Luanna Stewart's Blog, page 7

Maudlin Monday - Hello October...

​We finally have autumn weather, even a few frost warnings in the area. I say finally because this is my favourite season. I love the cooler temperatures during the day and the down right chilly temperatures at night, necessitating an extra blanket on the bed. We always sleep with a window open regardless of the weather. I sleep better in a cool room.
 
I wish I had a photo of the autumn colours to share but the weather has been so weird, not enough cold nights, that the leaves have barely begun to turn.
 
Yesterday was National Homemade Cookie Day! I love baking cookies. Taking all the disparate ingredients and melding them into a bowl of goop… ​that will become individual three-bite (or in Hubby’s case two-bite) rounds of delicious fun.
​       The combination of ingredients is limited only by your imagination – and common sense. I don’t think anchovies would work in a cookie. But I have no doubt an experimental pastry chef somewhere in the world has tried. Perhaps in a savoury cookie, i.e. a cracker.
 
We’re quickly approaching major cookie season with all the holidays and celebrations coming up. I’ll be making pumpkin cookies for both Thanksgiving (October 9th here in Canada) and Hallowe’en. And a veritable mountain of buttery sweet cookies dusted in red and green sugar for Christmas. I can’t wait to start baking!
 
What’s your favourite cookie to bake and/or eat?
 
Cheers!

Fabulous Friday - camping planning redux...

Once again we have our hearts set on an excursion into the wilds of Kejimkujik. Barring any nasty weather we’ll be kayaking and camping for three days and two nights. As much as I’ve been moaning about the recent heat and humidity, I’ll take another couple weeks of mild weather. Regardless of the daytime temperatures, the nights will be cool as soon as the sun sets so I’ll be packing additional layers. Nothing beats a thick wool sweater for instant warmth. And nothing is worse than shivering in a tent.

After the last trip got cancelled we decided to eat some of our camping food. The chocolate covered almonds were the first to go, obviously. We also ate one of the suppers – a dried-prepared-pasta-side-dish-from-a-foil-packet (hint hint) along with a can of flaked ham. It was yummy but could be even better with a few tweaks. We’ll add a few shakes of garlic powder and a couple shakes of crushed red pepper to make it more robust. We’ll also take freshly grated parmesan, because everything tastes better with parmesan. Except cake and cookies and all those other things that don’t taste better with parmesan. I frequently tweak recipes I make from scratch so why not a prepared mix?

Do you have a favourite prepared mix that you like to spice up? Or a fun recipe you’d like to share that you think would be good camping food?

Cheers!

P.S. I just realized as I was formatting this post that there weren't any pictures. How boring! So here's a picture of the crokinole board in use. The aim of the game is to get one of your markers into the centre hole. But if your opponent has a marker on the board you have to hit it off first. A controlled flick of a finger and careful aim is needed.

Wine Wednesday - cocktails...

Lest you think I limit my alcohol consumption to wine, I’m hear to talk about two of my most favourite simple cocktails. And by simple I mean a shot of booze and a splash of mixer. No garnish, no ice. That’s how I roll.

My summer cocktail of choice is good old gin & tonic. If I happen to have a lime in the fridge, one that hasn’t withered and died, I’ll pop a wedge in my glass. But I don’t consider it necessary. A good quality tonic water (I use Schweppes) has just enough flavour to complement the gin. My gin of choice these days is made by a local distillery (no, not the one behind the wood shed!).

                                                                                                                                    IronWorks Can you see how much I’ve been enjoying it?

When the days get colder I switch to rye & ginger. My preferred ginger ale is Canada Dry, of course. I don’t have a preferred rye whisky – yet. I’ll be doing extensive research in the coming months.

Oh, and I’ll be giving this cocktail a try – Apple Butter Old Fashioned . It screams autumn! I can picture me sitting next to a campfire, bundled in a wooly sweater, sipping on this warming cocktail.
​
Do you have a favourite drink, alcoholic or non-, of the season?

Maudlin Monday -Weekend recap...

I certainly hope everyone had a relaxing weekend. Or an exciting one if that was what you were going for.

I enjoyed my birthday weekend, starting on Friday with supper with our good friends Janet and Ron. Then on Saturday we had supper with the family at Mum’s house in town. (No, my brother is not in the witness protection program, just respecting his privacy) (We often share a birthday cake cuz our b.days are two days apart.) ​We came back to our temporary home on Sunday where I played with the fabulous writerly pretties my wonderful friend Cara Carnes sent to me. ​I can vouch for the excellent quality of both sets of stickers.
www.etsy.com/shop/AshwoodArts
https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/INTCO

But man, was it hot this weekend! Not the normal temperatures for this time of year. And you know what? I’m done with summer. I’m ready to move on. I’m craving thick wooly sweaters and mulled cider or wine. Yum.
​
Are you ready for a change of season?

Fabulous Friday...Weekend plans

​A very important weekend starts right now! You might be glancing at the calendar on your wall or desk and be thinking “okay, the autumnal equinox is today at 5:02 PM (Atlantic Daylight Time) in the Northern Hemisphere, big whoop”.
 
Which would be an understandable reaction unless you were part of my family because this is a big weekend for birthdays. Son2 celebrates his. As do I. As does my brother.
 
I know of people who celebrate a birthday month. And my friend Janet celebrates birthday week – part of which is eating cake for breakfast the day following the big day.
 
Brilliant! That’s a tradition I’m starting this weekend.
 
Here’s the recipe for birthday cake in my family. ​Aunt Hilda’s Chocolate Cake
 
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs
¾ cup sour milk (milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cocoa, dissolved in 1 cup very hot water
 
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and dust with cocoa a Bundt pan, tube pan, or two 9-inch layer pans.
 
Sift together flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and beat until well combined. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk and cocoa water. Mix until well blended (mixture will be very wet).
 
Pour into pan, or pans, and bake for 45 – 50 minutes. (25 - 30 minutes for layer pans). Tester inserted near centre should come out clean.
 
Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Turn out and cool completely.

​Use the frosting or icing of your choice. Son2 prefers chocolate butter cream frosting. Brother enjoys coffee flavoured icing. I like vanilla. Or as an occasional change of pace, orange flavoured frosting. It captures that chocolate-orange combination that’s a slice of perfection.
 
Cheers!

Wine Wednesday...Kingsburg Beach

​If you look at a map of Nova Scotia—here, I’ll make it easy for you—
​Down there along the bottom, south east of Halifax, you’ll see a promontory on which lies Lunenburg (our future home – squee!) A hair’s breadth beyond that is the tiny village of Kingsburg. A slice of heaven.
 
The beach is gorgeous.
We visited with friends of Hubby from his grad school days who had rented a house on the beach for two weeks. Clearly a superb spot for a vacation.
 
What does this have to do with Wine Wednesday (WW)? Especially since we visited last Tuesday? Well, before our hosts served a delicious supper of grilled chicken & peppers, and roasted baby potatoes & carrots, the other couple in our party served the appetizers. Warm and gooey brie cheese, and smoked salmon, with a fun selection of crackers. Yum! An easy accompaniment to local wines and beer.
 
To no one’s surprise, we supplied the dessert, my current favourite cookie.
 The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Cheers!

Maudlin Monday...The best laid plans

​The best laid schemes ‘o mice an’ men
Gang aft a-gley
Robert Burns
 
Nothing we can do about the weather. It happens. Or as my brother says, “it is what it is”. Evidently tropical storm Juan is heading north along the east coast of North America and will be arriving in our neck of the woods tomorrow and Wednesday. I doubt it’ll remain a tropical storm by the time is gets here as far as the winds go, but there will be rain. Heavy at times. With thunder and lightning. Not the sort of weather one wants when one is in a tent. Or when one’s only means of getting to safety is a kayak. And so the camping trip is cancelled.  We are both mightily disappointed.
 
In other news, last Monday I shared a picture of two insects and speculated about their mode of communication. And the topic they might be discussing. Well… ​I think this answers that question. Ha!
 
They’re still hanging around the exterior of the house, either singly, in pairs, or—ah—as couples.
 
Here’s a picture I snapped this morning and blew-up to see the details of those little appendages below the wings.
​They look like oars to me. When I was speculating on their function, Hubby and I said, simultaneously, “radar”. Ha! A few minutes of research would give me the answer, IF I had internet service at my temporary house. Or IF I was within easy driving distance of a library. Since neither is my reality I’ll go on thinking it’s radar and that’s how they arrange for romantic connections.
 
Cheers! 

Fabulous Friday - September 15

We’re readying for another expedition into the wilds of Keji. This time it’ll be just the two of us, with a kayak each. And we’ll be going to a site we haven’t been to before, on a lake we’ve not explored.
 
Lots of firsts in this trip. We’ll discover just how much we can cream into the fore and aft bulkheads. How easy it is to portage (we’ll need to do three portages – each way). Luckily we have a set of wheels (similar to these)– my gift to hubby a few Father’s Days ago. Additionally we’ll see just how much we enjoy dehydrated food – ha! I’ll be giving my new mummy sleeping bag a proper tryout too, now that we’re approaching frost season.
 
I’ve been monitoring the long-range weather forecast. As of this writing it’s a bit iffy. Crossed fingers that it improves by Monday otherwise my rain suit will get a good tryout too.

Cheers!

P.S. This post contains an affiliate link.

Wine Wednesday - September 13

Now that evenings are getting a little chilly my food cravings are leaning toward comfort foods. Mac & cheese, chilli, pot roast – hot, filling, and filled with warm memories.
 
That need for warm and cosy extends to appetizers. My two all-time favourite hot dips are smoked salmon, and spinach-artichoke. I could easily eat the entire thing. If there wasn’t a witness (Hubby) I probably would!
 
Here’s the link for the best hot spinach dip I’ve found. So far. If you have what you think is a better version, send it to me. Pleeeeez!
 
ARTICHOKE SPINACH DIP
 
And here’s the recipe for the salmon dip. My friend Janet passed it on and I don’t know where she got the recipe, so I can’t give credit where it’s due, except to Janet for passing it on. I generally make a half recipe,  more than enough for two greedy guts, or four restrained adults.
 
Hot Smoked Salmon Dip
 
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c mayo
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp (+) hot pepper sauce
3 green onions, sliced thin
8 oz smoked salmon (either hot- or cold-smoked)
1/2 tsp lemon pepper (or 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper)
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
 
Mix well and bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes until bubbly and warm. Serve with sliced baguette, crackers and/or cru-dites :)
 
Cheers!

Maudlin Monday - September 11

I’m intrigued by these insects. (Bugs in general are interesting and I usually don’t mind if they’re in the house. I draw the line at silver fish. Ewww.) They’re hanging out all over the exterior of the house. This pair were in this spot on the kitchen window when I woke up at seven o’clock Saturday morning. And were still there when Hubby started cooking supper (grilled steak, corn on the cob, salad – yum!) at six o’clock in the evening. If you could expand the picture and focus in, it appears a couple of their feet are touching.
 
And that got me thinking. Do they communicate? I’d like to think so. How is that done? Little sub-sonic noises? Vibrations? Vulcan mind melding? About an hour later one of the flies was gone. Had they made plans to meet up later? Or was that few hours on the window the sum total of their lives together – two bugs passing in the day.
 
The bugs are still congregating on the house, dodging spider webs, making plans for their future. At least I like to think so.

​Cheers!