will float, it's okay too. Carefully bring this to your hot oven (without spilling or creating a tidal wave of batter) and close the door. Exhale. Set the timer for 40 minutes and move on.<br />
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After 40 minutes, you can open the door and take a peak or you can rely on your nose. I usually wait for the aromas of vanilla and pancake to waft through the rest of the house. Then I take a look. Sometimes I leave it for an extra 5-10 minutes to give it more colour. Sometimes that sneak peek costs me to see the glorious golden mound to deflate but such is the life of a clafoutis. Remove from the oven, smell, smile and sprinkle sugar on top if you wish. I often don't bother.<br />
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Now walk away. This is not a dessert that gets eaten hot or too warm.<br />
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You want this to cool and set. About 30-40 minutes. If you cut this too early (we've all been guilty), it won't hold as well. It also needs to rest so that the flavours between the poached fruits and sweet vanilla batter get to mingle and mellow. Please try to wait but I'll understand if you can't. A light dusting of icing sugar can make it pretty (if no sugar was sprinkled on top when hot). some serve this with cream or ice cream... Honestly, I never tried.<br />
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Just grab a spoon and scoop right out of the dish with a loved one. Or act civilized, slice and serve.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-55622588692190166202014-12-16T08:45:00.000-05:002014-12-16T08:45:03.510-05:00Advent calendar funWhen I look at the girls' advent calendar, I won't lie, I get stressed. All those little open windows remind me that the days are just flying by! In fact time is flying so fast that this new pic below is already dated by 2 days. I started this post 2 weeks ago but pushed it to the side for other activities. Some were good, some were me just having issues. I'm recovering from a long and nasty depression and I'm still feeling fragile. I'm slow by nature but now I'm even slower. I struggle with focus, simple decisions and block things out when I have too much on my plate. Great timing for the Holidays right? It's okay, I take it slow! ;) Maybe too slow but based on the many notes I wrote in the last few years to future me, I'm right on time with things. I feel like this calendar is rushing me and rubbing it in but it's a busy time of the year and keeping track of the dates is important so I'll let it go. I'm ok. Go ahead calendar, keep me up to date.<br />
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Of course, focusing on a blog post instead of shopping, or making pie crust sure doesn't help but somehow it makes me feel better. I wanted to talk about this advent calendar. It is a very special present we received 5 years ago from a really close friend of the family. I love getting surprised by the fun note that came with it which we taped in the back. It's a good thing we did because somehow we always forget. I was pregnant with my youngest when we received this and she could only be referred to as "Peanut" but I forgot about that. I like that this note reminds me. Thank you Jo-Ann for what will surely become a heirloom.<br />
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The truth is, as much as we loved it, we would often forget to use it or kept struggling with last minute ideas to fill it. We were so used to the cardboard ones with the little chocolates inside that it was hard to get into the habit of this design. We decided that this year would be different. Marc pulled it out of our basement early enough and after the holidays are done, I plan on storing it ceremoniously on the top shelf of our pantry right next to the other treasures I save for the holidays. Before December first, we bought little bags of good chocolates. For a low cost there was enough to fill this calendar with leftovers for the next year! Except, I should have known better. After the girls were sent to bed, Marc opened the bags to sample... Doom. We managed to save the Kinder-eggs and saved the girls a few good Lindt chocolates but the rest went in our bellies. The shame.<br />
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Back to the store. This time I saw an opportunity to do it the fun way and headed to the brand new local Dollarama to see my options. I have mixed feelings about that place but the wallet decided to embrace it. I knew I would find variety without spending too much. I admit I had a lot of fun shopping for it and kind of got lost in there for hours. I'm slow! In the end I was quite pleased with my selection, the bill and the fact that I have extras for next year! ;) Some items were chosen specifically for hanging in the tree on the day that we would decorate and some were chosen for crafts on the weekend. I tried to diversify to break the monotony, to cheer up Monday mornings or the middle of the week.<br />
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The loot included: Rainbow sugar canes, 2 Hello Kitty mini-figures, a craft kit to make 2 felt snowmen, 2 glass snowmen ornaments containing styrofoam snow, jiggly/rubbery bears that blink and shine when hit, squishy snowmen stickers, candy rings, fun erasers, fancy tapes for crafts or to decorate, 2 Lego mini-figures, gold coins and other chocolates.</div>
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I found the mini Lego and Hello Kitty figures at the local pharmacy of all places. They were between $3.00 to 4.00 each and were considered a splurge (especially when bought in pairs). I could have gone without and I don't think I'll do that each year and the girls know it but it was fun! Homemade items would have been just as nice and little love notes too. The girls would have loved it but my nerves, not so much. Did I over do it? Maybe but so far the reactions were worth it. It's amazing how an eraser or one sticker can brighten a morning and start a conversation. I made sure to alternate the trinkets with chocolates. The result, a fun box full of surprises with no more last minute stresses to fill them. </div>
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Most of this will be forgotten but a few will be remembered. Like these little snowmen the girls had to put together while Marc and I slept in. What a sweet deal that was! When we came down that morning, our little Évangéline was proud to show us what they discovered and created. Geneviève her older sister helped her figure what to do with it and as much as I would have loved to be there to see it, I like that this was their little moment. It was worth eating all the chocolates for that! ;)</div>
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Just like the merry expression on this little guy's face, I'm wishing you all a good time (with a good side of crazy), at getting ready for the big day. It's time for me to jump on my list of things to do so if I'm not back here soon, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy New Year! :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-87126539141704428822014-12-05T20:06:00.001-05:002014-12-05T20:15:14.372-05:00Leek, mushroom and cheese galetteMarc introduced our 4 year old to Mary Poppins yesterday. I had to watch that movie on VHS many times with my oldest (20 years ago), so I know the movie pretty well. That said, there is an expression from Mary Poppins I had never heard before. In the scene, she tucks the chatty children to bed after a crazy adventure and the boy is asking her to promise something. Her reply is quick: "That's a piecrust promise. Easily made, easily broken."<br />
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I just loved it! I kept repeating it in wonder. As a parent of 3 I learned to be careful about that. The hard way. I know how easy it is to break a promise. I also know how easy it is to make pie crust and break that too. I went through a few failures that made me understand the basics better. This too I learned the hard way. Pies used to intimidate me. I used to hold my breath so drastically when making my special Christmas eve tourtière that I would make myself dizzy! Now I chill. Just like pie crust. I'm still no expert but the fear is gone and that feels great. So all this to say that I found myself dreaming about pies right in the middle of the movie. Like this little savoury pie below that I made a couple of weeks ago. It was a treat that helped me make good use of some mushrooms and leeks that were crying in the fridge.<br />
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I could have trimmed the edges to make it look nicer but that would mean less crust! :) I think I prefer pies to cake. The crust especially (if it's well done, buttery and flaky). I made a few great serviceberry pies last year which were tasty and addictive and I now enjoy making the special and colossal Christmas eve tourtière (without passing out). I always do it old school with 2 knives to cut the fat in the flour. Last month though, I enjoyed a piecrust recipe that is done in the food processor. With it, I made a quick and seriously good chicken potpie (a future post, I hope). It's also what I used two weeks ago for this savoury mushroom galette. I simply LOVE mushrooms and that galette stayed with me long after it was eaten and gone.<br />
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There is an other kind of pie I love below. A sweetie pie. An enthusiastic little assistant that helped me with the operation even though she doesn't care for mushroom galettes (at all). Secretly it was for the best because as much as I love sharing pie, I hate sharing mushrooms.<br />
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So here is how it happened. I had some mushrooms that had seen better days. Same deal with 2 leeks that never went in a soup. So I washed it all up and sliced away. I melted some butter in a pan on medium high-heat and threw the mushrooms in first with salt and pepper. Once they were brown but still moist, I tossed in a small amount of fresh parsley and transferred it all in a plate. The sliced leeks went in the pan next. I cooked them on medium-low till soft and sweet then returned the mushrooms to the pan. I'm shocked I didn't add garlic (never happens with me and mushrooms). I just didn't. I adjusted the seasoning, took it off the heat and put a lid on top to keep it warm and moist. Simple. I ate a few (ok many) delicious spoonfuls as I tried to decide what to do with it.<br />
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Toast? Bruschetta? Awesome but I only had cheap, old sandwich bread. Not worthy. Mixed with pasta? That would have stretched it too thin and would never match the spoonfuls I just had. Picky, picky. Oooh! In an Omelette? Aarg! Not enough eggs. It was that time for groceries again. So in the fridge it went (after a few more spoonfuls) till I would get eggs or good bread. Sadly I got distracted, and the day moved on without it. The next day I randomly flipped through a book on pies and saw a mushroom galette in it. Bingo! My filling was quite different from the one in the recipe but the decision was made. Those mushrooms were going in a pie crust. Lunch!<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">It was perfect and tasty. Salty and earthy. Even Marc who isn't a fan of mushrooms, freakishly admitted to enjoying this and went for more. It was cool and annoying because I had to share! It was for the best though. This was a rich dough with a heavy little secret. </span><br />
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The dough is an all butter <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/891257/classic-chicken-potpie" target="_blank">recipe from Martha Stewart</a>. I can handle that and it's only for a single crust. The thing is, I had little to no butter (barely 3 tablespoons). Remember, I had to go to the grocery store. Apparently, we like to wait till we're desperate. Anyways, I figured since I do my tourtière with 100% lard what would be the harm in using *gasp* bacon fat? Don't answer that. I'm wincing here and feel judged but whatever, I went for it. I grabbed the tin that I store in the fridge. It was firm, I scooped what I needed, put it in the freezer to make it harder then cut it up in cubes to add to the butter and moved on with the recipe. You know what? It tasted good, it was a one time deal and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YOLO_(motto)" target="_blank">YOLO</a>!<br />
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You could definitely taste the bacon with the mushrooms, leeks and cheese and even though I won't choose this method again (I choose life), I'm glad I did. It was pleasurable and I got to share it with my guy who now likes mushrooms in a pie. So there! Seriously though, next time, just butter.<br />
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Once the dough was made, I quickly shaped it in a disc, wrapped it in plastic and put it in the fridge to firm up. The trick here is to move quickly so things stay very cold.</div>
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After 30 minutes, I floured the counter and rolled the dough to about an 1/8-inch thickness. It was still very cold and I love how you can see the little pieces of fat. A must for flaky crust. I also love how you can see the little particles of bacon. Bonus! :) </div>
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That's when the sweetie pie came in. She watched me roll the dough so she could help with the rest. We spooned the mushrooms on top, spread it out, topped with cubes of old cheddar. Swiss would have been nice or goat cheese... Mmm! We worked with what we had. She was really good at topping it with cheese. Then I showed her how to fold the edges and brushed some egg wash all over the dough. She was pretty effective with that too! We both felt pleased with the results.</div>
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For the record, there should have been more filling in there. I sort of enjoyed it by the spoonful. Once the galette went in the 350˚F oven for 30 minutes, my assistant moved on to doodles, colouring books and pencils. I thought she would go for it once the beautiful golden disk came out. She loved to look at it and felt very proud with the results but wanted to be kept out of the sampling business. Unlike me who indulged a bit too much. As always. </div>
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I managed to eat a whole quarter of this mushroom galette goodness by myself. It was too easy. Then Marc stepped in and I had to use self control. He later helped me finish it which was for the best.</div>
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I can definitely say that it's at it's best when fresh out of the oven but a little resting time is good as you don't want to eat this too hot. 20-30 minutes works but room temperature wasn't as good. There would have been more filling if it wasn't for my many samplings of the mushroom/leek mixture. The cheese was nice but feta, goat or swiss would have been better than cheddar. I only had a little bit of parsley but 1/4 cup would have been good. Fresh thyme would have been spot on and garlic wouldn't hurt. In the end, this was really tasty in it's simple form. It required discipline to not eat the whole thing in one sitting. I will do this again very soon. Maybe this weekend (no bacon fat this time) and a big side of salad.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: normal;">Leek, mushroom and cheese galette</u></span></h2>
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Pie crust recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/891257/classic-chicken-potpie" target="_blank">Martha Stewart</a>.</div>
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<b>Pie crust</b></div>
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1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), more for work surface</div>
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1 teaspoon sugar</div>
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1/4 teaspoon fine salt</div>
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1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) cold butter cut in 1/2-inch pieces (or try cold bacon fat if you're curious)</div>
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3 to 5 tablespoons ice water</div>
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<b>Filling</b></div>
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1 pound mushrooms</div>
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2 leeks (white and pale green part only)</div>
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1-2 tablespoon butter</div>
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1 teaspoon sea salt</div>
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1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper</div>
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1/4 cup fresh parsley</div>
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1/2 cup cheddar or swiss or feta or goat cheese</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1 tablespoon water</div>
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In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons of ice water). Do not over-mix.</div>
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Form dough into disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour or overnight. 30 minutes worked for me.</div>
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On a floured work surface, roll out your dough to a 12-inch circle. It should be about an 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and put back in the fridge while you get the filling ready.</div>
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Wash, slice mushrooms and leeks. In a medium pan on medium high heat let the butter melt and foam. Sauté the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper to taste (my measurements above are just guidelines). Cook for about 5-8 minutes until brown but still moist. Lower heat if too high. Add some chopped parsley, mix, and transfer to a plate. </div>
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Add leeks to the pan on medium-low heat and cook till soft and sweet. Don't let them brown or dry up. Add the mushrooms, stir it all up, taste and adjust the seasoning. Let cool a bit.</div>
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Get your pie crust out of the fridge. Spoon the filling in the middle of your circle of dough and spread it around evenly, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the filling. </div>
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Fold up your 2-inch border over the filling, overlapping the edges a bit and pressing down gently. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl for the egg-wash and brush the edges of the pie with it. </div>
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Put in 350˚F oven and bake for 30 minutes or till golden brown. Let it cool for at least 20 minutes before pigging out. Great with a salad for lunch or with drinks and at least one accomplice.</div>
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Try it and let me know what you think.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-25346427559528285112014-11-27T14:32:00.001-05:002014-11-27T14:34:00.863-05:00A birthday and chocolate Malteser cake<div style="text-align: left;">
It was Émilie's 25th birthday this week! My first born... I still remember her as a little one. The birth, her peach skin, finding out she was a girl, blond curls, she looked so different from what I was expecting. She was perfect. I was 19. Life was for ever changed. Seems like yesterday yet a quarter of a century went by. It is true that as you get older life goes by faster and with our two youngest girls, life is definitely bustling by! All I can do is hold on and smell the coffee once in a while. </div>
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The actual party was Saturday night when my girl went out with her fiancé for drinks at the <a href="http://les3brasseurs.ca/eng/" target="_blank">3 Brewers</a> downtown Ottawa. They were joined by a whole bunch of friends in their mid and late twenties. Marc and I had no babysitter so he stayed home with the young ones and I joined the merry bunch for a few pints of dark <a href="http://les3brasseurs.ca/eng/beers/3" target="_blank">brown goodness</a>, a shot of Tequila and lively conversations with familiar and new faces. I left around midnight to catch the last bus while the birthday girl moved on to a dance bar. I made it home safe by 1h00 a.m. with a smile on my face and cozied up with Marc who was watching a movie. My girl was happy I attended and it was nice to see her old friends and meet new ones. Overall a good time which was followed by a mild hangover (unlike the party girl who apparently nursed a major one for the next 24 hours).</div>
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She came to our house 2 days later to hang out on her actual birthday while I baked her a cake and a homemade lasagna. Here is the cake! A fun chocolate one with a mild malty flavour, buttercream icing and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltesers" target="_blank">Maltesers</a> on top! </div>
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If your inner child doesn't smile at this, well, I feel sorry for you. It was my favourite candy when we arrived to Canada (after Mars bars). In 1980, they would sell for 1 cent at the corner store and if I was lucky to have a quarter to spend, I would ask for 25 of those beautiful orbs that the clerk would give me in a small paper bag. I even remember a few decadent days where I had a whole one dollar bill to myself. 100 malt balls!!! A kid can learn to do math quickly on a deal like that!</div>
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The recipe is from Nigella Lawson's book <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Feast-Food-That-Celebrates-Life/dp/0676974139/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417038913&sr=8-1&keywords=Nigella+Feast" target="_blank">Feast</a>. I enjoyed her book for 8 years and I love the chocolate Guinness cake that is featured in her impressive chapter "Chocolate Cake Hall of Fame". For some reason, no matter how fun it looked, it took me that long to try this Maltesers one. Mainly because finding malt powder was always an issue at my local store. There is no <a href="http://www.horlicks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Horlicks</a> here (a hilarious and ugly name by the way) and I never found substitutes like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovaltine#mediaviewer/File:Jar-and-Cup-Ovaltine-2006.jpg" target="_blank">Ovaltine</a> or <a href="http://www.nestleusa.com/brands/Baking/Carnation-Malted-Milk" target="_blank">Carnation</a>. Then the other week I came across this imported Columbian product called <a href="http://williamaitken.co.nz/Chocolisto/0,2721,12132,00.html" target="_blank">Chocolisto</a> with malt and chocolate. Yay malt! I went with that. The other break I got was to find Maltesers at the new Dollarama for $2.00 the bag. I grabbed 4 packets and went on my merry way knowing that this cake was finally going to get baked. </div>
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I admit I had serious issues with the conversions. Maybe I just couldn't focus that day but my old notes from other cakes were missing and the web kept giving me different numbers for the oven temperature or various ingredients in the recipe. It was a frustrating hour of surfing and guessing instead of baking. In the end I managed and wrote my notes directly in the book. The other thing is that the recipe said to mix the malt powder with the butter in hot milk. I tasted it out of curiosity and wasn't satisfied with the flavours. So, I cheated. I boosted the small amount of chocolate malt powder from 2 tbsp to 4 generous good ones. Once you cheat it's hard to stop though. ;) I figured it wouldn't hurt to add more butter as well! So I went from a lame one tablespoon to two, three, four spoonfuls. It's butter in cake batter! How bad can it be? Just as I was about to mix the wet mixture with the dried ingredients, I realized that I had forgotten the cocoa powder and had no proper conversion for the amount that was requested. 25g didn't sound like a lot to me. It was also too small for my scale to read. What is it? 1/4 cup? 1/3 cup? The truth is, I was planning on cheating with a good 3/4 cup but wanted to know what the original amount really was. </div>
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That made me go back online to research and I suddenly stumbled on a blog that actual tried the recipe (conversions included). Excitement and relief! Except my smile turned into frown when all I read were negative comments. Her link lead to an other blog that I actually love who echoed the same review. What!? Words like: "gross", "tough", "dull", "rubbery", "mousy colour", "taste of failure" were burning my eyes as I read in disbelief that it didn't taste like chocolate or malt. My heart was sinking. How could this cool kitschy looking cake from the domestic goddess be so bad!!?? I was cursing and swearing and losing my groove so fast. What to do?? I had to start on the lasagna, the little one kept pestering me to help, the clock was ticking, the room still needed to be tidied, presents had to be wrapped and I had no idea if I should continue or quit and grab my coat to run to the store for new ingredients. </div>
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I usually bake a trusty old favourite that never fails: Dark moist chocolate cake filled with whipped cream and strawberries then topped with chocolate ganache. Perfection. It was tempting but it was also predictable (in this house) and I was stubborn. I decided to stick to my malt/choco creation with a possibility for plan B (quick cocoa brownies) if this turned to disaster. I'm glad I did!</div>
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This birthday girl wasn't sure if she was crazy about malt balls but the look of this cake was pretty cool and change is refreshing. Also she tasted the buttercream icing and approved. It rocks. It's different from the other buttercream icings I've done before. It was suspiciously easy and not as greasy as some old standards I used to do. I cried over buttercream before. Not this one. I did boost the amount of cocoa powder a bit and did the same with the malt. It tasted great but the coloured contrast between the pale icing and the chocolate malt balls was gone. I didn't think about that detail until I assembled the cake. They both shared the same shade of brown which didn't look as cool as in Nigella's book below. I will go with taste though and this icing tasted right.</div>
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I moved on with the lasagna which was great, no pics but it's begging for it's own post. Managed to tidy up and wrapped some presents with Marc's help. Birthday girl was initiated to My Little Pony with her younger sisters in the afternoon, then she moved on to play Battleship with Marc and continued with a serious vintage board game from the 60s called Stratego. Her fiancé joined us, so did her girlfriend and my father. Who all treated her with various gifts. There was chips, wine, records being played and a hockey game to watch. After some digesting and presents-opening, the cake was lit and coffee was poured.</div>
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Cake verdict: I think this cake was simply misunderstood. Poor thing. I'm glad I gave it a chance. If you want something that has the characteristics of a box cake, this isn't for you. If you want to make cup cakes out of this, this cake is so not for you. I was expecting the worse but it wasn't like what others described. Sure it wasn't the moist sweet cake that is so common with North American desserts. It was sturdy but not heavy and tasted great with the buttercream icing which was the perfect sweet complement to it's texture. It had time to sit and mellow in the fridge (my kitchen was too warm). The chocolate and malt flavours were definitely present but not overly sweet. It reminded me of European cakes of my childhood. Especially the spice cakes from Germany (but without the spices). Maybe it was the changes I made, maybe it was the icing but nobody at our table of 8 thought it was dry and we were rather amused that it made me look like I overcame the infamous challenge of the Malteser cake. Fist pump! It's the perfect thing to have with a coffee! Even 3 days later! You have to look at the whole package here and how it gets served. This cake is firm and definitely needs the soft, rich, sweet contrast of the buttercream to balance things out. It's better served in thin slices and the Maltesers on top add a fun touch of crunch. Coffee or tea a must. A happy ending to a busy little evening which turned out to be a pretty fun affair. Maybe our best one yet! </div>
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Recipe after the pics.</div>
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Oh yes and it's high time I introduce my little buddy. Meet Vincent. Our little hedgehog who loves to attend our little fêtes.</div>
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<h2>
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Malteser birthday cake</span></u></h2>
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Heavily adapted from Nigella Lawson's recipe in Feast</div>
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<b>The cake</b></div>
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3/4 cup soft light brown sugar</div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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3/4 cup milk</div>
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4 tablespoons butter</div>
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4 tablespoons Chocolisto (or other chocolate/malt powder like Horlicks, Ovaltine or Carnation)</div>
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1 1/2 cup flour</div>
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3/4 cup cocoa powder</div>
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1 teaspoon baking powder</div>
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda</div>
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<b>Icing and decoration</b></div>
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1 1/2 cup icing sugar</div>
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1 tablespoon cocoa powder</div>
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1/2 cup Chocolisto (or other chocolate/malt powder like Horlicks, Ovaltine or Carnation)</div>
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1/2 cup (1 stick) + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter</div>
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2 tablespoons boiling water</div>
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2-3 x 100g packets Maltesers to decorate and eat as you go<br />
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Take whatever you need out of the fridge so that all the ingredients can come to room temperature.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Butter and line two 20cm (8 inches) tins. Mine were 3.5cm (1.5 inches) deep and had no removable bottoms. The cake will come out as long as the bottom is lined. Wax paper works fine here. No need to freak out if you have no parchment paper. Butter that too and move on.<br />
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Whisk together the brown and white sugars and eggs in a stand-mixer. This allows you to prep the other ingredients at the same time. Or you can give your wrist a good work out.<br />
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In the meantime, heat the milk, butter and malt powder in a saucepan until the butter melts, and it is hot but not boiling.<br />
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When the sugars and eggs are light and frothy, beat in the hot malt mixture. Then fold in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. I think using a sieve for those last 4 ingredients would have helped with a few lumps but I managed without.<br />
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Divide the cake batter evenly between the two tins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. The cakes should spring back when pressed gently. Let them cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes. You can then run a knife along the edges before turning them out of their tins. Peel the wax paper off the bottoms.<br />
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Once the cakes are cold, you can get on with the icing. A food processor makes this really easy. No need to sieve the icing sugar. Just put the icing sugar, cocoa, malt powder in the food processor and blitz to remove all lumps. Add the butter and process again. Stop, scrape down if you have to and start again, pouring the boiling water down the funnel with the motor running until you have a smooth buttercream. Magic!<br />
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Sandwich the cold sponges with half of the buttercream then ice the top with what is left, creating a swirly pattern rather than a smooth surface. Stud the outside edge with a ring of Maltesers. It will hold nicely in the cold buttercream. I should mention that the top layer was turned upside down so I would get a nice flat top for the icing. It left a gap between the 2 layers though so I saw this as an opportunity to add more Maltesers by nudging them in between.<br />
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Put in the fridge to let it set and mellow. Brew some coffee, invite peeps and share thin slices with extra Maltesers on the side! Just because.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-5327987984736669622014-10-12T15:00:00.001-04:002014-10-12T15:02:21.587-04:00Coffee, cups and funny cats jumping in boxesI'm not a morning person but rough starts of the day can lighten up with a good coffee and a cute cup.<br />
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While I take a few minutes to focus on the moment, I often get charmed by the vignette that is presenting itself in front of me. Sometimes it's just a good day and I try to capture the vibe.<span style="text-align: left;"> </span>Other times I just struggle but manage to see a stimulating visual that pulls me out of my rut. The feeling might leave as fast as it came or it might stick around long enough to inspire some positive and creative ideas for the day. <span style="text-align: left;">The camera is never far when you have young kids and I've been taking pictures around the kitchen for almost 2 decades. As I</span> was perusing through old photos from this year I saw a pattern with my morning ritual and decided to share a few.<br />
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Mother's day morning after sleeping in.</div>
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A cold spring day and my pottery.</div>
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A summer break on the deck with my little one, a book and cookies.</div>
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<a href="http://thecatandthehedgehog.blogspot.ca/2014/10/lazy-weekend.html" target="_blank">Lazy weekend</a></div>
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A late brunch with <a href="http://5secondrule.typepad.com/my_weblog/2014/08/smoked-mozzarella-cucumber-tomato-sandwiches.html" target="_blank">this great sandwich</a>.</div>
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Enjoying it black for a change with our early garden tomatoes, eggs and toast.</div>
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Yesterday morning. A rough one.</div>
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Still, the coffee with frothy milk was tasty and my Maman Moomin cup always brings me comfort. Those little moments are good. They allow for positive thinking and sometimes I write some of it down. It's only a few minutes but I try not take it for granted. Depression still has a grip on me but it's mild and I can function. Sometimes I need a little extra help though. Like yesterday. It was heavy and I knew I would need to make the extra effort to stay above water. One hour at a time. Fresh air helps, little things, little moments, laughter... Yesterday a family member shared this video online. It was perfect timing and lightened things up. So here I am sharing! :)</div>
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I'm sorry to contribute to the feline invasion on the internet but it works for me and if it works, I say: Milk it! So play it, hum along to the catchy <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNwNGSniS0s" target="_blank">tune</a> and move on. Like I'm doing on this thanksgiving day.<br />
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Hope you have a nice long weekend and be thankful for the little things! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-13000734593320957872014-10-08T10:59:00.000-04:002014-10-10T01:41:20.150-04:00Mad woman at the stove with a brain on neutral and an unwanted pound of ground porkThere are times when you feel like you're all thumbs. When deep down you know that for sanity's sake it would be best if you stayed out of the kitchen and dialled a number for pizza. If frustrations build up and your mind goes in neutral, you can start feeling useless in a hurry as people around you get tired, grumpy and hungry (yourself included). My neighbour has a good word for that: "hangry". When that happens, I usually let it go and embrace grilled cheese night, eggs and toast, cream of wheat with apple sauce or buttered noodles. Even better if Marc takes over! It happens... Right? I can usually shrug it off, knowing that I will helm the kitchen when I get to be myself again.<br />
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Sometimes though, this invisible pressure keeps pushing and common sense just flies out the window. Then anxiety takes over and things get dumb real fast. Like 2 nights ago when this pic was taken by my 4 year old. I can feel the fog in this photo. I was tired and struggling a bit. Okay, a lot. Depression but nothing serious. Marc was entertaining the girls but offered to go to the store for something easy. It would have spared me a few brain cells as I was obviously struggling and cursing with one stupid move after an other but I was stubborn. Even though he offered more than once, my pride held on like a pit bull and I decided to stick to my guns. Or in this case, my pots and pans.<br />
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I grabbed what I thought was 1 pound of beef but suddenly realized it was pork. My plan was simple. Patties, simply seasoned, quickly fried in barely any fat and finished with a knob of butter under the grill. For sides, white rice and buttered carrots cooked in just enough water that would evaporate into a sweet syrupy liquid by serving time. I know this stuff by heart. There is no recipe. It's just manipulation of a few ingredients on high or low heat till you know it's just right for consumption. My brain didn't want to think but I still wanted comfort. Well, all went to hell when pork showed up as an impostor. I should have treated this meat the same way but I'm not a fan of pork patties. I can cook pork or sausage meat with confidence into a luscious sauce for pasta but we already had that 2 nights before and mac 'n' cheese not too long before that... Not an option. I was out of ingredients for that anyway. I'm also pretty good with pork chops, pork roast or tenderloin but this was ground pork. Extra lean. With ground pork, I can master a pretty decent tourtière and I like to mix it with beef and veal for some seriously tasty meatballs. All things I take pride in and love but there was no time for that. Also, I didn't care. Or maybe I cared too much and didn't want to do a half-assed job? Whatever it was, I felt stuck. Seriously I should have tossed that in the fridge and go with grilled cheese. The next option was asian flavours but I had little to nothing for that and I wanted the girls to eat, not whine. I considered greek but I was out of lemons, cucumbers, tomatoes... *Sigh*<br />
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Lame? Yes. I was simply at the end of my wits and supplies. The fridge was close to empty. Same for the pantry. It was pretty much meat and potatoes without the potatoes. I had rice, onions, celery and carrots. Usually I thrive on that. Stretching the last goods for a small feast. A great base for risotto, soup, sauce, stews... Anything! Not this time. I just wanted 'simple' and to move on but that pork threw me off!! My pride was hurt. I was annoyed. The more I looked at links or books for ideas the worse I felt. After a while I shut all my books, my laptop, grabbed a glass of water and just closed my eyes for 5 minutes.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pork patties (a lengthy description of an improvised recipe from a frazzled mind)</span></u></span></h2>
I started. Thawed the meat that was still frozen. In the microwave. Oh how I loath the microwave. Bad start. I got distracted somehow (kid or cat) and some parts of the meat got cooked through. I cursed. Marc heard me and felt brave enough to say "I guess we're having pizza". I said nothing, which was pretty much a silent "NO!" I gave a piece of cooked meat to the cat and moved on. I dumped the meat with all it's liquid in a bowl and stepped outside for a second breather. Smart move. It was pleasant and balmy. I went to check on my herbs in the garden to inspire me and fair enough touching the sage made me think of garlic, pork, apples and potatoes. I had no apples or 'taters but close enough! I grabbed a few leaves of fresh sage. Washed them, patted them dry and chopped. Tossed that in my big granite mortar with 2 big cloves of garlic, the last spoonful of my olive oil and 2 generous pinches of salt. Crushing that to a paste with the heavy pestle was very satisfying and the smells were just enough to help me stick around to see what was going to happen next. I scooped that fragrant paste and transferred it in the bowl with the meat.<br />
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I took an onion next, chopped it up and threw it in a pan with a pat of butter on medium heat till soft and coloured. While they were cooking, I took 2 slices of whole wheat bread and turned them into crumbs in the food processor. Before adding the crumbs to the meat, I tossed them in the big mortar to soak up the last micro bits of sage and garlic goodies that were left behind. With a rubber spatula, I scraped it around to get it all fragrant and into the bowl of pork it went. That moment felt so good. I still wasn't sure what I was doing. To that, I added the onions and the leftover fat which wasn't much. I also added some buttermilk just because I happened to have some (about 3 tbsp). I broke an egg in there and whipped it a bit then mixed everything gently.<br />
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My pan was still hot on medium heat. I needed more fat though. I didn't want to use my butter or some precious artisan olive oil from friends of the family in Portugal so I decided to be bad and used bacon fat! :) I smiled with defiance. The fat came from some seriously good local bacon Marc had purchased the day before. It was a tablespoon or less. We'll just say it was less and move along. I let that heat up and quickly scooped some of that pork mixture with my hand. The amount was filling my palm nicely. It was really soft and fragile so I moved quickly and gently flattened it in my hand with the tip of my fingers then flipped that in the pan. It was the perfect size. Thickness of my fingers, size of my palm but in an oval sort of shape. I did 4 like that and fried them fast without touching till a crust was set. That made them easier to flip over. Then I seared the other side quickly. I suddenly decided I was going to finish them in the oven and cranked the oven to 375˚f. I transferred the 4 patties in a small square metal pan I usually use for brownies and cooked 2 more. 6 in all.<br />
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Once they were in my square dish (4 at the bottom with 2 on top), I threw a generous spoonful of flour in the frying pan and tossed that around for 2 minutes. Once cooked, brown and stuck to the bottom of the pan, I gradually added a cup of chicken broth that had to go. It could have been water, apple juice, port, milk or cooking liquids from the carrots. I stirred that flour with a wooden spoon to loosen it and turned it into a paste over medium heat as I kept adding broth in a thin stream. Each time I kept adding, the paste loosened into something promising. I kept stretching that till the broth was gone. It made a nice thin gravy that would thicken just a tad more in the oven. I seasoned with salt, pepper and tasted... Yup, good. Light at the end of the tunnel! I poured that sauce over the patties and in the hot oven it went. I had no aluminum foil and worried that the patties on top, would dry up so I simply laid a cookie sheet on top as an improvised lid. Cooked that for 10-12 minutes... Relief.<br />
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There it was, a pleasant meal. VICTORY! As I called the family to come to the table, I took a pic in case it was a stroke of genius. It wasn't but it sure was tasty and comforting! The vibe at the table was good. There was no struggle with the girls who were chirping away. All ate happily (myself included). Marc who helped, thanked me for the efforts that my frazzled brain barely managed. A glass of port was serenely enjoyed as a reward. A silent toast to a good ending.<br />
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I feel like myself again and ready to helm the kitchen. Well, at least until Thanksgiving.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-64232903123842184502014-10-06T13:53:00.004-04:002014-10-06T15:54:23.406-04:00Lazy weekend2 weekends ago, we had a great time. The weather was so hot and sunny I had to crank a few fans. I enjoyed going overboard with my new soundtrack of Guardians of the Galaxy on vinyl and Marc and the girls biked to the salt water pool for a few hours. We later had good friends over to dine on some scrumptious cheese fondue, more music, good conversations and at least 3 bottles of wine. It was great! The next day Marc and the girls spent most of the day playing video games while I puttered on my blog. We later biked to the beach with a good picnic and stayed long enough to watch the sunset. Busy but simple and memorable. I have a post for that day, sitting here as a draft among many.<br />
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This weekend was the opposite. There wasn't much activity going on. It was chilly and wet but the sleeping in and cozy atmosphere was what I needed. When it got sunny we went out for a long walk along the main street and to the waterfront. We watched the seagulls gliding in the strong winds but didn't stick around too long. It was too cold! Instead we grabbed a few things on the way home to make mini pizzas. The girls made their own and ate them while watching a few episodes of Young Justice (with Marc who brainwashed them well). Us grown ups enjoyed our fancier version later with a movie: Watchmen. It was low-key and necessary.<br />
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Our table is like a family station for coffee, cookbooks, drawings, colouring and shows on the iPad. It always gets cleared for dinner (thank you Marc), and after the meal I clean it up as if nothing happened. It's often the only clean spot in the house! Lots gets done here.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The cat joined us for caresses and a bit of buttermilk.</span></div>
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I enjoyed watching them between my reads on Italian pasta, antipasto and English custards.</div>
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What is better than breakfast? One that you didn't have to cook! Especially when you realize your guy went the extra block to get quality bacon from a local shop and fresh country bread from the baker. He knows this charms me more than flowers! ;)</div>
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And fresh croissants! On sale for $1.00 because they were a bit over baked? Ok! Café au lait (to dunk it in), took care of that in a wink. This was a Sunday morning highlight!</div>
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Those 2 that are signalling me, often make me smile on tougher mornings.</div>
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2nd breakfast gone. Could do that all day.</div>
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An other moment when little Évangéline and I marvelled over some grapes. We often take them for granted. So pretty. She would eat the whole thing if I let her. </div>
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She made me take a pic of this old add that she keeps with her drawings. She especially likes the little red cat by the lamp.</div>
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Eventually we did go out. Came back hungry for this. The girls had mini english muffin versions that they like to make themselves. Marc and I had this tasty display. I used to make fun of pizza on pita bread but this was so good. If done right, you forget what was used for the base. We only wished I made more. Next time!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196473582128449856.post-11098384799704723392014-10-02T15:07:00.001-04:002014-10-10T01:43:02.890-04:00Laughing is goodHad a few rough days (mainly in the head) and it slowly starts to show with the messy house. It's a vicious circle because a messy house gets me down when I already feel vulnerable. See where it's going?<br />
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So I'll ignore all that and go clear my mind in the warm indian summer sun and join my husband who is gone to pick up our girl from school with the little one. It's a short walk that will do me good. The weather is cool but the sun is so bright. The trees are rustling their leaves in the breeze, the sound is soothing and pleasantly punctuated with the voices and laughter of excited children in the distance. Marc and the girls will stop by a local café for something hot to sip while sitting on the front terrace. The girls might play and fight about the new set of swings that the owner installed there. I think my best bet is to join them for a few minutes.<br />
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In the meantime, this below, is my medicine. It's been going around on Facebook and twitter for ever and there are many compilations online but this one is my favourite. I can cry laughing. It's that good. Or my kind of humour? Anyways, whenever I share this with Marc he isn't convinced but he likes to see me laugh and laughing is good. </div>
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So here I am sharing. Make sure you crank the volume and if I builded this up too much for you, well at least expect to smile. A lot! :D</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ssXJtzFOjA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221477740136750886noreply@blogger.com2