Happy Birthday Piet Mondrian

Tomorrow would have been Piet Mondrian's 140th birthday.

Some time ago I noticed a fabulous Mondrian-inspired cake by pastry artist Caitlan Williams Freeman from the Blue Bottle Cafe at SFMoMA. Since I can't get to San Francisco in time for Piet's big birthday, I thought I'd whip one up on this side of the globe.

Happy birthday to you Mr. Mondrian. You've inspired many...including me!

Stay tuned: Tomorrow's post will be how I made this cake, step-by-step!

My Friendly Robin

My little friend the robin has been hanging around more and more and getting a bit more friendly. Now I leave him apple peelings and the leftover core. And if I don't have any leftover, I cut up a small apple and leave it for him. Spring is coming and I hope this guy and his bride nest around here. Would love to be an aunt!

And March Marches On...

 There seems nothing nicer in the world than walking in a so-called 'winter wonderland' after a big snowfall.

My Ithaca sister and Toronto brother have both told me tales of blooming crocuses and winter aconite and folks mowing their lawns. Okay, so that last one might be a bit of an exaggeration. But with all that in mind...

 ...I decided I'd better enjoy the white stuff while it's still here. Only a month to go and then it'll be sianara!

 In the meantime, doesn't this spruce look happy with its winter coat?

As does this wood, anxiously waiting to be split and burned when the snow flies again next year.

Saying Goodbye

My wonderful Aunt Sylvia died yesterday. She was 93-years-old. During WW II, she proudly served with the Red Cross. Up until a few months ago was still doing her crostic crosswords, reading nearly a book a day and very up-to-date with what was going on on PBS. She was the one who told me to watch Downton Abbey and after each episode, we'd get on the phone and discuss what happened.

Each year, my friend Fran and I would take her either to the National Art Gallery of Canada (above) or the Museum of Civilization and its Imax theatre. We'd also have a big, fancy lunch.
She was incredibly smart, was a whiz with words and vocabulary and had an encyclopedic memory. You could ask her anything and most of the time she'd know the answer. And besides all that, she was my friend.
She will be missed.

Anyone Wanna Go Ice Fishing?

It sounded like a good idea at the time. I accompanied Richard to the ice fishing derby in Alexandria on the weekend. He was covering it for his paper.

 There were tons of people there, all having a good time, competing for big prizes.

Richard spoke to a couple of fellows from Quebec who were waiting for their big catch.

 Some folks had more than one hole, waiting for a bite.

And somehow, I found a snow-covered hole and stepped right in, up to my thigh. Ick. Ice-water filled boot and freezing pants. And a bruise the size of a dinner plate above my knee. Maybe next winter I'll take up curling...less chance of falling in!

Good Ol' Country Cookin'

A while back, Richard and I went to a big winter carnival supper in Dalkeith Hall. Long tables covered with plastic and dinner served on paper plates. But...the food was fabulous!

Tender roast beef and gravy, real mashed potatoes, carrots, cole slaw, a few homemade pickles and a soft roll...

Not to mention homemade blueberry pie. Richard had cinnamon-y apple pie. Good times!

Cellphone Cake

I did this marble cake, covered in chocolate fondant for a 17-year-old who loves her Samsung Galaxy S cellphone with a pink case. She loved the cake and said it looked very much like her own phone!

Calico Corners

My sister has renamed my house Calico Corners.

It seems that most of the wild cats around here are calico. Nutmeg was born in a box on my storage shelves behind my house in 1999. She looks just like her mum did.

 Cookie and her sister Oreo (who is black and white), showed up in 2001.

In 2006 or so, this pair of lovelies showed up. My friends in Montreal adopted them and called the little red guy Jack and his calico sister Jill.

And just this past weekend, little Miss Cupcake showed up in my barn. She's a pastel calico or tortoiseshell. I don't know that she'll ever actually be MY cat, as she's so shy and hides from me, but at least she gets good grub every once and a while.

Family Day

We spent Family Day in the woods. Family Day is a fairly new invention, an Ontario holiday in mid-February. Bring it on!

Our February days are more like days in March with grass showing through on the lane way.

And even though it was warmish, we had a picnic indoors on the coffee table, finishing off all the hors d'oeuvres we didn't cook up at New Year's. And we took out two movies too. Fun weekend.

Five Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

 

I found the most amazing recipe the other day and I thought I'd try it.

You'll need:

1 cup peanut butter (it called for smooth but I used crunchy)

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips. When blended, mix in the chocolate chips. 

Using your fingers (or a small ice cream scoop), form 1 1/2 inch balls (dough will be very wet and sticky) and place onto an ungreased parchment-lined cookie sheet. (I used my Silpat sheets.)

You don't want to make them too big because they do spread. Bake for 9-12 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the cookies sheet for about a minute or two before letting cool on a wire rack. Makes around a dozen and a half cookies.

They're really, really yummy and incredibly easy to make. And for those who are gluten intolerant, these fit the bill. And speaking of cookies...here's my Cookie!

Over the Moon for Moon

  The other day we decided to go eat at Moon in Cornwall.

Instead of Dim Sum or a buffet, you order as much as you want, as often as you like for a flat fee of $13.50. The hits keep on coming!

 The place is nicely decorated...clean lines. Love the simple ropes which take up an entire wall.

Speaking of knowing the ropes, Gordon and Natalie had been there before, so we listened to their recommendations.

We started with two bowls of edamame...

...we ordered fried wontons which were amongst the most delicate I had ever tasted.

 A plate of squid tempura. We each had a ring. Yum!

 A few orders of various sushi...

 ...and more sushi.

We also tried some yam tempura. We had many small hot dishes including pad thai and lemon chicken...too many to photograph and all yummy.

We finished with ginger ice cream. All in all, a fantastic meal with fabulous, fresh food. We were all over the moon for Moon!


Moon, Thai and Japanese Cuising, 25 Second St. E., Cornwall, ON K6H 1Y2
Phone: 613-932-4700
Mon. to Sat.: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday: Noon to 9 p.m.

Faux Grilled Cheese Cake

I made a grilled cheese cake the other day. Kinda looks like the real thing, doesn't it? It's actually a pound cake with orange butter cream icing and marzipan olives. Even the so-called toothpicks are edible!

This photo gives you an idea of scale. Fun, eh?

Need. Want.

Doesn't everyone need a Ken and Barbie version of Kate and Wills?

Over-Wintering Robin

I thought I heard a robin last month. Impossible! We live in a cold climate and around here, robins don't generally show up till the snow starts to recede and the days get a bit longer and warmer.

Under my mother's flowering crab tree were remnants of apples that had been eaten.

 A few even remain on the little tree.

And as luck would have it, I was out feeding the birds when I heard the robin again. This time, I had my camera and managed a few shots.

No longer a harbinger of spring, it seems robins are now over-wintering in these parts and are becoming more and more common. They're not seed eaters so after the frozen crab apples are gone, and no worms or bugs yet to munch on, I suppose I could put out a few raisins or some cut up apples? Any ideas?