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!