Table of three

I don't know how it happened but suddenly I find myself the mother of a little boy who is almost one. I feel like I blinked and the past 11 months happened. They've been a crazy 11 months but a crazy wonderful 11 months at that.

My days mostly revolve around feeding Sam; pureeing, chopping, slicing, and grating things into little bites. Now that he eats more I've really found my way around the kitchen again. I've been restocking and organizing the pantry, shopping for new jars and containers and making room in the cupboards for dishes that have fish and whales printed on them. It's not always easy keeping up with introducing new and well balanced foods but it has been so good for me and for us as a family. I love being in the kitchen. The movements and actions; whisking, stirring, grating, bring me comfort.

I know right now eating a homemade dinner doesn't mean anything to Sam but someday he'll understand and I want to instil these habits now. Sam is eating more table food which means we can eat as three these days and this really excites me. Most weekends I have a little more time to bring our meals together. Today, before we went for our walk I made us this hearty kale soup. I might not have as much time every night and even if it means we are sitting around the table eating tuna sandwiches, it's still homemade and that's important to me.

Hearty Tuscan Soup
Chatelaine Magazine

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
540 ml can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 796 ml can diced tomatoes
2 cups packed chopped kale
Homemade or store bought croutons
Chopped fresh basil
Chopped Parmesan

Heat a large pot over medium. Add oil, then onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 min. Add broth, water, beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, covered for 10 min. Stir in kale and continue simmering until kale is just tender, about 5 more min.

Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with croutons, basil and Parmesan.

Ease into it

Yesterday, when Ryan, Sam and I were out for a walk I couldn't get over how many leaves were on the ground. It blew my mind that we were surrounded by oranges, reds and golds instead of bright greens. I looked at houses with Hallowe'en decorations and was puzzled by why these people were decorating so early. And then it hit me...it's October.
How did that happen??
  
I feel like yesterday was August and we were taking Sam on his first boat ride. September came and went and I didn't even notice. Now that I've officially realized it's fall, I think it is only fitting that I make this soup. It is from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook. I've tried a few of her recipes now and have enjoyed every single one. Ryan hates tomatoes and he happily ate this soup, so that has to be saying something.

If you are like me and are still stuck in between seasons, make this soup, snuggle up on the couch with a blanket and try to ease yourself into it. Before we know it those decorations I saw will be red and green instead of black and orange.

Slow Roasted Tomato Soup

from My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow

serves 4

 

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

16 pieces (8 whole tomatoes) slow roasted tomatoes

olive oil

salt

 

Heat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Cut the tomatoes in half, place skin side down and drizzle with olive oil until all tomatoes are covered. Sprinkle generously with salt. Roast for 3 to 5 hours or until tomatoes are shriveled, but still juicy. When done, allow the pan to cool.

 

Slow Roasted Tomato Soup

 

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or more as desired)

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 fresh, large basil leaves (4 whole, 2 chopped)

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices

1 1/2 cups milk

salt

ground pepper (I used 1/4 teaspoon)

 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for two minutes. Add 4 of the basil leaves, canned tomatoes and juice, and 1/2 can of water. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it uncovered for 40 minutes. As it simmers gently break apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. After cooking stir in the slow-roasted tomatoes with any juices. Stir in the milk and whiz with an immersion blender until completely smooth.

 

I added a laughing cow cheese triangle to each of our bowls and some chopped basil leaves. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper.

the point stuck

The other day at breakfast a good friend's husband described in great detail how he made ribs the night before. At the time I thought nothing of it. Later she sent me a text message saying:

"We got in the car and B said 'I tried to be very specific about the rib sauce so Melissa wouldn't get mad at me again'".

I couldn't help but laugh. Last year I wrote a post about a really good hamburger and how the host wouldn't share the recipe. Apparently, the point stuck.

I love people who share recipes.

Another friend has made an amazing cold raspberry soup for me a couple times this summer and she passed the recipe along so I could share it with you.

The last time we ate it with a few salads on the side but it would be amazing with cucumber sandwiches.

Andrea's Cold Raspberry Soup

1 package (20 ounces) frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
1-1/4 cups water
1/4 cup whit tine, optional
1 cup cran-raspberry juice
1/2 cup sugar
1//1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup (8 ounces) raspberry yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream

In a blender, puree raspberries, water and wine if desired. Transfer to a large  saucepan; add the cran-raspberry juice, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring just to a boil over medium  heat. Remove from  the heat; strain and allow to cool.

Whisk in lemon juice and yogurt. Refrigerate. To serve, pour into small bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Or this

I’m brainstorming this post to you today from an Adirondack chair at Ste. Anne’s Spa in Grafton. My daily itinerary involves morning tea and biscotti, sun bathing, lunch, reading, hot tubing, afternoon tea and a massage. I may also throw in a swim and a little online shopping to buy this.

Although I am loving every second of mat leave and watching Sam become his own little person, today is a most welcome change of pace from what life has looked like lately (early morning wakeups, diaper changes, nursing, burping, spit ups, pumping, diaper changes, nursing, sleep and repeat). Today I will eat my meals while they are hot and simply linger in a state of relaxation.

You may recall last summer I wrote about Ste. Anne’s. With Sam only being 3 months old I wasn’t sure a trip this year would be possible but a last minute opportunity arose and it feels so good to have a day away.

If you can’t get away, my advice is unplug, unwind, make a pitcher of this lemonade and do a little of this

Or this

Lemonade

¾ cup sugar

1 cup room temperature water

4 cups cold water

Zest of one lemon

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx 8 lemons)

In a pot, make simple syrup by boiling lemon zest, sugar and 1 cup room temperature water over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool completely before using.

In a pitcher, stir together the cooled simple syrup, 4 cups chilled water and 1 cup lemon juice. Chill, strain and serve.

It's that time of year...

Three years ago we spent an unforgettable 18 summer days in Europe. Every year around this time I can feel myself longing for those days. We stayed at this bed and breakfast in Villers- Bocage.

I am having a difficult time finding words to describe the feelings I experienced during our stay. Instantly, I knew Ferme du Pressoir was and always will be my very favourite place on earth. While I loved our hotel in Paris, there is something so genuine about staying in a bed and breakfast.

Our host Oldie spoke very very little English but we didn't need to speak the same language to understand her warmth. She immediately welcomed us with a huge bowl of cherries and cider she had made right there on the farm. She then took us on a tour where we collected eggs for our breakfast the next day.

The next morning we heard the rooster crow and sleepily made our way downstairs. We woke to a table full with cereal, toast, fresh omelettes made to order, homemade hot chocolate, fruit and pastries all around. It was my very favourite meal of the trip. We sleepily sat on a farm in northern France, surrounded by amazing food, planning our day at the D-Day beaches.

Around this time each year I try to find a recipe to help bring me back to those days. Just like last year this recipe includes Nutella.  Pastry and chocolate to help sooth a longing soul.

Note * The blog this recipe is from is the one I meant to link to in my last post. I accidentally linked to another blog by mistake. I have since fixed this but just in case, I don't want you to miss this great site!

 A Sweet Spoonful's Nutella Puff Pastry

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3 package), thawed
1 large egg, beaten for an egg wash
7 oz. Nutella (roughly half of a 13 oz. jar)
1 Tbsp. sugar for sanding the crust
Fleur de sel (or fine sea salt) for finishing
4 Tbsp. whole hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F. Arrange puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Form a 10-inch square and fold each edge in to make a 1-inch crust. Poke middle of dough numerous times with a fork. Brush edges of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Freeze for fifteen minutes.

Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until pastry is puffed and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and spread Nutella evenly across the pastry. The Nutella will begin to melt, making it much easier to spread. Sprinkle with sea salt and hazelnuts and cut into 4 squares or 6 triangles. Serve warm.

Makes 4-6 servings

Things Worth Noting

I've been loving the summer.

I'm currently reading this book.

I'm going to learn to cook with quinoa. Kate makes these amazing burgers.

Sam and I spend our Fridays getting bounty like this at the farmers market.

Really enjoying this blog.

Loving cloth napkins and thinking about ordering these.

Molly Wizenberg's chickpea salad has become a summer staple.

• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1small garlic clove, pressed
• 1/3cup(packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Comebine rinsed and drained chickpeas, chopped basil, chopped parsley, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and pressed garlic in a medium bowl. Add grated parmesan cheese and toss gently to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Enjoy!

early morning mixing

I love my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. There is nothing this beautiful machine can't do. We've made cakes, breads, cookies, shortcakes, meringue...and the delicious list goes on.

That said, I can also say there is something soothing about the early morning silence when you are mixing by hand. Friday morning I woke up with Sam at 5. We had our first  feed and when he went back to sleep, I headed into the kitchen to make Gwyneth Paltrow's blueberry muffins. These are some seriously delicious muffins; the blueberry to cake ratio is fantastic.

Without the hum from the mixer, I had the quiet to drift off in thought. I found myself daydreaming of a five year old Sam taking one of these blueberry muffins to school for snack.

Wednesday I sent Kate a text about these muffins. She mentioned she had also recently found a muffin recipe she had been wanting to make. I suggested a swap and she said: "that's genius! due date??" "Due date" - can you tell we are teachers? So Friday morning Kate and I had a muffin swap. She came for tea with 6 banana/nutella muffins.  Kate and I talk a lot about food. And about things that have nothing to do with food. Most of the time, we are doing both at the same time.

I love muffins, they come together quickly and are instantly rewarding. There are endless combinations; I think I might try raspberry next.

Enjoy!

Blythe's blueberry muffins from Gwyneth Paltrow's my father's daughter

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs (GP calls for organic)
1/2 cup milk
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin. Whisk the butter, eggs, and milk in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, the 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold in the blueberries. Divide among the muffin cups and sprinkle the muffins with remaining teaspoon of sugar. Bake until a toothpick tests clean and the muffins are golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

The difference a year can make...

It has almost been an entire year since I last sat down and typed a post. In that year A LOT has changed. The biggest change is...our family of two became a family of three! This is what I blame for my lack of posting. Growing a baby can be very exhausting :) Then learning how to raise a baby can be beyond exhausting. But I'm back! Back with shorter posts and back with healthy meals (made with one hand) to feed my family of three.

This is Sam.
He's amazing.
Everything looks different now that he is here.
The world is brighter.

Spaghetti Squash with Lemon and Bacon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds and brush the cut side with olive oil. Bake the spaghetti squash - cut side up for 45 minutes. Thinly slice a red pepper, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake next to the spaghetti squash. Cook 8-10 slices of bacon, chop into bite size pieces.

In a large bowl combine:
Zest and juice of one lemon, bacon, a handful of chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil, one and a half cups good parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. When the spaghetti squash is ready, use a fork to scrape out the noodles and combine with the other ingredients.

Enjoy!

stuck between seasons

It’s that time of year. That time when I trade in my care-free days of breakfast with friends, wandering the farmer’s market and planning our trips to the cottage for setting up my classroom, attending staff meetings and preparing lessons for another school year. I’ve known it was coming for a few weeks now; the overnight temperatures have started to fall, leaves are starting to swirl in the streets and I’m pulling out sweaters in the evenings.

I’m sad to see summer go but I also find myself happily anticipating fall too. Today we had our windows open and as the cool breeze floated in I made my first fall dish (but because I am still relishing the last moments of summer I included corn from the cob and fresh new white potatoes). This recipe is just like me stuck between seasons.

Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients

For the potatoes:
• 6 new white potatoes
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the meat filling:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots, peeled, diced small
• 2 celery stalks, diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 canned tomatoes chopped
• 1 cup juice from tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped sage leaves
• 1 cob of corn

Directions

Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the milk, sour cream, butter, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon parsley and continue to mash until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the extra virgin olive oil into a sauté pan and set over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the beef, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato juices, worcestershire, parsley, sage, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and celery to the beef mixture and spread evenly into a baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown.

three

So. I think it would be fair to say that our niece Rylee makes life very, very fun. It feels like the sun shines just a little brighter when you’re near her. More than anything, I just love that the simplest things like doing a puzzle are extraordinary with her. This weekend we celebrated her third birthday.

I love few things more than the excuse to make a celebratory dessert. I think a large part of it is I actually don’t love desserts myself and having people around to eat said dessert is a big bonus. But, even more, I think nothing says Happy Birthday – you are super special and are so loved - quite like a home-baked cake.

This year Rylee was very clear with her request: “Auntie Lissa I have Strawberry Shortcake please”. Now if you know any little people, you know, this does not mean a dense yet delicate biscuit with fresh whipped cream and berries(see here if that’s what you are looking for) but rather a little girl with bright pink hair. So I set out trying to find a fun design to bring a smile to that sweet little face.

This is one of my all time favourite white cake recipes – it is a butter cake and tastes like the rich cookies you eat at Christmas.

Anna Olson’s Swedish Butter Cake

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Prepare cake/ cupcake pan(s) by spreading butter on bottom and sides; dust evenly with flour; tap out excess. Preheat oven to 350degrees F.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and well-blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk, beating after each addition, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Stir in the vanilla extract
Spoon batter into the prepared pans, level the top, then spread the batter slightly toward the pan edges. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes for a cake or 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes or until the top is golden and a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Frosting
• 1/4 cup 2% Milk
• 1 tablespoon 2% Milk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• icing sugar, sifted (3-4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Beat butter with electric beaters until fluffy. Add 2 cups of icing sugar, plus milk and vanilla and beat for 3 minutes on high speed until fluffy. Add remaining 1 to 2 cups icing sugar until frosting is a fluffy, spreadable consistency.