Musings on a Small Life

Remind me NOT to take a week in the summer next year, unless I have a/c in the house by then. Ugh! Anyway, Thursday was staycation day 7 and I went down to the water again early in the morning. I'd hoped for some CORK participants, but either they were at a different venue, were not competing yesterday, or it was too windy and choppy to be out on the water. I walked along from Portsmouth Olympic Harbour up to Lake Ontario Park anyway, took a few pics along the way, the usual shots when I walk in that area. This poor house looks like it needs to be gutted and restored or condemned. It's far more ramshackle in person, but even so, it's still occupied. I wonder what the story is behind it! The other homes around it are updated/restored/pricey.  Looking across to Wolfe Island.      The former Kingston Penitentiary in the background, below.             That was the highlight of the day; now I can't even r...

This is our liquor board's holiday magazine--they publish a free magazine every season. Three hundred eight pages of gorgeous food and drink photography and the most scrumptious-looking recipes ever. I want to be a food-taster for them. Really. Kudos to all their photographers, I can't even imagine what it takes to do this well. So I'm posting a number of my favourite pages, just to have everyone droolilng. If anyone is tempted to try one or more of these recipes, and needs someone for quality control, I volunteer. (Clicking on the images should enlarge them enough to read the text. I hope.) Today's office Christmas luncheon of pizza, beer and a movie at our boss's house won't quite measure up to this standard of fare. Universal Blessings, Light and Mercy to All Beings.

I need another weekend to just collapse and do nothing. How can someone who has no family here be so busy? Friday's errands just rolled into Saturday, of course. I took the 6:20AM bus up to Wal-Mart (it's open 24/7 now, till Christmas) and spent two hours stocking up on litter, household items and getting half a month's supply of groceries. Cabbed home, with a full trunk and back seat. Whew. Then it was out again for more running around, picking up a few things here and there, plus a couple more grocery items I couldn't get at Wal-Mart. Home to laundry and more laundry, cooking and cleaning. It's a blur. Seriously. Today I went back to Wal-Mart and Zellers...for myself. The boys magically did a little bit of Christmas shopping for me for a change, and all on sale, too--aren't you impressed? They even helped wrapped everything up and put it under the tree. I suppose that's superbly silly, but I did it so they could have the fun of the paper and boxes on C...

I had seen this book, and the authors' more recent one as well, at Chapters on Monday, when I was out with a friend. I was on Amazon.ca yesterday, checking out a couple of other books, and searched for "grain-free" cookbooks, saw this again, for a much better price. So it's been ordered, along with a couple of novels that have yet to be released, and should be delivered in October sometime, if not sooner. I know, I know, I do hate to cook, but I'm actually looking forward to trying at least a few recipes, the ones that seem easy and have ingredients I can find at either a local grocery store and/or our Bulk Barn. Mostly I want  to find recipes for breads, sweet loaves, cakes and breakfast foods like pancakes. I've printed several off from various web sites, but somehow an actual cookbook seems like a nice thing to have. Who knows? I might find more than just a few recipes to try. Certainly it looked like a good cookbook when I was browsing through it on Mo...

I thought I'd post this easy recipe for anyone who likes pumpkin but wants to try making it up as a "pie" without using eggs. From Cooks.com 2 cups pure pumpkin (canned or fresh) 2 cups milk (I used lactose-free skim and didn't put a full 2 cups in, it seemed like too much) 3/4 cup brown sugar (or less if you prefer, as I do) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 3 TBSP cornstarch 2 tsp lemon extract (??? -- the directions didn't mention it, so I skipped it--I've never seen a pumpkin pie recipe that takes lemon extract, so thought it had been an error when being posted on-line) pinch of salt Add salt, cinnamon and cornstarch to pumpkin, stir well. Add sugar, then milk. Bake in an unbaked pie shell (I never make or use a crust--it's only the pumpkin I want), 450F for 10 minutes, then 350F for an hour. Optional: Omit 1 cup of milk and the brown sugar and replace with 1 can of sweetened condensed milk. I wasn't sure how this would come out, as the ...

I didn't actually have a whole pyjama day yesterday, had to get out of the house once the chores were done. So I bused up to Chapters and browsed around for a while, something I haven't done in a long time. Picked up a photography magazine and a few on-sale books then bused home....only to check my receipt and find I'd been charged twice for a $5 book. I debated letting it go -- it was only $5 -- but it bugged me enough that I hopped on the next bus and went back for my $5 refund. Plus tax. That 24 cents in tax made all the difference, of course. Annie's been eating regularly, six times yesterday, a few bites at a time. Not enough to keep weight on, let alone gain, but a relief to see her eating regardless. Nicki's been picking fights with her, two days in a row in the basement, and he's had a "time out" both days, for almost an hour. Translation: I needed a time out. Annie too. In the evening I dug out a pumpkin loaf recipe from an old church la...

Admiral Hestorb's mom has her own blog, Ramblingon , and a couple of days ago she posted an easy, tasty chicken and red potato recipe . Well, I'm here to tell you it's yummy! Delicious! And you all know how I loathe cooking, so anything easy and tasty gets high marks in my books. So here's the recipe: Roasted Chicken with Red Potatoes 2 tsp paprika 1  1/2 tsp crushed rosemary leaves (I had to use dry, couldn't find fresh) 1 tsp minced garlic (dry is okay too) 1/2 tsp black pepper 2 TBSP olive oil 1 tsp salt 6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (mine didn't have bones and it was fine; I'm sure you could use chicken legs too) 1  1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into small cubes/chunks Toss all the ingredients into a large bowl and coat the meat and potatoes with the spices. Arrange in a flat layer in a large, oiled pan (you can line the pan with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray -- I used a little cooking brush to brush on regular olive o...

I was trying to think of a clever--or even not-so-clever--theme for this post, but alas, I'll have to leave the clever and witty writing up to "Old Kitty" at Ten Lives and Second Chances . All I have is a mish-mash of "stuff." One is a universal question: Why is it that when I go out expressly looking for specific items, I can't find them? Just asking. Mind you, I did head out this AM with the intention of getting new walking sneakers, which I really needed, and managed to find those at a sports store at RioCan Centre. Sports Chek? Sports Mart? Something like that. But I had bused out to Sears first, because they have a "warehouse" sale on, and as usual, they had nothing even remotely suitable for my 6.5D width feet. In fact, that store is a mess , particularly the women's section, with racks jammed with merchandise. Frankly, Value Village is kept in better shape, is far tidier. Remind me not to bother going back there. Then I thought I...

Yeah, okay, I had to cook this afternoon. I need leftovers for lunches this week. God's teeth, I hate cooking! But honestly, this is simple, so simple even I can manage it. The recipe came from a Campbell's booklet I've had for a few years. Or so. Chicken Pot Pie 1 can (10 oz/284 ml) condensed cream of chicken soup (I used the half-fat, of course) 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken 1 cup fresh* or frozen (thawed) veggies, whatever you want (personally, I gag on cooked carrots) 1 medium potato, diced, cooked without salt 1 9-inch frozen uncooked pastry shell (thawed for 15 minutes before use) *Note: If using fresh veggies, either pre-cook them or add extra cooking time for the pot pie 1. Mix soup, chicken, veggies, and potato; spread in pie plate (the directions say "empty" pie plate...like you'd put this an already-full pie plate?). 2. Top with pastry shell (remember to thaw it), and press pastry against the rim of the pie plate (duh). Pierce the crust a few times w...

This is from an in-store recipe card I picked up a couple of years ago. Okay, maybe it was more than 2 years. Whatever. Mushroom Casserole 1 and 1/2 pounds fresh white mushrooms (750 g), cleaned and sliced. I saved time by buying 3 packages of already-sliced mushrooms 6 TBSP grated Parmesan 4 TBSP bredcrumbs 4 TBSP parsley 2 tsp fresh thyme 1 clove garlic, chopped salt and pepper to taste olive oil for drizzling over the mushrooms Note: I had fresh parsley and dried thyme instead, used those, tasted just fine to me. But remember I can't smell, so much of my sense of taste is affected! 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Clean mushrooms, trim and slice. 2. Spray a 2-litre casserole dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. 3. Place mushrooms in casserole. Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture and drizzle generously with olive oil. 4. Bake uncovered until mushrooms are golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. What I found was that in my ...

I'm starting off the new year by baking and eating something high in fat, of course. Scottish Oat Cakes 2 cups oatmeal 1 cup white flour 1 cup brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar Splenda) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup oil or margarine 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup boiling water Mix dry ingredients, add oil. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and add to mix. Add more water if necessary. (I did need a bit more.) Shape into a long wedge, score, and bake at 400F for 10 to 12 minutes.

I have this baking in the oven right now, but didn't think to pick up any whipped cream or ice cream. Well, I'm sure it has enough calories all on its own. Ha. BTW, I copied the recipe from one of the many blogs I follow, can't remember whose. Pumpkin Dump Cake 1 (29-0z) can pumpkin puree 3 eggs 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 (12-0z) can evaporated milk 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp salt 1 (18.5-oz) package spice cake mix 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans 1/2 cup melted butter Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, brown and white sugar, and milk. Stir in spices and salt. Pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin filling. Sprinkle the top with the pecans and drizzle the melted butter over everything. Bake 50-60 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool and serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Bet it's yummy. I'll know in...

Not up to much today--went out early this AM to run a banking errand, thought I'd do a few other things, but I really needed to come home and go to bed. This nasty cold is sitting in my ears and chest, so I'm still not very energetic. Anyway, the best I can do for today is a pumpkin loaf recipe I've just made, have baking even as I type: Pumpkin Loaf 1 ¼ cups Brown sugar ½ cup Cooking oil 1 2/3 cups Cooked or canned pumpkin 2 Eggs 2 ½ cups All purpose flour 3 tsp Baking powder ½ tsp each Salt, ginger, & ground cloves 1 ¼ tsp cinnamon Beat together 1 cup sugar, oil, pumpkin & eggs. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cloves, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Combine pumpkin mixture with dry ingredients just enough to moisten all ingredients. Spoon into 2 lightly greased loaf pans. Mix remaining ¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over unbaked loaves. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly...

I rolled out of bed just before 5AM today, almost an hour later than usual. I didn't have time for my usual morning play session with the cats, but I did manage to throw supper into the crock pot to cook all day: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I had 6 small ones on hand) 1 cup sour cream (I used the lite kind of course) 1 cup of white wine (or water, but I used wine) 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (regular or reduced fat) dried onion (can't remember how much; I don't have any so just tossed in a chopped onion) salt and pepper to taste It should be obvious that you combine the sauce ingredients, onion and any spices you want, then pour it all over the chicken breasts. So simple even I can manage it. :-) Serve over rice or couscous or with pasta, whatever you wish.

I love fruit crisps, like apple or apple/cranberry, wild berry, etc. I have a good recipe for crisps, but the topping part takes 1/2 cup of butter, which is kind of scary. It's yummy, but far too fattening. However, I also have a recipe for fruit crisp in a cook book called "The Healthy Way." I've had this book for a long time, usually haul it out when I want to make the topping for a fruit crisp. Here's the recipe, which takes considerably less butter than others: 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I use Splenda brown sugar, which is half brown sugar and half Splenda. You measure half the normal amount, so in this case, 1/4 cup.) 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 TBSP melted butter/margarine (I find the topping dry with 2 and so normally melt about 3 TBSP instead, which works well and still is far better than half a cup) 1 tsp maple or vanilla extract 1 tsp cinnamon Just combine the topping ingredients and use it with your favourite fruit crisp recipe. Yum...

Perfect for Thanksgiving Sunday! 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 tsp finely shredded orange peel 1/2 cup orange juice 1 TBSP molasses or brown sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp all spice In a large skillet (or pot), boil and cook sweet potatoes till done. Drain well. Return to skillet/pot. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over drained sweet potatoes and cook, stirring gently, till bubbly.Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until potatoes are glazed, spooning sauce over occasionally.

I'm not cooking a turkey this year, though I have done in a few past years. But even a small turkey leaves too much leftover -- I'm sick of turkey before I'm at the end of the soup and casserole, etc. And actually I prefer the taste of chicken to that of turkey. I did a roast chicken one year, maybe last year. Instead, I have chicken in the crock pot for tonight. Extremely easy recipe, supposed to be baked, but I'm sure the crock pot will be just fine. Oh, the recipe! It's just a can of cranberry sauce (I made my own last night, because it's so easy to do, takes about 10 minutes and tastes SO much better than the canned stuff), 1 cup of French dressing (I used low cal), 1 cup of water and 1 package of the ubiquitous dry onion soup mix. Just mix that up, pour it over the cut of chicken of your choice (good for 6 - 8 legs) and either bake for an hour or an hour and a half or like me, dump it into your slow cooker and go to work. Think I'll cook up a bit...

So-so work day, grey and dismal weather, but a fairly decent evening meal, aided by a shot of rye. LOL. Ginger Soy Pork Stir-Fry Half 227g package PC (or whatever brand) Thai Rice Stick Noodles (okay, they don't call them "stick" noodles for nothing...and make the whole package--half the package would feed two, IMO, not four people) 1TBSP safflower oil 1/4 cup sliced almonds 2 TBSP safflower oil 8 oz. boneless pork loin chips, sliced across the grain in 1/2 inch thick slices (yeah, whatever) 1 onion, cut in wedges 4 cups broccoli florets 1/2 cup PC (or whatever brand) ginger soy stir-fry sauce (I used the whole bottle, which would be perfect if you use the entire package of noodles) Place rice stick noodles in large bowl, add boiling water to cover, let stand for 7 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold running water, drain well, return to bowl and toss with 1 tsp oil. Set aside. Place almonds on rimmed baking sheet; bake for 5 minutes or until golden. Set aside. In wok or larg...

I know it's difficult to believe that I've just cooked another meal, with leftovers. I can hardly believe it myself. And without the accompanying beer. But I have pics as proof -- otherwise, no one who knows me would take my word for it. Recipe below the pics. Easy to make and quite yummy, but I think I had too much garlic. I'm sure I'll be a joy to sit beside tomorrow, in the cube farm. Heh! Easy Weeknight Broccoli Pasta Prep time: 15 minutes/Cook time: 15 minutes 1 head broccoli 450 gram spaghetti (or pasta of your choice, of course) 3 TBSP olive oil 1/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved 1 TBSP chopped garlic (I used 2 tsp of minced garlic from a jar, which was a lot of garlic) freshly ground black pepper (I don't have freshly ground black pepper, big deal) 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (I just sprinkled some on top) Trim end from broccoli stem and discard. Cut broccoli crown off and divide into bite-sized florets. Peel stem, slice thinly. Set aside. Yo...