Here is a retirement card I made for someone at work, along with a family recipe (thanks Uncle Tim!) I passed on with her gift of a casserole dish.
Showing posts with label
Recipes
It has been quite awhile since I have posted a recipe on here, but I just made the greatest pesto the other night from my garden and just had to document how I made it!
I have enjoyed making applesauce for years, but I am so happy to make it for my two-year old son now, who thoroughly enjoys it! Making applesauce is really quite simple and does not take a lot of time, especially if you do it in small batches. You get the best taste when you mix varieties of apples. I like to do about 10 pounds of apples at a time and process it in a water bath to make it shelf stable. This recipe uses no added sugar (because apples are tasty enough!) so I can feel good about giving it to my son to enjoy when he needs a healthy snack.
Applesauce
10 lbs apples (mixed varieties)
2 cups water
4 tbsp. lemon juice
Cinnamon to taste
Peel and roughly chop apples. Add to a large pot with the water on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, mashing when the apples begin to soften. You can turn the pot on when you've got about a quarter of the apples done and keep chopping and adding. Cook for approximately an hour or until apples are completely soft and mashed (you may want to use a potato masher). Once you have your desired consistency, turn off heat, and add lemon juice and cinnamon. Fill jars leaving a 1/2 inch space at the top. Process in a water bath for 20 minutes.
I like to put applesauce in a reusable squeeze bottle like the one we got at BumbleTree in Cranbrook. The bottle itself is silicone and the silicone spout is spill-proof. This reusable bottle can go in the fridge, freezer, and dishwasher!
After I made some Peach Lavender Jam I was inspired to pull out these Mason Jar Fillers stencils from The Greetery! I love how perfectly they sit in the 3D looking mason jar. At first I was going to cut off the stencil but since I had not yet folded my card I decided to stencil in the full sprigs so that they curve around to the back of the card. I can't wait to play around more with this set!
Paper - Stampers Select White (PTI)
Stamps - Just Mason Around (The Greetery); Thank You (CTMH)
Ink - Peacock Feathers, Tumbled Glass, Milled Lavender,
Bundled Sage distress oxide ink (Tim Holtz); Slate (CTMH)
Stencils - Mason Jar Fillers (The Greetery)
We have a family wedding coming up and I decided to make a special gift for the bride-to-be to give to her at her bridal shower. I was able to collect favourite recipes from both sides of the family to compile them into one book for the bride. I used this set from Close To My Heart to help me put it all together! The recipe stand is from Lane and Meadow :).
I got some yummy ingredients in my weekly food box from Kootenay Farm to Folk this week that I couldn't wait to cook up tonight!
Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
1 spaghetti squash
1 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch spinach, chopped
4 slices bacon, cooked
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/4 cups milk (I love Kootenay Meadows)
1 tbsp. Boursin cheese
1 c. Parmesan + extra for topping
pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350F. Chop squash in half, lengthwise. Use a baking pan with a lip and put squash slices cut side down. Fill pan with about half an inch of water and bake for an hour.
Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to touch. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium pan. Sauté garlic and spinach for a few minutes until spinach wilts. Add bacon and red pepper flakes. Add flour and stir, then add milk and stir until on lumps remain and add Boursin cheese. Remove from heat, add parmesan and then fresh pepper to taste. Turn the broiler on. Fill each squash with sauce and then use a fork to pull at the 'spaghetti' strands, mixing the sauce with the squash. Top with remaining parmesan and place under the broiler until bubbly. Enjoy!
Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
1 spaghetti squash
1 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch spinach, chopped
4 slices bacon, cooked
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/4 cups milk (I love Kootenay Meadows)
1 tbsp. Boursin cheese
1 c. Parmesan + extra for topping
pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350F. Chop squash in half, lengthwise. Use a baking pan with a lip and put squash slices cut side down. Fill pan with about half an inch of water and bake for an hour.
Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to touch. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium pan. Sauté garlic and spinach for a few minutes until spinach wilts. Add bacon and red pepper flakes. Add flour and stir, then add milk and stir until on lumps remain and add Boursin cheese. Remove from heat, add parmesan and then fresh pepper to taste. Turn the broiler on. Fill each squash with sauce and then use a fork to pull at the 'spaghetti' strands, mixing the sauce with the squash. Top with remaining parmesan and place under the broiler until bubbly. Enjoy!
Today was definitely a soup day! I stopped by the Farmer's Market this morning and picked up some of this fantastic bread from Niwas Rustic Bread and then set to work back at home with some of the ingredients from my Kootenay Farm to Folk food box. One of my favourite soup recipes is out of the Whitewater Cooks cookbook and I decided to adapt it to suit my needs today. It was so delicious, especially with this amazing baguette :). I love to make soups and enjoy them for lunch and then freeze the leftovers in single portions to enjoy another time.
Broccoli Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
1 large head of broccoli
1 large head of cauliflower
2 onions
3 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp. butter
8 c. vegetable stock
1 c. heavy cream (I love to use Kootenay Meadows whipping cream)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. sherry
salt and pepper to taste
Roughly chop broccoli, cauliflower, and onions, and put into a stock pot with the oil and butter. Sauté. Add stock and simmer until broccoli and cauliflower are tender, about 20 minutes. Purée and return to pot over low heat. Add cream, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, sherry, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.
Broccoli Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
1 large head of broccoli
1 large head of cauliflower
2 onions
3 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp. butter
8 c. vegetable stock
1 c. heavy cream (I love to use Kootenay Meadows whipping cream)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. sherry
salt and pepper to taste
Roughly chop broccoli, cauliflower, and onions, and put into a stock pot with the oil and butter. Sauté. Add stock and simmer until broccoli and cauliflower are tender, about 20 minutes. Purée and return to pot over low heat. Add cream, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, sherry, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.
It's quite cold outside so today seemed like the perfect day to make up some soup! It's been awhile since I have posted a recipe, but I have been cooking lots lately! I have been enjoying getting a food box from Kootenay Farm to Folk each week and it has been challenging me to try new things in the kitchen!
Potato Leek Soup
1 large leek
2 parsnips
2 celery sticks with leaves
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
7c. vegetable broth
4 potatoes
salt & pepper
Chop the leek, parsnips, celery sticks, onions, and garlic, and add to a pan with olive oil. Fry together until soft, about 10 minutes with a lid slightly askew. Meanwhile, bring the vegetable stock to boil in a pot. Peel and chop potatoes into small cubes. Once boiling, add potatoes and other vegetables. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Blend soup with a food processor. Return to pot and heat until a slow boil. Remove from heat. Serve and enjoy.
Potato Leek Soup
1 large leek
2 parsnips
2 celery sticks with leaves
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
7c. vegetable broth
4 potatoes
salt & pepper
Chop the leek, parsnips, celery sticks, onions, and garlic, and add to a pan with olive oil. Fry together until soft, about 10 minutes with a lid slightly askew. Meanwhile, bring the vegetable stock to boil in a pot. Peel and chop potatoes into small cubes. Once boiling, add potatoes and other vegetables. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Blend soup with a food processor. Return to pot and heat until a slow boil. Remove from heat. Serve and enjoy.
Here is a recipe I improvised with according to what we had on hand because I did not want to go out grocery shopping! I love how it turned out - yum :)
Chicken Orzo Salad
1/2 16oz. package of orzo
2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked with seasoning (I used thyme and Montreal Steak Spice)
1 bunch spinach, chopped and steamed
1/4 c. crumbled feta
2 green onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted
Fresh herbs to taste (I used rosemary, basil, and sage)
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
Cook orzo according to package directions. Mix in remaining ingredients and chill. Serve and enjoy!
Chicken Orzo Salad
1/2 16oz. package of orzo
2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked with seasoning (I used thyme and Montreal Steak Spice)
1 bunch spinach, chopped and steamed
1/4 c. crumbled feta
2 green onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted
Fresh herbs to taste (I used rosemary, basil, and sage)
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
Cook orzo according to package directions. Mix in remaining ingredients and chill. Serve and enjoy!
