home from my family visit

05 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in appreciate the seasons

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I am now home from my family visit in Winnipeg. A dear uncle had passed away and the family on my dad’s side were gathering for his funeral. At my mom’s funeral, just a few months ago, I had really enjoyed connecting with aunties and uncles and cousins on her side of the family after being away for many years. This time around, it was the extended family on my dad’s side of the family that I was visiting and reconnecting with, again, after many years.

As I grow older, family is beginning to feel more precious to me. This week was very enriching and I truly enjoyed the feeling of belonging and interconnectedness with my loved ones. I enjoyed all of the laughter as we each shared funny stories of growing up with one another. I enjoyed spending time with the kids as well as my older relatives. I loved hearing about everyone’s current adventures and future plans. It was truly a wonderful time! 🙂

Laurie’s spelt pancakes

02 Friday Mar 2012

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I have been in Winnipeg spending quality time with my family these past three days. It has been action-packed: playing with the children, hanging out with the teens, glasses of wine with the grown ups and getting all caught up on each other’s lives.

One thing I love about spending time with my sister-in-law, Laurie, is that she is an amazing cook and I always leave with recipes and new ideas for ‘natural living’. Yesterday, Laurie shared her spelt pancake recipe. She showed me how she makes it, right from freshly grinding the whole spelt grain just before making it.

Here is the bag of spelt:

Here is Laurie’s flour mill:

Using spelt flour is very easy as you can simply substitute it into your usual flour-based recipes. Here is Laurie’s pancake recipe- use spelt flour instead of the all-purpose flour. Sometimes you need to add a bit more spelt flour so just keep an eye on the consistency you want. You can also substitute almond milk with a bit of apple cider vinegar for the buttermilk.

Another special treat: some very fine maple syrup to make these delicious pancakes even more decadent! After this fun morning seeing how quick and easy it is to bake with spelt, I am looking forward to my own cooking adventures using this healthy grain.

wild berry bran muffins

26 Sunday Feb 2012

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Another great recipe to use up some of those berries you picked and froze last summer. I used raspberries and Saskatoon berries today, but you can also substitute these with a half cup of raisons. This recipe comes straight off of the Rogers Bran package. I’ve used it for years as it is moist and delicious.

Wild Berry Bran Muffins 

1-½ cup wheat bran

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

2/3 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup wild berries (fresh or frozen), or raisons, dried currants, or craisons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Mix together the bran and buttermilk and let sit for 5 minutes. Combine vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and then add to the buttermilk mixture.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the first mixture and stir until just blended. Add berries and spoon into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Yield: 12 muffins. Enjoy!

focaccia with fresh herbs

24 Friday Feb 2012

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Focaccia is wonderful on its own, served with your finest aged balsamic vinegar and a fruity extra-virgin olive oil for dipping. It also makes a very flavorful sandwich bread- great for picnics, hikes and road trips!

Focaccia with Fresh Herbs

1 package (or 1 tablespoon) of active dry yeast

1 teaspoon organic sugar or honey

5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fine chopped fresh rosemary or thyme

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

In a large bowl, place yeast, 1-2/3 cups of warm water and honey. Mix together and let stand for about 5 minutes (mixture should start to look creamy). Add olive oil and flour, a cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, adding more flour when needed. Transfer to a large  oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Place in a warm place and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Punch down dough. Divide into two equal pieces and roll each piece on a floured surface into desired shape (round, oval, rectangular). Sprinkle the fresh herbs onto the dough (save about 1 tablespoon for the top) and fold over to incorporate. Note, today I used thyme on one loaf and rosemary on the other for variety. Place on an oiled baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper) and cover with a damp tea towel. Allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Make shallow indentations with your fingertips all over the dough, then brush with olive oil and sprinkle the last of the fresh herbs and the sea salt over top. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy!

almond lavender biscotti

23 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by in cook, wild flowers

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These “twice-baked” fragrant little bites are perfect with coffee or tea. If you’ve never eaten or baked anything with lavender before, try using only half the amount for the first time, and remember to use organic lavender as non-organic will probably have been sprayed with chemicals.

Almond Lavender Biscotti

1-¼ cup whole unblanched almonds

1-½ cups all-purpose flour

1-½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup lavender sugar or natural sweetener of your choice

1-½ teaspoon organic lavender (flowers)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ teaspoon vanilla

In a food processor, finely grind 1/3 cup of almonds with ½ cup of the flour (or use your left over ground almonds from making almond milk). Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the remaining 1 cup of flour, the baking powder and salt. Set aside. Coarsely chop the almonds.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly grease a baking sheet (or place parchment paper over baking sheet). In a mortar and pestle hand-grind the lavender flowers (or use a food processor).

In a large bowl with electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and lavender until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and almond extract. Stir in the nuts and flour mixture to make a soft dough.

Shape dough into 1 large rectangular log (or 2 smaller logs) on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven heat to 250 degrees (F). Allow log(s) to cool for 10 minutes, then, using a very sharp knife, slice the logs diagonally into ½-inch slices. Place slices on a wire cooling rack and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy with coffee or tea.

For another cabinorganic biscotti recipe that is flavored with orange rind, almond, dried cranberry and chocolate chips, click here. Or, try some lavender shortbread (a variation of apricot shortbread recipe) and/or French bread with lavender.

the circle teachings of Black Elk

22 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in healing, Indigenous teachings

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Today, I reflect on circles, cycles and the natural flow of being.

Below are the words of Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux (1863-1950).

You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round.

In the old days all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken the people flourished. The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop, and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain and the north with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion.

Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle. The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were.

The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. Our teepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation’s hoop, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children.

lemon buttered chicken with thyme

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

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This dish is so simple to make and always turns out moist and delicious. This is one of those no-fuss dishes that are great when cooking for large groups. I love the lemon-butter-thyme combination of flavors with the chicken. Of course, the entire house smells wonderful as it roasts in the oven!

Lemon Buttered Chicken with Thyme

About 8 chicken thighs (organic, free-range, if possible)

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter, melted

juice of 2 lemons

8-12 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed (must be fresh, dried will not do)

1 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper

Using your hands, rub oil all over each chicken thigh and place in an oven-proof baking dish. Generously grind salt and pepper and then sprinkle the paprika over the chicken. Spoon a bit of melted butter over each piece of chicken, then follow with the lemon juice. Liberally sprinkle the thyme over the chicken. Roast in a 425 degree (F) oven for 35 minutes. During this time, spoon more melted butter and lemon juice over the chicken twice. Serve immediately with rice or pasta and vegetables. Enjoy!

making handmade cards with friends

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in handmade, make it

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What better way to spend Family Day than with friends (who are like family!) doing something fun together. I love it when E (and her brother M) comes over as we often get busy with a project and then chat the entire time. By the time we’re done with whatever we’re working on, we have finished projects and we are all caught up on each other’s busy lives… well, until the next time we see each other!

As M was out sledding, E, H and I decided to put the bird house project on hold and make cards instead. We all chose the same style (tri-fold) but then chose different colors and themes. Here is E’s custom-made birthday card for her friend:

I decided to keep it simple and stick to a ‘writer’s theme’ for my card:

H went for a more vintage look with these elegant cards:

Some of the stamps and papers were purchased from Stampin’ Up! while the others were random purchases from local craft stores.

I hope you all had a great Family Day surrounded by your own friends and families, making memories, sharing stories, ideas and laughter. 🙂

Pigeon Lake Sled Dog Classic

18 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by in Pigeon Lake

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Today I dropped in on the Pigeon Lake Sled Dog Classic, an annual event since 2007! I had such a great time mingling with community people, meeting new friends, warming myself by the gigantic fire pit while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, watching the teams prepare for their race and especially seeing the dogs, so full of excitement and vigor, ready to take on the race!

There are a few different races, including a 4-dog open and a 4-dog purebred; a 6-dog open and a 6-dog purebred; skijoring (people on skis being pulled by dogs or horses) and a junior competition. There are $1000 worth of cash prizes ($100 at the junior level) divided amongst the first seven competitors in each race.

There is also a banquet each year for both competitors and spectators, which costs $20. Thanks to the community volunteers and sponsors, this event has been a great success each year.

This Classic Race is promoted as a Fun Race, where new Mushers can mingle, learn and race along side the more seasoned veteran Mushers.

While in attendance at the Race you will see the beautiful traditional Siberian Huskys, Malamutes and the cross bred hounds known as Alaskan Huskys, thoroughbreds of the Sled Dog World

There’s another full day of races tomorrow for anyone interested. The first races starts at 9 am and there is a new race hourly until 1:50 pm.  Prizes will be awarded at 2:20 pm. To view the schedule or more information and links to other dog sledding events, click here to visit the Pigeon Lake Dog Race.

pinolata (pine nut bread)

16 Thursday Feb 2012

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This cake is often encountered in Tuscany, where pine nuts are plentiful and not very costly. It is not a dish to end a meal, but rather one that is served for breakfast or brunch, or for merenda, a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. ~Lorenza de’ Medici

Pinolata (Pine Nut Cake)

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened plus 1 tablespoon for the pan

½ cup sugar

3 eggs

½ cup pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Then add the flour mixture. The dough should be quite soft.

Butter a loaf pan and dust with flour. Pour the dough into the pan and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.

Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack before serving. Enjoy with coffee or tea.

Note: I prefer to add the nuts right into the batter rather than sprinkling them on top as I find the nuts tend to all fall off of the top when I slice and serve the loaf.

Resource:

de’ Medici, L. (1992). The de’ Medici Kitchen. San Franscico: Collins Publisher.