We made it downtown today for Market Saturday. It's officially summer but the weather has been feeling more like fall. We even had a frost warning last night... in June! WTF?!? This morning started a little cool but warmed up enough to get out for a walk. The chillier weather worked in our favour and allowed us to snag two Do-Si Donuts: our favourite Seabuckthorn Berry with White Chocolate and the elusive Saskatoon Berry. We also tried a couple of new (to us) vendors.
I recently tried kombucha for the first time. I bought a case of GT's Organic Raw Kombucha in Gingerade from Costco, which may have been a bit ambitious. I'm warming up to its zingy fizz and essence of apple cider vinegar but it is definitely an acquired taste. Despite my mediocre first impression, this morning I branched out and tried another brand from locals, Crave Kombucha. Theirs is not effervescent which makes it more like a tea than pop, and the flavours are delicious. The raspberry mint pairs the sweetness of raspberries with just a hint of mint. It's a new addition to their menu and is so refreshing. A must try. I also snagged a mango cranberry. They offer samples so you can stop by and try before you buy. But you will definitely buy. Crave is also available in select stores if you need to get your booch on mid-week. My second new purchase was a delicious Cilantro Sauce from Bina's Ethnic Foods of Nepal. The cilantro is fresh while the garlic gives it a punch. My friend uses it as a topping for eggs but I could put this on everything. And I started with my tacos this afternoon. This is definitely my new favourite condiment. Grab a jar and a bag of her Wo Mari (green onion cakes), too! Bina also encourages trying before buying, so pop by and sample her wares. Once you've got the cilantro sauce, you're going to want to make tacos, so allow me to introduce you to my taco seasoning. I love making my own spice blends so I can control what goes into them. Read the ingredient list on your favourite brand; if you're also wondering what ethoxyquin is, then try my recipe. You can omit the crushed chilis if your personal Scoville scale is low.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp (15ml) chili powder 1½ tsp (7.5ml) cumin 1 tsp (5ml) ground pepper ½ tsp (2.5ml) salt ¼ tsp (1ml) garlic powder ¼ tsp (1ml) onion powder ¼ tsp (1ml) crushed chilis flakes ¼ tsp (1ml) oregano
DIRECTIONS:
Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Brown your meat and drain off any fat. Add your taco seasoning and mix well. Add ⅓ cup of water and simmer until water is absorbed. Make ahead and store in an airtight container for up to six months. Yield: 1½ tbsp = 1 pkg store-bought
So many delicious options at our local market. Be sure to check these two out this summer!
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This little foil packet is a delightful bundle of flavour. It's so easy and yields next to no dishes which always earns big points at my house. Since I discovered it on Damn Delicious last summer, it has been regularly requested by my husband. I loosely follow the recipe and just fill each foil boat with as much of each ingredient that we have/want. Normally, I am unable to find the smoked andouille sausage so I just substitute with whatever deli sausage I can find. This last time I purchase two raw andouilles from the meat counter at my local Save-on-Foods and barbecued them while I prepped the rest of the ingredients. The extra spice was a nice addition.
To finish, I drizzle with roasted garlic olive oil from the Oliv Tasting Room and sprinkle with this chili lime corn on the cob seasoning I found last year for Father's Day at Dutch Growers. I haven't seen it around this year but it is so good so if you come across it, grab yourself one!
Once everything is wrapped in foil, you just throw on the barbecue and let it do its thing. It really doesn't get much easier than that. Even better though is tossing a piece of foil in the trash for cleanup. The whole thing totally screams camping to me. I'll have to confirm when we take my sister-in-law's camper for a test drive this summer and see if we actually enjoy the great outdoors as a family. Or if you beat me to it, post your feedback below!
Get the recipe: Shrimp Boil Foil Packets at Damn Delicious
Today I made my fish obsession official. It started out innocently with those cute sardine prints. Then today when we were hand building some clay pieces in class, I debated carving a fish on my platter. When someone else mentioned my sardines, I changed my mind to avoid becoming... too fishy. But when I added a hole in one of my decorative ends and the whole platter became a fish, I was suddenly teetering on the edge. The salmon I barbecued for supper tonight sealed the deal.
Look at that little guy with his sweet smile. It was meant to be. I made this platter and a couple of pinch pots. I wasn't super happy with how my pieces turned out today, but I'm waiting to make my final judgement until after the glaze has been fired on. I also need to remind myself that this is my first time working with clay and that even seasoned vets don't always make winners.
We have just two classes left and then I'm off for the summer to create some projects on my own. I'm hoping to make a few things worthy of selling in the Gallery soon!
Mexican flavours are a huge hit at our house. My two-year-old is into all things spicy, covered in salsa, and served in a tortilla. We have a few go-to recipes for meat including this slow cooked mexican pulled pork from Skinnytaste. I have made this roast a couple of times using a pastured pork picnic roast from Cool Springs Ranch. Seriously Sasky folks, if you haven't looked into getting your meats from this local farm you should.
The first step to any good roast is browning your meat. This locks in the juices and builds flavour. Don't ever skip this step. Ever. You want your pan to be screaming hot so the meat sizzles as soon as it touches the heat. I never use a pan with a non-stick coating for this job. They're not meant to be used at high temps and I'm very leery about chemicals leaching into my food. Plus, your meat won't be sticking if you're searing it right. This brings me to my second tip: be patient. If you go to flip your roast and it sticks, let it be. When it is finished cooking, it will release itself from the surface, no problem.
Once your pork is browned, you are going to season it. I made my own sazon and adobo seasonings. I try to make my own spice blends whenever I can so I know what's going in them and so I can control the salt. Side note: have you ever read the ingredients on those pre-made mixes? Ick. You can make up a batch and store in an airtight jar in your spice cupboard.
Once your meat is rubbed and stuffed with flavour, it's ready for cooking. Low and slow is the game here and I've found my slow cooker doesn't cut it. So what do I use? My oven. That's right. My Kenmore has a slow cook feature and there's a good chance yours does too. Since I started using mine, no more dry roasts. It provides a lower and more consistent heat than my actual slow cooker and has all the same convenient features, including a timer that will shut off the oven when it's finished. If your oven has this option, I encourage you to try it and let me know how you like it.
You may have noticed that my chiles in adobo look like frozen pucks. That's because they are. I have never encountered a recipe that required a whole can and I hate wasting, so I started freezing the leftovers all chopped and ready to go in my mini muffin pans to use later. Are you guys writing this shit down? I am on fire with my kitchen tips today.
Eight hours later you will have perfectly tender meat that just falls apart when you touch it. I use ours in tacos and quesadillas, or over rice. You could also serve it on a bun or on nachos with your favourite toppings. We made tacos topped with salsa, sour cream, back beans, and cheese. Make sure you get the good stone-ground corn tortillas that don't have all the extra preservatives in them. We always keep a bag in the freezer. All of the extra meat gets pulled and frozen on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and then stored in the freezer for quick supper prep.
Enjoy!
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas at Skinnytaste
This is me, actually making something on a pottery wheel! Today's art class was all about throwing clay. My instructor, Carla, gave us a full demo and then let us get to work. This is her jam so she was able to whip up a beautiful little bowl in minutes. There are so many important details to working with clay. From centering and shaping to wheel speed and moisture levels. It's much harder than it looks but so relaxing. I could just watch someone else work for hours. Seriously, google it. It's mesmerizing.
We were each given three pieces of clay to work with and it became quite obvious why. My first piece was my favourite but I made my hole too deep so the bottom was too thin to keep it together. Boo. I was just playing around with making different shapes for my next two and ensuring they weren't too deep. We only had a couple of hours to work today but I was able to make two vessels for the keeping of things. I was cutting it close to the end of class so you can see my second has some sort of button in the middle I didn't get to smooth out.
I had been looking forward to today all week. Pottery is something I've always wanted to try and I loved it more than I thought. I'm thinking my next session will be a full pottery class to have more time to develop my skills.
The Good
I think the current state of my garden can easily be sorted into one of the above three categories. Let's start with the good news. I found two great pots to add to my porch: one at Dutch Growers and one from Carla Lorence Ceramics at the Cathedral Village Arts Fest. I purchased flowers for them last week and both are still living.
These three beauties are thriving. The purple iris was a donation from my mom and last year it didn't bloom. I'm happy to report that this year it has several buds. It's a little flimsy though but that might be toddler related. The peony is also blooming and looking bright. In the spirit of honesty, it's a new addition and was already about to pop, but I'm hopeful it will remain.
The big news of the day is the bleeding heart on the end. My neighbour gave it to me last year because it wasn't enjoying its home in his backyard. Unfortunately, it was August and I had already quit watering my garden. It appeared to be beyond saving and I was sure it was long gone. But I noticed unfamiliar little sprouts shooting up this spring so I googled what bleeding heart shoots look like and confirmed it was back in business! It didn't bloom this year but I read it can take a couple of seasons for it to establish itself. The Bad
These are looking great, right? So what's the bad news? The celosia are all replacements and the marigolds aren't producing new buds. Boo. I think, actually I know, I selected flowers based on my likes versus choosing ones suitable for the location. Rookie move. I think I need to set them out to sunnier pastures and pick new ones that like shady times.
The Ugly
Brace yourself...
Oh boy. Half of my impatiens have died. I replaced one but I'm coming to terms with another poor selection. This box used to be very shady but our neighbours chopped down a large tree in their yard so now it gets a full morning of sun. Impatiens don't like that much sun so I'm basically cooking them. These will also need to pack up so beach lovers can move in to take their place.
It's a bit early in the year to have so many dead plants so I feel compelled to call a mulligan and start over. Anyone have any gardening tips for me? I'd love to hear them!
I have a very bad case of potty mouth. I'm really trying to dial it back, especially now that my toddler is fully conversing. But once in a while, some uncensored commentary sneaks out. Like the other morning. We were running late... again. And the car in front of us was taking up both lanes when the light turned red, blocking me from turning right and carrying on my way.
running late + bad drivers = recipe for swearing Out of my mouth flew some advice on operating a motor vehicle, followed by the words you giant dildo. Gasp. Even worse was hearing my two-year-old repeat my choice phrase. Ugh. Why couldn't I just throw out an f-bomb like a normal person? For all you moms with babies too small for parroting, I suggest you begin the practice of whispering your road rage slurs—stat. And to those in the same boat as me, maybe we should work on some clever substitutes to start using instead. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go wash my mouth out with soap.
I tried to take my grill skills to the next level and got myself knocked down a peg. I was prepping to barbecue the shrimp and corn for this delightful salad from Skinnytaste when I thought, why not make this a trifecta and throw that bacon on, too? This, as it turns out, was not such a great idea. Those strips went from flaccid to charred in about 45 seconds and then stuck to the grates. What remnants were left, had more notes of charcoal than I care for.
Thank goodness I only cooked enough bacon for one night's salad. The following evening I went back to my tried and true method for bacon perfection. I think I picked this technique up from an episode of the Barefoot Contessa. It's seriously so easy. Just cover a baking sheet with foil, lay a wire baking rack across the top, and then arrange the bacon on the rack so the pieces aren't overlapping. This setup allows heat to circulate around the bacon so it gets crisp on both sides while letting the grease drip through onto the foil. And the best part? Clean up involves throwing away a piece of foil and placing the rack in the dishwasher. Boom. Mic drop.
The original recipe calls for lobster but I could not find any at my grocers at the ready so I substituted shrimp. Nothing beats the freshness of a salad in the summer and this one definitely hits the spot. Give it a try and post your feedback below!
Get the recipe: Lobster Cobb Salad at Skinnytaste
One thing I get asked for a lot as a parent are my favourite family-friendly recipes. We caught a break with a toddler who continues to eat a wide variety of foods and flavours and who loves to try new things. Sometimes she spits those new bites right back out, but she is always eager to try. We have taken a very casual approach to mealtime and have given her the freedom to choose how much of what is served she will eat. This has eliminated the stress and constant bartering that many parents experience at the table and has allowed us to just enjoy each others company instead. We sing, we laugh, we visit. I love eating and visiting with my friends and family, so we try to create the same atmosphere around our table.
Right from the get-go, we exposed our daughter to a variety of flavours and textures. I was very fortunate to have the time and energy to make all of her food from scratch and I used the recipes and guidance from a really great cookbook I was given as a baby shower gift, The Best Baby Food. The recipes really do live up to the title. It was written by a dad of four/chef and a nutritionist so the author really knows his shit. By the age of one, my daughter had eaten more things than I have tried as an adult and every recipe I made, tasted good enough to have eaten myself. It was just plain luck that someone had chosen this book for me because it was a total winner and one I recommend to everyone. It was also during this time that I mastered the art of making and freezing portioned meals. This has been one of my greatest successes as a mother. And my recent purchase of silicone muffin pans in an assortment of sizes has been a real game changer. I was using my steel muffin pans to portion and freeze but unmoulding your goods from those pans is a pain in the ass. You either have to let them thaw a bit so they slide out which is messy, or you can try and loosen them with a knife and scratch all your good bakeware like I did. I strongly encourage you to skip that phase and get right to the good stuff. Now that my daughter is eating everything we eat, I use the regular size pans for freezing toddler-size sauce portions and the jumbo size for soups and chilis. I make large batches of everything I can to save me prep and cooking time later on. Then I replenish our freezer as needed and cook new things when I feel like it or have time. This has worked so well for our family and really makes mealtimes much easier. Last week we ran out of our favourite chili recipe from Ambitious Kitchen. It is also aptly named the "best" and does not disappoint. I double the recipe in my gigantic stock pot; it's a little excessive but the largest pot in my cookware set gets dangerously full to the brim. I swap the diced tomatoes for crushed for my husband who hates them and I use two cups of frozen corn instead of canned because canned veg give me the creeps. I've also grilled fresh corn and cut off the cob when I have time. I use ground chicken instead of turkey because it's usually what we have in our freezer from Cool Springs Ranch. Sasky folk, if you're looking for quality meat, give them a look. The Regina window for ordering is open now!
This chili has a Mexican vibe so you can top accordingly. I went with sour cream, a little cheese, pickled jalapeños, sliced avocado, and croutons. Crushed tortilla chips are also delicious. I don't find this to be spicy at all and my two-year-old gobbles it up, "kitty beans" included. Throw it on your menu for next week and let me know how you liked it!
Get the recipe: The Best Healthy Turkey Chili at Ambitious Kitchen
I'm in the home stretch of a three-month stint of solo-parenting (hopefully), so these Thursday dates have been more important for me than ever. I continued my coffee treat trend this afternoon with an iced chai because it was a million degrees outside — summer is here!
Today's class was all about finishing our lino block carvings and making our prints. I learned how to roll on the ink which can be tricky. It's a fine balance between not enough with blank spaces and too much with pooling. I was so nervous to stamp my design, but I am so happy with how it turned out!
I tested my print a few times in the purple and cut away any bits that were getting in the way before stamping on my good paper. My tiny details are still a little rough, but I think it looks so neat. I want to try printing in blue on white paper to get that spanish tile vibe.
As with my zentangles, if you want to see this beauty on your walls, send me a message and we'll chat!
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