Welcome to my Blog! As you may have guessed, this blog started out as an experiment, but has turned into a way of living. It is mostly about food, but I reserve the right to share or rant or even point the odd finger. I hope you find it entertaining! I encourage your comments and questions!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Blackberry Jelly

Nature is full of surprises.  This year, wild blackberry bushes have sprung up all around my compost bins.  And they are heavy with ripe, juicy berries! 



I put on my knee high boots and long pants and went out to gather nature's bounty.  The thorns on these bushes are vicious, and the mosquitoes love to hide in the shrubs around the compost, so the long pants and boots were required.  The berries are small and I needed 4 cups to make my jelly, but it only took me about an hour to gather enough fruit.




I found the recipe for blackberry jelly on the Certo package.  I even had enough left over to make some strawberry-blackberry no-cook freezer jam.   But I don't like the freezer jam as much.  I find it a bit grainy.  But I'm sure we will gobble it up.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Mission Accomplished

After 6 weeks of construction, my kitchen project has just about come to an end.  It has been quite a journey and I have learned ALOT!  This is hands down, the biggest renovation that I have had the pleasure to plan and now that it's over, I can look back and say it was totally worth all the dust, the noise, the planning, the headaches and the expense.  I am living in my new dream kitchen, and I wouldn't change a thing! 

What do I love the most?  The counter space!!  I'm no longer cutting vegetables hunched over on the table!  I love that I can take pans out of the oven and put them directly on the granite counters.  I love the breakfast bar on the opposite side of the kitchen!  I love the lighting!  Being able to see what I'm doing is marvelous!  I'm thrilled with the appliances!  I am no longer at the mercy of a stove that shuts itself off at will, and I can fit several cookie sheets in the oven at the same time!  I am still getting used to the dishwasher thing....  do you rinse before washing?  What do you put in there and what do you hand wash?  I still feel as though I'm washing alot of dishes.... but at least I can hide them in the dishwasher.  And cleaning up after my girls were over was a snap! 

I wish I could say it was completely done, but there are still some details to tend to and some touch ups to do.  The speakers have not yet been installed in the ceiling, and some cabinet doors and kick plate are still on order, but I am a happy camper!   And I'm getting back into cooking.  I treated myself to a cookbook holder and a knife sharpener, and I'm happy I did.  Cooking is a pleasure with the proper tools!! 

For breakfast this weekend I made a tofu scramble and potato latkes from The Vegan Table.  I whipped up a little creamy curry sauce by mixing Toffuti sour cream with a bit of Veganaise, some curry powder and a touch of cayenne pepper.  Mmmmm. 



I love Toffuti sour cream and cream cheese.  Unfortunately it is hard to come by around here.  They have started carrying Yoso sour cream and cream cheese in the stores around here because they are easier to get, but BLEK!!  NOT the same at all.  I would rather do without, or drive all the way to Ottawa or Montreal to find the Tofutti.  It's great that they are carrying more vegan products, but a shame that people won't get to try the good stuff.  What are your favorite vegan brands of sour cream and cream cheese?