Walking, Junction Farmers’ Market and More Canning

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. one by one farmers’ markets are shutting down for the season

The day started with the a cool breeze and sunshine. My husband and I decided to check out the farmers’ market in the Junction. We had never been there and it would be our only opportunity to pay it a visit. The market was due to close later today.

As soon as Frances saw us preparing to leave she assumed we were going for our usual walk. We couldn’t disappoint her so we bundled up and fastened her into her Buddy belt. We ended up doing the usual route and gave her a good workout before heading back to the house. By the time we returned we decided that our plan to bike to the market wasn’t doable because the market was only open for another hour and a half.

So we took the car. The day progressively became cloudier and cooler. Parking in the Junction wasn’t a problem but we did have to ask someone where the market was located. Luckily we were close.

Caught on camera at the Junction Farmers’ Market

The market proved to be interesting. It wasn’t huge but it had some interesting vendors. We bought spinach, pears, vegetarian samosas, pepper jelly, radish relish, humus and homemade crackers.

We walked back to the car and unloaded our purchases and then walked to The Bean Cafe. We enjoyed a couple of cappuccinos and I must admit we each enjoyed a vegan oatmeal pumpkin cookie. (picture below)

On our way home we picked up our daughter, G, who needed to do some work at our house. She told us about the pumpkin butter she had made and it inspired me to do something with the leftover squash I had cooked last weekend.

K quickly found a recipe on line for squash butter. Actually there are quite a few. The one I chose is pretty close to the one my daughter used, the exception being that it called for any winter squash. Now when my sister brought me the squash she had no idea what the variety was. She called it horse squash because it grew in the horse pasture on their farm.

After researching the different varieties of winter squash I’ve decided that the squash my sister gifted me was a kabocha squash.

Here’s the link for the recipe that I altered slightly.

Maple Squash Butter

Kabocha Squash Maple Butter

6 cups of cooked squash (any type works but the orange varieties have a nicer colour)

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

2 tsp. vanilla

juice from 1 lemon

zest from the lemon

1. Puree the squash with an immersion blender.

2. Place it in a large pot and add the remaining ingredients.

3. Cook it for 20 minutes, stirring often, or until it reaches the consistency you like.

4. Taste and add more sweetner (syrup, sugar or brown sugar) if you like it sweeter.

5. Place in sterilized jars and seal. I didn’t put this in a waterbath. These jars will need to be refrigerated and used up within 3 weeks or you can freeze them.

My finished product isn’t very pretty. When you add the spices to the light yellow flesh of the kabocha squash it turns a pea soup greenish colour. Squashes with an orange flesh might be more appealing but then my husband said that pumpkin pie isn’t exactly ‘pretty’ either. However, it has a wonder flavour and would be great on toast and we dipped apple slices into it. Yummy!

Friday Drabble: Cake

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Mama Cormier

… trying something new

A drabble is a very short story of exactly 100 words. Feel free to join in and write your own drabbles on Fridays and tag them with “friday drabble” and on Twitter with the hashtag #fridaydrabble.

Cake

Just a coffee. That’s what I told myself upon entering The Second Cup. I was hungry. I knew this unplanned stop was a mistake. My eyes were immediately drawn to the dessert counter. Moist carrot cake loaded with fluffy cream cheese icing, dark rich chocolate cake, huge cake-like muffins topped with nuts and fruit, and sweet sumptuous squares were calling my name. “Carol, pick me!”

Maybe the fat-free, sugar-free pumpkin latte would satisfy my craving. No such luck. They were sold out.

I had to ask. “Do you have any healthy options?”

Stupid question. I settled for a regular coffee.

Deep Frying the Turkey

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. no splatter burns or fireballs in the sky

Once we decided to deep fry our turkey this Thanksgiving we started to have reservations. The warnings on the deep fryer were ominous. Improper use could lead to serious burns, fire, explosion and potential death.

K spent a good part of the day assembling the propane burner and pouring water over the turkey and then measuring it to see how much oil we would need to cover the bird. I think the final total was 18 litres. The oil cost more than the bird.

My daughter G and her husband B arrived early to watch over the operation. The week before B kept showing us Youtube videos of grease fires and explosions from turkey deep fryers. He was certain that K was going to make him lower the bird into the hot oil as payback but my brave husband did the deed.

Everyone took turns watching over the pot.

One hour later. Done to perfection.

The advantages to deep frying your turkey are:

1. The short cooking time – 1 hour instead of the normal 4 to 5 hours for a 16 pound bird.

2. Very crispy and flavourful skin if you’re not worried about the calories.

3. A very moist bird. It wasn’t at all dry.

4. The social aspect – everyone standing around watching the fryer.

5. A sure fire way to get your husband to cook the turkey.

Happy Birthday, Kevin

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. today we celebrated K’s birthday

After spending most of the day at the cross country meet with the kids, it was nice to dress up and put on a little make-up. My two daughters and their significant others met us at a very nice French restaurant to celebrate K’s birthday.

Earlier in the day my father phoned K to wish him a happy birthday, my aunt gave him a new book and our son phoned from Rotterdam. Apparently he’ll be coming to Canada on business in a couple of weeks. I wish we could see him but he’ll be in Montreal and I don’t know how long he’ll be there or how busy he’ll be. The good news is that he’ll be home for Christmas for about 4 weeks before he has to go back to the Netherlands.

The restaurant where we had dinner is called Merlot’s and is situated in the west end of Toronto in the Kingsway. Our waiter was fantastic and the food was wonderful. It was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday night. Reservations are highly recommended.

My appetizer, smoked salmon on a bed of mixed salad.

“Make a wish!”

Today I put on a dress that I haven’t worn before because it was a little tight over the hips. It fits perfectly now and I think it looks great. Back on the diet tomorrow so that I can continue to wear it. Cheers!

Sugarless Apple Butter

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. 30 hours later not including the canning

Last night’s salsa. 12 jars of spicy goodness.

It took a long time but because this apple butter recipe is cooked in a slow cooker you literally can walk away from it and leave it. It’s not a bad idea to stir it every once in awhile.

I love apple butter and I’ve purchased a sugarless variety a number of times. It took me some time to find a recipe that didn’t use sugar. Apples are naturally sweet and you don’t need to add more sugar. They also have a lot of natural pectin in them so you don’t need to add that either.

When I went to the farmers’ market on Saturday I asked which apples would make the best apple butter. They recommended MacIntosh or Royal Gala or a combination of both. I opted to try the combination. I used about 40 apples in total. The original recipe called for 25 to 30. I think the overall amount will depend on the size of the apples and the size of your slow cooker. The one I used was one of the bigger slow cookers on the market. Here is where I found the recipe:

http://eatingrichly.com/07/sugar-free-apple-butter-recipe/

The apple puree after the first 10 hours.

Placing the apples on top of the mash after the first and second 10 hour cooking period.

The final product. This recipe produced 10 small jars like the one you see in the photo and 2 pint size jars.

Not only is this recipe healthy but also relatively cheap to make. I spent about $19.00 in apples and ended up with the equivalent of 14 x 250ml jars of product. That’s about $1.35 a jar.

It’s Been a Huge Canning Day

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. sugar free apple butter and spicy salsa

Actually the canning hasn’t even taken place yet.

I started the apple butter last night and it’s still got another 8 hours of cooking in the slow cooker. I’ll post the recipe tomorrow.

After I added the second batch of apples to the the slow cooker I decided to start the salsa. I’ve made this salsa one other time and loved it. It didn’t last long so I decided to double the recipe. I think doubling the recipe also makes it necessary to cook it longer.

I’ve adapted the recipe slightly. Not only did I double the ingredients but I changed the variety of peppers. A word of warning. If you have sensitive skin you might want to consider wearing gloves as you prep the vegetables. The acidity in the tomatoes left my hands burning.

Here is the original recipe: Peppy Salsa recipe – Canadian Living.

It is recommended that when you chop jalapeno peppers that you wear rubber gloves or at least wash your hands really well before touching parts of your face with your fingers.

When choosing tomatoes for your salsa make sure they are very ripe and free of blemishes. Blanche them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then shock them in a bowl of ice water. The skins will slip off easily.

The tomatoes after they blanched, shocked in ice water and then peeled.

I chopped the peppers in small cubes. I didn’t have enough yellow peppers so I added so I added some green ones.

A pot full of chopped peppers and tomatoes.some green ones to the mix.

I hate chopping onion. My eyes sting so badly that I usually have to leave the room and wash my face before I can continue.

I chopped the onions and garlic last. The cilantro is added in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

I’ve tried holding my breath but as soon as I breathe through my nose my eyes tear up.

My solution: I get my husband to chop the onion.

I’ve had to let my sauce cook longer than the recommended time. Use your own judgement. Adjust the seasoning before adding the cilantro.

I put the salsa into hot sterilized jars and then into a water bath for 20 minutes. In fact the jars are in the bath as I write. I will post pictures of the finished product tomorrow along with the directions for the apple butter.

Cheers!

What Do You Do With Nine Pounds of Plums?

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…..make plum jam of course

I love plum cake, plum jam and Polish donuts with plum filling.

It’s part of my German upbringing. Every August/September, growing up, my mom would make ‘pflaumenkuchen mit streusel’ and serve it with freshly whipped cream. It was truly special.

Months after my mother’s death I purchased a plum cake from a local bakery situated near the cottage. When I served it, my youngest daughter started to cry because it reminded her of her Oma. No one, in her young memory made a better pflaumenkuchen.

I have tried to recreate her recipe. Of course she didn’t share the recipe with us and we only have our memories of the taste and appearance to go by. My father’s wife makes a wonderful version of this traditional German cake but always makes it with a yeast dough. I’m pretty sure that Mom used a batter made with butter, flour, sugar and baking powder.

http://www.huettenhilfe.de/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Pflaumenkuchen.jpg

Ah, memories…… however, I am trying to lose more weight and baking a plum cake right now would be counter productive. So most of the plums that we bought have gone into making plum jam and most of the jars will be gifted to family and friends.

My husband found an interesting recipe from a cookbook called My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss. It uses less sugar than most jams and is baked in the oven for 2 hours. We’ve tweaked the recipe somewhat and doubled the amounts suggested in the original recipe. I also love the name ‘Pflaumenmus’. If you’d like the original recipe go to: http://www.foodinjars.com/2012/09/my-berlin-kitchen-giveaway-spiced-plum-butter/

Eight pounds of plums soaking in sugar, cinnamon and cloves.

Pflaumenmus (Spiced Plum Butter)

8 pounds of Italian plums, washed, quartered and pitted

4 cups of sugar

4 cinnamon sticks

8 cloves or 2 tsp. ground cloves

1. Place the washed, quartered and pitted plums in a large ovenproof pot or baking dish.

2. Sprinkle the sugar and cloves over the plums and place the cinnamon sticks under the plums.

3. Place the pan or pot in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

4. Put the pan of plums in a preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake for 2 hours.

5. Here is where we tweaked the recipe. The mixture was very soupy so we put the pan on the stovetop and cooked it longer until some of the liquid cooked down.

6. Place the mixture in a blender or use an immersion blender and puree the mixture until you get the desired consistency. If you like a chunkier jam, blend less and longer if you like it smoother.

7. Place the hot jam in hot sterilized jars. Make sure that the rims are clean and place the lids carefully on top and screw on the rings.

8. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Three of the 14 jars of Pflaumenmus we made with 8 pounds of plums.

Enjoy!

To Market, to Market…..

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. and a few wineries to boot

Yesterday on our trip to the Niagara region our intention was to seek out a few farmers’ markets. I really wanted to purchase a large quantity of Italian plums for canning. Our first stop was in Beamsville where the market consisted of 9 vendors. It was rather overcast and everyone was afraid of being rained out.

None the less we found a few things to purchase and the vendors were very friendly and talkative. One thing I learned was that the fruit farmers in the area lost about 85% of their cherry and plum crop earlier in the spring because of frost. No plums at this market. On to the next stop.

Nothing says ‘autumn’ like a cornucopia of gourds, squash and pumpkins.

These radishes look like they’re on steroids.

Our next three stops were at wineries, Megalomaniac, Featherstone and 13th Street. All of them were very busy because we chose to drive to the Niagara Region during The Niagara Wine Festival.

The entrance to Megalomanic. An interesting place because it’s built into a hill.

A close-up of the door handles on those beautiful doors.

The tasting room was very busy today. We didn’t stay to sample but based on past experience they make an excellent white wine.

Our next stop was at a much smaller vineyard called Featherstone. This is where I posted the sign about welcoming dogs on leashes. This was a much more intimate experience and we were able to speak to the staff about the product. The owners actually own a Jack Russell Terrier that has his own doghouse made from a wine barrel.

The tasting room is inside this quaint little cottage.

Bocci is the dog’s name.

We stopped at one more winery, 13th Street. There was a Hand Made Fair going on at this place. There were hundreds of people there. Too busy for us. We purchased a jar of Horseradish Garlic Pear condiment to serve with cheese or meat.

We made one more stop at the local cheese factory, The Upper Canada Cheese Co., purchased a smoked maple soft cheese and then drove into St. Davids to have lunch at the Old Winery Restaurant. It was already mid-afternoon and we were very hungry. We made some healthy food choices and thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Before heading home I was determined to find a roadside stall where I could buy plums. As luck would have it there was a stand not too far from the restaurant and they were selling plums. I was a little shocked at the price, $12.00 for a basket, but I decided it was important to support the local farmers.

Italian plums next to peaches and grapes.

The irony of all of this is that when I got home I had to make a quick stop at Costco to pick up something for school and while I was there I saw Italian plums for $6.99 (5 pounds compared to the 4 pounds in the basket I bought). I bought them as well. Today we started preparing them for plum jam using an old German recipe (I’ll share with you tomorrow).

Eight pounds of plums soaking in sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Tomorrow the entire pan goes into the oven for 2 hours and then pureed and poured into sterilized canning jars.

All in all it was a great day. The sun eventually did come out. We bought a variety of vegetables, fruit, cheese, salami, a condiment and a few bottles of wine. We supported the local economy but more importantly I got to spend some quality time with my husband.

Cheers!

Confession is Good for the Soul

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…..and for quick results on the scale

Earlier in the week I confessed that over the weekend or at least since I’ve been back to school I regained 3 1/2 pounds. Today I’m happy to report that I’ve lost all of it.

I think sharing my ups and downs helps keep me honest and on track. Not only did I admit to the weight gain but I was able to analyze why it happened. One thing that I’ve learned about my body after all these years is that certain foods trigger my urge to eat. Pasta is a killer for me. I also love corn and pork but my digestive system doesn’t and they tend to slow down my metabolism.

Everything in moderation but when I’m trying to lose weight I know that I have to avoid some foods altogether. Years ago, Weight Watchers used to call these foods ‘red light foods’.

I’ve also gotten more sleep in the last few days. I start getting ready for bed by 11:00 and I’m in bed well before midnight. A huge improvement for me. I’m getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night and slightly more on the weekend. The benefits of course are that I’m far more rested and I have a lot more energy.

My new job at school, this week has kept me hopping as well. I’m doing “Art on a Cart” and this week it involved painting. I’ll explain more in a future post but bottom line is I’m on the move in the afternoon more than ever.

Today I made a list of things I wanted to do with my husband. We decided to check out some farmers’ markets in the Niagara region. On our way we stopped at a few wineries as well and I came across this sign. At first I thought how nice it was that they allowed dogs on the premises but I didn’t the get the humour because I only read the top portion. My husband had to direct my eyes to the signature in the bottom corner.

Sometimes choices come with limitations but as this sign points out there are reasons why!

A Little Yoga, a Little Running

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….life is good!

The day started with a run and ended with a 75 minute yoga class. Any stress I experienced this week just vanished during Savasana.

http://sp.life123.com/bm.pix/poweryoga1

A number of colleagues at work lost weight over the summer. The difficult part for most of us is keeping it off and continuing to lose more. The problem is stress. I personally knew that the first few weeks back at work would be difficult. It’s not eating that’s the problem and I’ve continued to exercise.

So what’s the difference? For starters I know I’m not drinking enough water. I’m also not moving as much (despite running). A good part of my day is reading to children and sitting in front of a computer. Another factor is that I’m not getting enough sleep. Also the political climate for teachers in Ontario is very contentious.

It’s difficult going to work everyday when the media paints all teachers with the same black brush. Even though we continue to offer extracurricular activities at our school many teachers are angry with the government and some schools have collectively decided to cancel all or some of their extracurricular programs.

At our school council meeting yesterday the parents put me on the spot and asked me during the meeting what my take was on the status of extracurricular programs at our school and elsewhere. I assured them that for the time being at our school programs were running but if other schools opted out there wouldn’t be any teams to play against.

The bottom line is that extracurricular activities have always been voluntary. Ontario teachers do not get paid to run these programs and there’s nothing in the Education Act that says teachers have to offer extracurricular programs. Since our right to negotiate our contract has been taken away from us, teachers feel betrayed by their government. We normally settle contracts with our school board.

I didn’t plan on making this into a political rant. I felt you needed some background as to why school is so stressful for me right now. I literally gained 3 1/2 pounds over the weekend. I know that I didn’t eat 12 000 more calories than I should have in 2 days. When I’m under a lot of stress my body hangs on to water and my metabolism slows down.

So why did I say “life is good”? Because I feel like I’m back on the right path with my weight loss journey. At yoga tonight I could feel the stress leave my body. During Savasana I was seconds away from falling asleep. That’s how relaxed I was.

So I’m making a conscious effort to drink more water. I’m planning and packing my lunches before I go to bed. I continue to avoid all sweets (except the odd piece of dark chocolate). I’ve asked my husband not to prepare any pasta dishes for at least a couple of weeks. I’m continuing to run with my students 3 times a week and plan to ride my bike at least once on the weekends.

One of the most important changes I need to make is getting to bed no later than 11:00. So on that note I need to sign off so that I can get a big glass of water and get into my PJs. Positive thoughts!

Cheers!