Ronna's Blog

Bedtime at Natalie and Gordon's

2012-01-30T06:30:00.000-05:00

My friends Natalie and Gordon share January birthdays and asked me to make them a cake.

I decided the perfect thing to do would be to make a cake with them surrounded by all their animals.

At first I was going to sit them on the edge of the cake, but then when my cat Nutmeg jumped into bed with me one night, I had a "eureka moment" and figured I'd make a cake looking like Nat and Gordon's bed with all their animals piled in on top of them.

Besides their big dogs Tristan and Sophie, they have three cats and a new kitten and all sorts of fancy roosters.

They also had many adventures this summer with their mama duck and 12 sweet ducklings.

The dogs got toy balls, the kitties a small ball and purple mice. (Gordon and Nat ate the mice!)

And I couldn't forget their 19-year-old leopard gecko, given to them as a wedding gift as well as Natalie's beloved bees.

All in all, one of the most fun cakes I have ever made.

Natalie loved the cake...

They both loved it.

And we all loved eating it. I guess this is what it must look like to be sleeping in a double layered chocolate bed with dark chocolate chunks and ganache frosting between the layers.

Warm Inside and Out

2012-01-27T06:30:00.000-05:00

When it's cold outside, it's nice to get the stove going and cook onions in beef broth and then add a shot of sherry. (Recipe courtesy my sis!) The whole house warms right up.

Then I top it with a slice of toasted, crusty bread and some cheese and melt it under the broiler using my mum's old onion soup bowls. Now we're warm on the inside too! It somehow makes winter that much more bearable.

Mini-Cinnamon Buns

2012-01-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe for mini-cinnamon buns and it looks so easy that I had to try it. To see her fabulous step-by-step instructions click here: Iowa Girl Eats

You start with a package of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. I took 4 of the triangles and pushed them together to make one square-ish piece of pastry. Then I repeated and did the same with the other 4 triangles. (Iowa Girl is much neater than I am!!) After I brushed them with melted butter, I sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar. (On one of them I added raisins too.)

Then I rolled them up...

...and sliced them into 16 cinnamon rolls, 8 per roll.

I placed them in a greased mini-muffin tin and baked 'em for 10 minutes or so.

And this is how they looked when I took 'em outta the oven. Yum or what?

Iowa Girl suggested a glaze of maple syrup, milk and icing sugar so I gave it a whirl. Thanks Iowa Girl. These mini-cinnamon buns rock!

Flower Cakes in Baskets

2012-01-25T06:30:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe it was 20 years ago that my friend Wendy and I had a cake business. Sometimes I go back to our old photo album of cakes and see what we created. Here's a page of flowers in baskets, all made from buttercream icing. The blue morning glories are done from royal icing. Frankly I'm not sure I could do any of this anymore! And...check out that fabulous calligraphy on paper. Again, could I ever do that again? Not so sure...

Self Portrait with Flying Squirrels

2012-01-24T06:30:00.000-05:00

I had three flying squirrels feeding at night but by the time I got my camera, only two remained. Still, pretty neat to be able to photograph nocturnal critters with my desk lamp. Bonus? Seeing a quick glimpse of my reflection peering into the night.

The Devil Made Me Do It Cake

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

My sister gave me a cookbook of gathered recipes she found for sale online at the Saint John Jewish Historical Society dating back from 1947; it's photocopied pages are stapled together. I decided to give one of the recipes a try. It's called Black Devil's Food Cake and the cake itself is very dark, moist and delicious.
The recipe is attributed to Goldie Rozovsky. Thanks Goldie. Your cake was yummy!

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup hot coffee
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine cocoa and hot coffee. Mix sugar, butter, eggs and coffee and dry ingredients. Pour into a 9" square pan and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.
(I dusted with icing sugar.)

My Favourite Risotto

2012-01-20T06:30:00.000-05:00

Back in the '80s, my favourite cookbook was called "The New Basics" and still my go to reference for making risotto, a dish also very popular back then. I kind of wing it when making risotto depending on what I have in my cupboard. You can add frozen peas at the end or shrimp. My sister makes a mean pumpkin risotto! Be creative.

I decided to use some dried morel mushrooms I had picked in the woods a few years back.

I reconstituted a handful of mushrooms in a cup of boiling water and let them soak about 15 minutes. (The broth is very dark and flavourful!) Set it aside.

In a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat, soften (about) a cup of chopped onion in 3 tablespoons of olive oil till they're soft.

Then add 2 cups of uncooked Arborio rice and stir it around for a few minutes. Add hot chicken stock (simmering in another pot) by the cup into the rice and stir until absorbed. Keep doing this in steps, cup by cup. You should start with about 5-6 cups of liquid and add it until it's all gone.

Meanwhile, grate 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese and set aside.

Once all the chicken stock is absorbed, add the mushroom liquid and mushrooms to the risotto and stir until it's nearly all absorbed. Stir in the Parmesan, add salt and pepper. I sometimes add a shot of white wine near the end as well.

It's incredibly yummy and a great dinner on a winter's eve. I was once told by an Italian that the best way to eat risotto is to eat around the edges first, so that when you get to the middle, it's still warm.

Birds Not of a Feather

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

I love bird watching from my office window. The chickadees are so cute and friendly. They'll actually feed out of your hand, if you're patient enough.

The American tree sparrow is also called the "winter chipping sparrow" because they look so similar. But we only get chipping sparrows in these parts in the summertime. They're easy to confuse!

The downy woodpecker hangs out at my suet feeder. This is the female of the pair (she lacks the red spots behind her head).

And here's the man in her life. The ever handsome and showy boy downy woodpecker.

And here's the ultimate birdwatcher, Oreo, who doesn't give a hoot what kind of birds show up. She wants to eat them all! Thankfully, she's an indoor cat.

Winter Walk

2012-01-18T06:30:00.000-05:00

The cold weather can really get to you but living in the country it's the best time to walk the back 40! Here's the old butternut tree. Many of them are dying of butternut cancer. I had a tree expert here last year and she said this one is dying of old age, likely 75-100 years old. It's actually one tree, with a huge base at the bottom with two trunks coming out of it.

I love looking around spruce and cedar bushes to find where the deer have been sleeping. To the left of the spruce tree trunk you can see where the deer has slept. The snow under him is all melted.

Where oh where is Richard?

Richard got to test out his new snowshoes!

This topiary tree was on my list to cut down. Richard said we should let it grow and he was right! It's practically doubled in size in the last few years.

I just love how the hollyhocks wear their snow in a white coat.

I sort of thought the snow on the branches looked like fish skeletons. Am I nuts?

What I call the Boo Radley tree. Wonder what critter lives in that hole?

The deer seem to be the only ones who are walking by the old picnic table in the woods. Almost time for our annual winter picnic though...

The Mighty Mogelon is snow covered at this time of year, making its crossing very easy!

Baby, It's Very Cold Outside

2012-01-17T06:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the day started like this. Richard's car wouldn't start. My car wouldn't start.

And after CAA left and my boosted car was running, I realized it really WAS that cold.

Edna's 90th Birthday

2012-01-16T06:30:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Richard and I attended our friend Edna's 90th birthday, hosted by our neighbours Bill and Dawn. Edna is Dawn's mum who lives in Victoria but has been down east visiting for the past while.

Outside it was sunny and a balmy (!) -20C.

Inside it was warm and toasty and lots of birthday fun! Here's Edna with her favourite boy Smoky (who I babysit from time-to-time). Happy birthday Edna!

Curled Up Cookie

2012-01-13T06:30:00.000-05:00

With the wind howling outside during our first major winter storm, Cookie discovered an old granny-square blanket that I pulled out of a cupboard and tucked onto a sofa. She found it immediately and settled down for a better part of the day. Move over, Cookie!

Dueling Torpedoes

2012-01-12T06:30:00.000-05:00

Richard and I use toboggans we've picked up at yard sales for dragging in the wood he's cut. (No motors for us!) I noticed that my toboggan, purchased a few years back has a funky label and says it's "Made in Canada." What's made in Canada these days?

When I looked at Richard's snazzy red striped sled, purchased just last year at a street sale (the price tag is still on it), his too is a Torpedo brand. Matching toboggans. Ain't that sweet?

Chicken with Olives and Apricots

2012-01-11T06:30:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe in last weekend Ottawa Citizen and it's delicious and easy to make. Above is the chicken marinating...

And here it is once it's out of the oven. Loved it!

CHICKEN WITH OLIVES (and Apricots!)

This simple, savoury casserole is made in record time: The meat is marinated, then roasted. That's it! Makes: 4 servings

- 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or use 8-10 wings or 8-10 chicken thighs

- 4 tablespoons (60 mL) olive oil

- 1/3 cup (75 mL) maple syrup or honey

- 1/3 cup (75 mL) vinegar (either cider, sherry or white balsamic)

- 2/3 cup (150 mL) chicken stock

- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons (10 mL) herbes de Provence

- 2 bay leaves, broken

- 1 cup (250 mL) pitted green olives

- 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried apricots, cut in halves or quarters

- Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Remove any excess fat from the chicken, if necessary. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl or in a large Ziploc bag. Before sealing the bag, press out as much air as possible. Let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to one night.

2. Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C). Empty the ingredients from the bag into a 9-by 13-inch (23-by 33-centimetre) baking dish. Salt the chicken pieces on each side, then place them with the skin facing upward and distribute the other ingredients around them.

3. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, bast-ing the chicken pieces often during the final 30 minutes of the cooking time. Transfer the chicken pieces to a clean dish and serve.

Puffed Wheat Cake

2012-01-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

This amazing confection comes all the way from Calgary, Alberta. The editor of the newspaper I work at brought back three tin-foil wrapped packages of this stuff to our office yesterday, directly from his trip back home. His mom kindly made Puffed Wheat cake for us and in a matter of minutes, it was gone.
My late mother used to make a similar treat: Rice Krispy squares, but she always added a square of unsweetened chocolate to it. This kind of reminded me of that.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 heaping tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
10 cups of puffed wheat

Combine butter, corn syrup, sugars and
cocoa powder in a heavy saucepan.
Bring to a boil. (Very important)
Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Pour over puffed wheat
Mix well and press into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
Wet hands work better than greased hands to handle the
stickiness so just moisten them with a bit of water.
Chill and cut into squares. Yum!

Winter Views

2012-01-09T06:30:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year when it's not too cold (-8C), there is a bit of snow on the ground and it's just plain fun to look around. Here a little eater left his dessert for a later date.

Squirrels are great for piling their cones under a log and then retrieving them when they're hungry.

Here's another spot where they were munching.

Meanwhile, Richard has set up the winter bridge to span the Mighty Mogelon...

And has begun skidding logs he cut the day before.

Our winter pile is just starting to form. Stay tuned.

Kitty Cuteness Alert!

2012-01-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

Anything cuter than two little boys curled up on a chair in front of the fire on a cold night? Nahh...

For the Birds

2012-01-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

Winter weather has brought the birds to the feeder. This handsome dark, speckled bird is the annoying starling. He looks pretty cute here, however, with the chickadee in front of him, vying for seeds.

Here's a little nuthatch hanging out under the suet feeder. Handsome devil!

Post Office Repurposing

2012-01-04T06:30:00.000-05:00

I was visiting my local post office (right before our first snow) and noticed this antiquated mailbag filled with geraniums, sitting on an old postal scale, sitting in the bright sun. The local postmistress did it to brighten the place up. She actually raffles off the flowers in spring, sans mailbag.

She pointed out another flower holder sitting on a shelf. She used an old uniform shirt and made it into a cache pot for some purple African violets. Very clever!

Cousins

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

It was nice to visit with cousins over the holidays. Bill and Ellen McQueeney from New Hampshire came up for a visit and a meal and headed back to Bill's mum's place in Waddington, NY, just over the border from Cornwall. Always a treat.

Bringing in the New Year

2012-01-02T06:30:00.000-05:00

New Year's Eve is the time for sharing a meal of appetizers so this year I did a few nice platters. I loved the simple look of this one.

Caviar is du rigueur and in this case salmon roe did the trick.

I also thought that angels on horseback as well as devils on horseback would be a fun, retro hors d'oeuvres...

...and Richard did a great job preparing both.

How about curried deviled eggs topped with salmon roe?

For dessert, and closer to midnight, Natalie and Gordon had prepared a sumptuous chocolate fondue.

We all dug in! One dark chocolate fondue, the other a maple cream version.

Richard clearly enjoyed it...

We were all elbowing in for a taste of that fondue!

Natalie dug right in too.

Then it was time for silly masks!

And silly hats too!

And a champagne toast to 2012. Happy New Year everyone!

Acting silly is the perfect way to bring in the new year, right?

Merry Birthday Cake

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

I did this cake for Barb's 60th birthday. Since her special day coincides with Christmas, I figured I'd cover the cake with buttercream roses done in festive colours. Merry Birthday Barb!

Jack Then and Now

2011-12-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

About five years ago this little guy showed up at my house. I already had five cats and figured I couldn't possibly take on another (crazy cat lady alert!) so I found a good home for him in Montreal.

His mum and dad went to Florida for a few weeks and didn't know where to board him. I was the logical choice! He's an absolute doll.

I haven't actually mixed him up with the others of my gang and he seems happy in his room full of blankets and toys. I don't want him to go back home!

Sick Bed

2011-12-28T10:37:00.002-05:00

This is the reason I haven't been posting much on the blog. I've been sick and laid up with a sinus infection. Things are on the mend, however. Two cats as nurses and Richard as chief cook and bottle washer. Things are looking up!

What a Difference a Day Makes

2011-12-23T13:09:00.000-05:00

The high bush cranberries were covered with ice one day...

...and then a lovely layer of fresh snow the next day.

It's That Time of Year...

2011-12-22T06:30:00.000-05:00

...Time for Tim Horton's to feature its candy cane donut. Yippee!

Latke Time

2011-12-21T06:30:00.000-05:00

The first night of Chanukah is here!

That means latke time...

...which kept Richard very busy. Eight crazy nights. Woo hoo!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-20T06:30:00.000-05:00

On the weekend, Richard and I headed to the Vankleek Hill Farmers Market to check out the Inaugural Gingerbread House Contest. Julia, who teaches hospitality at Glengarry District High School is seen here with one of her students, Veronique. They came in second.

Another school, Tagwi, had an east coast theme going on. Their entry came in third.

The winner was the class from Vankleek Hill Collegiate who depicted a red barn out of gingerbread.

Here's Richard hard at work. A fun Saturday a.m. outing and hopefully the start of something big! Well done all of you guys!

Happy Birthday Dawn

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Was having Dawn over for dinner, along with her husband Bill and her mum Edna and Bill whispered that it was Dawn's birthday...so I had to make a cake! I made a vanilla cake and tried a marbled chocolate topping. Kinda fun, eh?

Life in a Small Town

2011-12-16T06:16:00.002-05:00

I received this Christmas card in the mail yesterday. Seems the sender had the wrong town (which the post office crossed off) but the correct postal code, with no mailing address other than R. R. 1. And I still got it. Amazing.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

2011-12-15T05:33:00.002-05:00

You know Christmas is right around the corner when a local eatery is offering gingerbread gelato. Yum!

Percy and Barney

2011-12-14T06:01:00.001-05:00

These two cuties are Richard's boy babies. The tabby and white is Barney who I found in my barn and Richard adopted. Percy, the black guy, showed up a few autumns ago, along with his sister Milly and Richard adopted them both.
Unfortunately, Milly went AWOL a week ago. Very sad. Now it's just the two boys who love spending cool days on the bed, snuggling.

The End of an Era

2011-12-13T06:36:00.002-05:00

I guess it had to happen. Issue 25 was the last one in my six year adventure with ATC Quarterly, a zine I produced out of my house and mailed around the countryside and to the other side of the world too. It's been a hoot and I've been in contact with so many interesting artists who helped inspire me along the way. So long ATC Quarterly. It's been a slice!
(Back issues are still available. To check 'em out click here.)

Happy Birthday Zavier!

2011-12-12T06:07:00.002-05:00

My friend Chantal's son Zavier is a very talented young artist and at the age of eight, loves to paint and draw. Chantal asked me to make a cake inspired by one of his creations.

Here's my version of Zavier's artwork, along with the coloured pencils he used to draw it, all made from fondant and Skittles candy.

Fraser Cafe

2011-12-09T06:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, a bunch of us who had worked together on the Osteoporosis calendar met for lunch in Ottawa at Fraser Cafe.

There were warm potato crisps put on the table.

Next to me sat this amazing looking sandwich special, ham and cheese.

The fellow across from us ordered the puttanesca pasta with duck meatballs. Natalie, the duck whisperer had to grab a photo!

Natalie ordered this gorgeous plate of scallops.

I had the flat bread pizza with carmelized onions, pears, brie, walnuts and arugula. Loved it!

For dessert several folks ordered the homemade, warm donuts with a creme anglais.

I had raspberry sorbet. Tasted like summer in a bowl.

As we sat and chatted and had a few laughs, the restaurant emptied and the long light of the afternoon sun poured in. A lovely afternoon.

Night and Day...

2011-12-08T05:21:00.003-05:00

This little guy was photographed yesterday out my bedroom window. We're all still waiting for snow!

Meanwhile, at night, the flying squirrels have returned to my bird feeder. They're quite tame and I usually talk to them as I photograph them. Not easy to get them in focus. Shooting at night is a challenge! The light for this pic comes from my desk lamp...

A Few China Pieces

2011-12-07T06:13:00.000-05:00

A friend asked me to do a plate for her grandson. I had done two others and Ryan, her newest grandson had to have one too!

While I was at it, I painted a few other things. An swirly olive plate...

...and a few kitty cat cups and saucers. It was kinda fun getting back to my paints again.

Scenes from a Birthday Brunch

2011-12-06T06:12:00.004-05:00

At Sigrun's birthday brunch on Sunday, there were all sorts of food stations. The bacon-quiche-latke station was a real hit!

As was the make-your-own burrito station.

There was a bagel station too, with cream cheese and homemade smoked salmon spread too.

The plate was unbelievable!

Then Sigrun's sister Sue went next door to bring us the kitten her dog had found in the ditch and saved.

Love at first sight!

We all went a little ga-ga with the little girl at the table!

Then it was cake time with the birthday girl at the helm.

She served up pieces based on what veggies you wanted. I chose an eggplant and carrot combo.

Looks like Nat got peas in the pod.

Little Sam's sophisticated palette demanded eggplant.

And then we all dug in. All in all, a yummy way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Garden Cake

2011-12-05T06:14:00.000-05:00

I made this cake for my friend Sigrun's birthday. She is a great gardener and gave me many seeds for my garden this year. Some of her seeds grew the largest squashes I had ever seen -- grey ghost squash. I made this cake out of one of her squashes. It was a ginger squash cake with cream cheese frosting, chocolate cookie crumbs and marzipan veggies.

Cake Fame

2011-12-02T06:22:00.001-05:00

One of my cakes made it into this week's edition of The Glengarry News. Oh fame...so fleeting!

Spaghetti & Meatballs Cake

2011-12-01T06:15:00.000-05:00

My friend Sean's mum called me to say it was his birthday, that he didn't like chocolate and could I make him a cake?
Sure!
So this oval cake is filled with fresh blueberries and a touch of cinnamon. On top is Sean's' favourite meal: spaghetti and meatballs. The so-called spaghetti is piped buttercream icing. The meatballs are Ferrero Rocher chocolates, the tomato sauce is strawberry jam (that I put through the food processor), and the Parmesan cheese is grated white chocolate.
He loved it!

More from the Art Show

2011-11-30T06:09:00.000-05:00

I did a whole series of small watercolours for the show this past weekend. Here are two kitties that were 5" x 7"

I did two small chickens with funky, bright tails.

I did a 3"x5" doggy...

...and a matching kitty cat jumping through the air.

I also did a series of 3 mini-cats with birds on their heads, only about 1.5" x 2".

More Art From the Show

2011-11-29T06:18:00.008-05:00

Also in Saturday's art show were sketches of my fall visit up to the Muskokas.

I did a series of small watercolour and ink drawings of the view.

The trees and their changing colours...

...everything around me was so inspiring.

Even rocks at the water line were lovely.

You can't go wrong with colours like that!

I like how loose they are compared with my pencil stuff.

Besides the art, we also have a lot of fun! Here I am with fellow aritiste Natalie!

Click here to see Nat's view of the show!

Art Show 2011

2011-11-28T06:35:00.003-05:00

Our art show was a great success on Saturday. Lots of folks came out to wish us well.

Holly had a table full of painted wildlife: butterflies, foxes, bunnies and owls.

Natalie had needle-felted cats and cows and hooked rugs and bugs.

I had my painted ceramics and a selection of new drawings made especially for this show.

I fell in love with the Olson house that I visited in Maine on vacation this year so drew it several times. This one fit in a cool wooden oval frame.

Here's the Olson house again, this time with a bit more colour.

This is a view looking out from inside the Olson house.

This is looking up at the Olson house.

Christina, who lived in the house, loved red geraniums and always had them growing in her kitchen windows.

I was also inspired by our Thanksgiving in the Muskokas and drew the canoe waiting for its last trip that fall.

Here's another view of that canoe.

My friend and fellow blogger talks about the show in her blog today! Click her: City Mouse/Country Mouse to check it out! (Thanks Evlyn.)

Art Show Mini-Cupcakes

2011-11-25T06:04:00.003-05:00

I had some fun decorating mini-cupcakes for our little art show tomorrow. There'll be snacks and coffee, tea and juice and a little classical music. Oh yeah. Some artwork too. Please do try and attend.
Ronna, Holly and Natalie's Art Show & Sale on Saturday, November 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Dunvegan Recreation Hall, 19053 Cty. Rd. 24, Dunvegan,

First Snow!

2011-11-24T06:30:00.000-05:00

Even though it's not officially winter yet, everyone has been waiting for the snow and yesterday our first small dump occurred.

The birds were extra hungry and gobbled down all the seeds I put in the feeders.

And I got to take my new BOGS for a stroll. Yippee!

Blast from the Past

2011-11-23T05:57:00.002-05:00

I bet no one under 30 years old has ever seen these things. Last week we were cleaning up old computer documents and the sheets were too wide for the shredder so we had to rip all the edges off the paper. What fun. Remember paper with tracks on them? Yuck.

Art Show & Sale

2011-11-22T06:26:00.003-05:00

This coming Saturday is our annual Christmas-time art show and sale. Perfect opportunity to pick up small artworks, either to give as gifts or as a gift for yourself. Please mark it on your calendar. It's always a good time. And there will be coffee and snacks too!

I've done all sorts of varied stuff this year: pencil and colour pencil drawings, watercolour and ink sketches, hand-painted cards and some more folk art on wood like the one above. This black cat was commissioned by a friend whose husband lost his beloved 17-year-old Murphy in September. This painting was done in homage to him.

Roasted Squash Cake

2011-11-21T06:18:00.003-05:00

I had tons of squash from the garden this year and found this recipe from Canadian Living to help me use some of it up. It rocks! I iced it with lemon buttercream but the recipe suggests a cream cheese frosting. I've added that recipe to the bottom of the cake recipe if you want to try it.

Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts, chopped (raisins might be nice too!)
2 cups cooked squash
3 eggs
1-1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg

On baking sheet, toast walnuts (if using) in 350°F oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool; set aside.

Halve and seed squash; roast, cut side down, on foil-lined baking sheet in 425°F (220°C) oven until tender when pierced with fork, 30 to 60 minutes. Let cool. Scoop out flesh; purée in food processor to make 2 cups. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)

In large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and oil until smooth. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, salt, cloves and nutmeg; stir into egg mixture alternately with squash, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of squash. Fold in walnuts (if using). Scrape into greased 13- x 9-inch cake pan.

Bake in 350°F oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; let cool completely.

Cream cheese frosting:
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp finely grated orange rind

In bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until smooth; beat in sugar and orange rind until smooth. Spread over top of cake. (Make-ahead: Cover loosely and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Apple Pudding Cake with Maple Syrup

2011-11-18T06:03:00.002-05:00

I got this recipe from last week's column by Bonnie Stern in the National Post. It's an old-fashioned pudding cake made with apples and maple syrup. You can also make this in individual ramekins, which is what I did, so I could freeze it and have desserts for various meals over the next few weeks. It is delicious and easy.

You'll need:
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. water
¾ maple syrup
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges

Cake:
½ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup buttermilk (or sour milk)

Stir sugar and water together in a deep skillet.

Bring to a boil and, without stirring, cook until sugar turns golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Standing back (mixture tends to bubble up a bit) add maple syrup and butter.

Add apple slices and cook gently about 10 minutes until tender.

Set aside to cool.

For the cake, cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add mixture alternately to batter with buttermilk.

Place cooled apple mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch baking dish or several ramekins. (I had various sized ramekins; the smaller ones baked 30 minutes, the larger 35 minutes.) Spread batter on top of apple mixture.

Bake in preheated 350F oven until firm, about 30 to 40 minutes until centre of cake is cooled.

Lila Mogelon 1925-1997

2011-11-17T05:55:00.004-05:00

My mother passed away 14 years ago today...

...and I miss her every day.

Here's one of my favourite photos of mum that I took when we were antiquing on a lovely fall day. Sad not to have her around.

Peanut Butter and Geese

2011-11-16T06:12:00.003-05:00

The weather has been unseasonably mild lately so on my lunch hour at work, instead of huddling in the back of the shop over the heater, I was pleased to head out to the park and have a sandwich with the Canadian geese.

They are all over Mill Pond in the centre of Alexandria.

And yes I know they poop everywhere...

...and make a big mess, it was sure fun to watch them.

And listen to them honking to each other.

I especially liked the "bum up" pose when they were diving for food.

Oreo, Art Critic and Helper

2011-11-15T05:49:00.001-05:00

My little helper the other day was Oreo. "That colour's too dark," or "I love that blue." She's great company and mostly sleeps away the day, unless asked for her opinion!

Goodbye Gordon

2011-11-14T05:27:00.004-05:00

Last week, The Glengarry News saluted Gordon Winter, the recently retired correspondent who had reported on the goings-on in Maxville for some 20 plus years. About 35 people met for a special supper to wish him well.

Since his weekly columns always ended with bird news, I was asked to make him a special cake featuring various birds.

He seemed to really get a kick out of it. And there was very little cake left at the end of the evening. Best of luck Gordon!

Lest We Forget

2011-11-11T07:12:00.000-05:00

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lieut.-Col. John McCrae

Dem Bones

2011-11-10T06:07:00.005-05:00

To mark November, Osteoporosis month, the Ottawa Chapter of Osteoporosis Canada launched a calendar that featured my illustrations.

My job was to create a cartoon character in the shape of a bone...

...doing all sorts of bone friendly activities.

And some unfriendly activities too. I was lucky enough to be working with Natalie who did the layout and coloured my illustrations. I'm craving a glass of milk now.

We even got a mention in The Glengarry News, alongside the baby born in the car and the largest potato grown in the county. Wowza!

Losses

2011-11-09T06:33:00.002-05:00

My Uncle Morris, my father's brother, died on Saturday afternoon. He was 83 and hadn't been well for sometime now.

My Aunt Minnie, my dad's sister, was 90 and feeling fine till a few months ago when she suffered a stroke. She passed away on Monday, two days after her brother. Sad week.

Happy Birthday Richard

2011-11-08T05:49:00.002-05:00

Richard loves popcorn...and movies too! But since popcorn is part of his weekly menu, I thought a birthday cake celebrating his love for popcorn would be perfect. The bag is chocolate cake with a Nutella filling between the layers. The popcorn? Buttercream icing.

Happy birthday, birthday boy!

Birthday Celebrations

2011-11-07T06:30:00.003-05:00

For Richard's birthday we headed over to the Georgian House in Alexandria for dinner.

We had a delightful meal with beef and barley soup, escargot and Richard's choice for an entree was fish...

...while mine was stuffed chicken.

Really yums-ville.

We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the musical stylings of bluesman extraordinaire Terry Gillespie and his guest Al Wood. A beautiful evening.

The Old Forge

2011-11-04T06:36:00.000-04:00

This painting by local folk artist Christina Ferguson, c. 1966, was hanging in a home in the village of Dunvegan. Leslie Clark who owns the painting asked me to come by and see it because it depicts the old blacksmith shop and attached home where the original owners of my property lived.

And here's what it looks like today. You can certainly see the similarities in the roof line and windows. My mum and dad cut a door into the wall of the old forge so that they could drive their car into it but other than that, it's much the same nearly 50 years later.

Chocolate Beet Cake

2011-11-03T05:44:00.003-04:00

I saw this recipe in last week's Ottawa Citizen and figured I'd give it a try.

Richard gladly dug up the remnants of the beets from his garden. I chose the largest ones because I thought they'd be easier to peel

Well, they weren't that easy to peel! Thankfully, I only needed 2 cups or about 2 large beets.

The food processor did all the work grating them. Lots of noise and banging around but it worked.

As per the directions, in one bowl I mixed together the dry ingredients featuring spices like ginger and cinnamon.

And whipped up the wet ingredients like eggs, oil and vanilla with brown and white sugar.

Then I added the beet mixture alternating with milk.

Ooh wee! Is that ever a red batter.

And here it is. Still looks pretty red, eh?

But sadly once baked, it seemed to lose a lot of that gorgeous red colour. Wonder what the heck happened to it?

Proof Reeding

2011-11-02T06:26:00.001-04:00

Yup, it was my turn to proofread the newspaper yesterday. No time to stop for lunch so a quick toasted chicken sandwich on brown from a joint across the street, a red pen and good eyes were the order of the day. Fingers crossed I got all the typos!

Squash Time

2011-11-01T06:08:00.000-04:00

My sister sent me seeds from Cornell University that were for mini-butternut and acorn squash. Sort of personal-sized squash, about 6-8 inches each.

They grew like crazy and baked up even crazier. Very unusual and very delicious.

Happy Spooky Halloween

2011-10-31T05:39:00.001-04:00

On Saturday night, Richard and I attended the Glengarry Pioneer Museum's first ever ghost walk. First stop was snacks at the Orange Lodge.

Shelley Mullin whipped up a batch of her famous Monster Munch...

...pretty yummy.

Then Lindsey escorted us through four different buildings, each with a story teller waiting inside. Some of the stories were spooky. All of them were true (?)

Last stop was Dane Lankin telling us spooky stories about Glengarry native Allan the Dogs, an itinerant chairmaker and story teller who also caught feral dogs and made mittens from them.

Looks like Dane's spirit was melding with Allan the Dogs...or some sort of apparition was appearing. Scary!
Have a spooky one, boys and girls!

Late Bloomers

2011-10-28T06:32:00.002-04:00

We've had several hard frosts and yet some determined flowers continue to try blooming. One brave spike speedwell is all purple and pretty.

Speaking of purple, my wonderful Oregon lupins blooms like crazy in spring and sometimes poke out a few flowers in fall too.

My pale purple phlox popped out another beautiful array...

...as did the dark purple phlox, albeit a smaller effort.

And dear old digitalis just keeps on rubbing its nose in the wake of winter, with a whole new set of buds ready to bloom.

Now You See Me...

2011-10-27T05:53:00.002-04:00

Richard's cat Millie understands how camouflage works.

His other cat Percy, however, doesn't quite grasp the concept as well.

More Wild Turkeys

2011-10-26T06:17:00.001-04:00

I looked out my window yesterday morning and couldn't believe my eyes!

A gaggle of wild turkeys. Actually, a group of turkeys is called a rafter (I Googled it!).

They were scratching around the side of my house and just kinda hanging out.

I decided to head out the back door and try to get a better shot of them.

And contrary to what Les Nessman of WKRP in Cincinnati thought, turkeys can indeed fly!

It's Autumn

2011-10-25T06:15:00.000-04:00

Guess it's time to put away the watering can, eh?

Kitty Cat Cake

2011-10-24T06:05:00.002-04:00

My neighbour Monica called and asked if I could make a cat cake for her husband Steve. When leaving Scotland to live in Canada he brought his two black kitties (Midge and Murphy) with him. Sadly, Murphy died this year at age 17. But one-eyed Midge (at 14) is still going strong. Since then, they've adopted two more pussy cats.
Happy birthday Steve!

Boom Boom!

2011-10-21T06:12:00.004-04:00

I love wine bottle labels -- and wine too, to come to think of it! -- and my brother brought me this one from Washington State a while back. I haven't felt like throwing it away because I just love the look of it. The wine was pretty darn good to!

Nutmeg Relaxing

2011-10-20T06:31:00.006-04:00

Well, Nutmeg doesn't exactly have what you might call a stressed out existence.

The funny thing about her is that most people have never seen her because as soon as the doorbell rings, she's under the bed and doesn't come out until they leave.

Now that it's getting cooler out, most of Nut's days will be spent under the heater. And nights...with me!

You have to check out this blog! Deb is a cat sitter and is also fostering some tiny kittens. To get to her website click here: Debs Just Cats. (Deb, for some reason I can't post on your blog -- Blogger won't let me-- but I love to see your cat pix!!!)

Barn Raising

2011-10-19T05:56:00.004-04:00

They had an old fashioned barn raising at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum this past weekend

The new structure will be used as an open air pavilion.

Well, it wasn't completely old fashioned. They used some new fangled equipment to raise the roof.

Sure helped on what was a very windy day.

I like how the guys were so comfortable, they could rest up there and chat. More images to follow when the rest of it gets put up.

Rafter of Turkeys

2011-10-18T06:23:00.004-04:00

Driving home from work yesterday, I noticed something dark on the side of the road.

About 16 wild turkeys! Thank gawd, Thankgsiving has come and gone.

The boss on the left seemed to be herding them about...

...and sent them all into the ditch as I approached. Eventually, they scattered and flew into the trees. (Yes, turkeys can fly!)

Fall Bounty

2011-10-17T05:51:00.002-04:00

Last winter, my friend Sigrun gave me some squash seeds to try. This fall, I pulled a dozen grey ghost squash from my garden. Next up, soup. (Thanks Sigrun!)

Journaling in the Muskokas

2011-10-14T06:28:00.006-04:00

Last weekend while up in the Muskokas at Lake of Bays...

...I sat in 26C hot sun and did some journaling in my sketchpad.

Then I switched to my larger sketchpad to draw the same view.

A beautiful spot that inspires drawing for sure.

100 Thing To Eat Before You Die #11

2011-10-13T05:41:00.000-04:00

Okay, this one is a personal fave because my mum used to make it for me when I was little and I still love it. Toasted raisin bread, mayonaise, a fried egg, lettuce. That's it. Great flavours that remind me of my youth. Give it a try and lemme know whatcha think!

Fall Air

2011-10-12T06:58:00.000-04:00

There's nothing like hanging laundry in the crisp, fall air.

Views of Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-10-11T06:09:00.012-04:00

For Thanksgiving this past weekend, we headed to Richard's family in the Muskokas.

On our way, we had a picnic at our usual spot on Golden Lake on the edge of Algonquin Park.

The temperature was 26C with a humidex of 28C, very unusual weather for Thanksgiving weekend. It's the first time I've seen swimmers this time of year.

We spent much of the weekend at the dock, watching a pair of loons on the lake...

...and soaking up the hot sun with a beer or two.

Richard's sister and brother-in-law took the canoe out for a paddle.

Sadly, the cottage had to be closed down for the season and the dock moved to its winter position.

We said goodbye for another year and on the way home, stopped for another picnic at our favourite spot, this time a table right beside the water.

And what could be more Canadian than a butter tart? Hope all my Canadian readers had a wonderful Thankgsiving.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-10-10T07:35:00.003-04:00

I made this spice cake with maple frosting for Thanksgiving. The dinner on top is all made with marzipan, except for the cherry jam. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Look Who I Bumped Into...

2011-10-07T06:21:00.000-04:00

Hey Buddy! Wazz up?

Camden Hills Park

2011-10-06T05:41:00.009-04:00

While on our vacation in Maine, we headed to Camden Hills State Park.

Mt. Battie was our destination and instead of driving we thought we'd walk up.

Our eventual destination was the tower at Mt. Battie.

We couldn't see the tower...

...by what an amazing view of the bay at Camden.

Nice flat rocks at the top...

...and views galore. I guess the hour and a half hike was worth it

We took tons of photos of the edge of cliffs.

And lookie here! See that road in the distance on the smaller mountain? Why that's Mt. Battie with the road going to the tower.

We eventually made it down what turned out to be Mt. Megunticook, the highest peak on the mainland of Maine...

...and drove up to the tower at Mt. Battie.

In the distance, you can see Mt. Megunticook and the flat rocks where we were sitting just a little while before.

Great views of Camden's harbour from Mt. Battie too...

Dale Chihuly

2011-10-05T06:42:00.002-04:00

On our recent trip to Boston, we were lucky enough to spend a day at the Museum of Fine Arts.

The Lime Green Icicle Tower is an amazing work...

...by glass artist Dale Chihuly.

Amazing detail. Amazing work of art.

Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge

2011-10-04T06:26:00.006-04:00

Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement.

In the late 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation and the environmental problems caused by synthetic pesticides.

The result was Silent Spring (1962), which brought environmental concerns to an unprecedented portion of the public.

Silent Spring, while met with fierce denial from chemical companies, spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy...

...leading to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides—and the grassroots environmental movement the book inspired led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Luckily, we stumbled upon the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells, Maine and walked its paths.

It was established in 1966 in cooperation with the State of Maine to protect valuable salt marshes and estuaries for migratory birds. Lovely spot.

Misaotra Means Thank You

2011-10-03T06:34:00.002-04:00

I received this photo from the Madagascar School Project thanking me for the cake I donated that was auctioned off at a fundraiser earlier this year. Isn't this adorable? What a thoughtful card.

War of 1812

2011-09-30T06:17:00.004-04:00

War on weekends only...We decided to take in the re-enactment taking place at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum last weekend.

There were tents set up where the folks actually spent the night.

There were activities like testing you on how well you can do different knots.

There was a fashion show were red coats, blue coats and green coats all spoke and described life on the battlefield.

The museum was set up to look like it might in those days.

And then they got down to business.

Lots of shooting. I got mixed up as to who was who. I thought the redcoats fought the blue but there was also green (Glengarry Light Fencibles) and various non-uniformed fighters.

I could have used a program!

Richard got into the spririt of the day, however...

Journaling in New England

2011-09-29T06:46:00.003-04:00

I didn't get very much time to add to my sketching journal on this busy vacation, but I did manage one fast sketch of the rocky shoreline of Camden.

Then onto Newton, Mass. where we found Taste Coffee House. A great place to wait for the train into Boston and sketch...

...and drink lattes. I told Richard it was the best cup of coffee I'd ever had in my life.

And I wasn't kidding. Not bitter. Tasted like dark chocolate. Happy I immortalized it in my sketchpad.

Moody's Diner

2011-09-28T06:15:00.006-04:00

In Waldoboro, Maine last week, we had to stop at the world famous Moody's Diner.

Since we had already eaten lunch, we decided on only perusing the pie menu. Yes, they have a menu devoted to their pies!

Fabulous interior dating back to 1927. This place is the real deal.

And so is the pie!

Richard chose the four-berry pie.

I went for the seemingly sky high lemon meringue pie.

Fabulous! Not sweet. Loved it!

Farnsworth & the Olson House

2011-09-27T05:50:00.010-04:00

Our visit to Maine last week included a day visiting the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland. This gem of a museum houses a good Louise Nevelson collection as well as an outdoor sculpture garden with several by Robert Indiana. He was a penpal of mine about 30 years ago!

Here's Richard through an Indiana multi-love sculpture...

...and me through the other lens.

The Farnsworth also features an entire building, a renovated church, devoted to the art of Andrew Wyeth.

Inside we saw the workup sketches for Christina's World, perhaps Wyeth's most famous work, as well as a collection of his father, N. C. Wyeth's illustrations for children's books.

A companion entry fee also lets you tour the Olson House, where Andrew Wyeth spent 30 years painting. It's pretty tricky to find, about 10 miles away from the Farnsworth but when you come upon it, it's pretty astonishing.

There are always red geraniums in the kitchen window as they were Christina's favourites.

The rooms are spare and many of them almost empty except for a chair or fresh flowers on the windowsill.

Except for Christina's bedroom which still has her rocking horse and crib.

The light in the house was remarkable.

The floors had lots of stories to tell.

Reflecting light was wonderful.

We also headed over to the Olson cemetery where Christina and her brother are buried. Andrew Wyeth requested he be buried there too.

Many people left markers of their visit.

Richard and I left one on Andrew Wyeth's grave to say we had passed that way.

And of course, being totally ridiculous, I posed as Christina for a version of Ronna's World. Couldn't help myself.

Happy Birthday Larry

2011-09-26T05:50:00.002-04:00

Today is my big brother's birthday! Happy birthday to you Larry!

100 Things to Eat Before You Die #10

2011-09-23T06:09:00.003-04:00

Okay, it sounds downright weird. Coffee jello. But foodies Jane and Michael Stern said it was a "must" in Boston and only served at Durgin-Park at the Feneuil Hall Marketplace. So we put it on our "to do" list...and we did it!

It originated when the owner saw a waitress throwing out old coffee and he wondered what he could do with the leftovers. Voila! Coffee jello.

And guess what? It was delicious! Not sweet so the slightly sweetened whipped cream was a great go-with.

Kind of like jellied iced coffee. Fabulous!

International Plowing Match

2011-09-21T18:21:00.012-04:00

The International Plowing Match and Rural Expo was in Chute-a-Blondeau this year, just a short stop down the road so Natalie and I decided to head over. They expect 100,000 people to visit over five days. A huge tent city has been set up in a farmer's field with electricity and roads brought in for just these days. We parked the car and they took us in hay wagons to the actual site!

Isn't this burlap cow kinda cute?

More burlap farm animals. I thought they were pretty creative.

We went inside the farm animal tent. Here's cool Canadian Chantecler chicken, a handsome bird.

Loved this sweet-faced alpaca.

Sheepies are the cutest!

Some lovely cows drew a bit of attention.

There was a giant mama piggy with tons of babies, but I liked this one best...the one who wasn't feeding but snuggled by mom's head. Looked like Babe!

Maybe there's a future for me in pigs? Who knew?

Out back of the Eco tent was a raptor demo. Except they weren't letting the bird free because there were small dog demonstrations next door.

Good idea!

Here's one of the larger dogs going through the paces.

Pretty impressive.

There were several displays and tents full of antiques, mostly farm equipent.

Brightly painted tractor seats.

Old, worn machines.

Many machines ran by steam power and had a special section of their own.

There was even a display of antique chainsaws!

There were plenty of displays of new, shiny equipment too.

Here's Natalie sidling up to a machine that takes logs in one end and shoots out cord wood from the other. (Richard will want this one!)

There were cool seed to feed displays (note water bottle on the side...perhaps to feed the seeds?)

The Quilt of Belonging is an impressive site, in a tent all its own.

After all that walking and looking, we had to try a poutine...

...and afterwards headed to the dairy tent for a taste of Canadian ice cream.
It was a gorgeous, warm and sunny fall day. We had fun but never managed to see any actual plowing!! Maybe another time...

To read the review of the poutine, click here to go to poutine chronicles blog.

To see Natalie's account of our visit click here to get to her blog.

Red's Eats

2011-09-20T07:44:00.003-04:00

On our trip to Maine last week, we headed for Red's Eats in Wiscasset, touted as serving the best lobster roll in the U.S.A.

There is always a lineup at this place. We waited for almost an hour to get up to the ordering window.

But bless them, the good folks at Red's Eats hand out umbrellas to shelter you from the sweltering sunshine. (Yes, it was HOT in Maine last week!)

Richard (always the rebel) ordered clam cakes.

I went with the "lobstah" roll. It had two tails and three claws..a lobster and a half. Very much worth it!

Happy!

Big Things: Boot and Indian

2011-09-19T06:21:00.003-04:00

After a week in New England, I've eaten my fair share or lobstah and clams but best of all I found TWO big things for my collection. This one, a giant indian in Freeport, Maine...

...and this big boot also in Freeport, at L. L. Bean's flagship store.

Menagerie

2011-09-16T06:25:00.005-04:00

Another lunchtime visit to my local feed store that also sells animals. This time there were kittens...

...and very silly puppies who were all very interested in a friendly rat!.

A rat?! Yes, he is the cutest critter. Wish he had a different tail. He'd be easier to love, no?

This guy had tons of personality. Seriously, isn't he cute or have I lost it?

Pretty Bad and Pretty Good

2011-09-15T06:22:00.001-04:00

Pretty and bad!

Pretty and good!

Bye Bye Birdie

2011-09-14T07:12:00.003-04:00

As the days get shorter and cooler, the birds start flying south. Like clockwork, this little house wren shows up somewhere between May 4-6 every year and announces himself with the most lovely song. He usually hangs out for most of the summer and has two broods. By now, he and his kin are on their way to warmer climes. See ya next year my little birdie buddy.

Lemon-Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies

2011-09-13T07:06:00.001-04:00

Here's a recipe from Martha Stewart -- another way to use up some extra garden zucchini. They turned out great. The only change I'd make would be to halve the amount of salt. I found them too salty. And I wouldn't use coarse salt...I kept biting into mouthfuls of salt! Otherwise, they were pretty yummy. I used yellow zukes so it's hard to see the flecks amongst the cornmeal.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon packed finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 medium zucchini, grated on small holes of a box grater (about 1 cup)
Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Add flour and cornmeal and mix until mixture is crumbly. Add zucchini and stir until a thick dough forms.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are light golden brown at edges, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on wire racks.

Zukes Galore!

2011-09-12T06:08:00.005-04:00

A few years back, I put together a book for the Glengarry Pioneer Museum entitled Zukes Galore!

And this year I certainly had zukes aplenty. I made bottles of zucchini relish and zuke pickles.

I used them in salads...

...and stir-fries.

I baked 'em (this was a zucchini-corn casserole, recipe courtesy of Zukes Galore!)...

...grilled 'em on the bbq...

...and sauteed them with peppers and tomatoes.

Yesterday I tried lemon-zucchini cornmeal cookies, recipe from Martha Stewart. Really yummy. I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

As fall is moving in, the production of zucchini in my garden is waning. I'll miss 'em.

Baby Update!

2011-09-09T07:17:00.002-04:00

I had been concerned since I evicted three baby squirrels from my house last week. They were sweet and friendly...a little too friendly. My biggest concern was if they found their mum or not. Well, I saw one of the little guys yesterday. He hung around 4 feet from me and curled up in a tin can under the barbecue. We shooed him away gently and off he ran into the barn. A few moments later I saw his mum (I think it was her) running on the roof toward the barn with an acorn in her mouth. I think the family is together again. Phew!

Cream of Celery Soup

2011-09-09T06:02:00.003-04:00

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup or more chopped celery with leaves
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots (optional)
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Melt the butter. Add the celery, onion and carrots and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the veggies get soft. Add cornstarch to milk till disolved and stir gradually into the hot soup. Remove pot from stove and use immersion blender till the veggies are all mushed together. Re-heat and serve, garnished with chopped parsley.
Note: I enjoyed the soup as above but decided that I didn't like the stringiness of the celery, so I strained the soup and now have a very smooth soup. Your choice!

Makes 4 cups.