Evening Rhubarb

Going out to the garden after the kids are in bed feels like a little get-a-way. I only popped out the other night to pick some rhubarb but it felt like a revelation that, not only was it not dark, but it was lovely outside. Everything is so lush right now, growing and leafing out with incredible haste. In a little more than a few short weeks I'll be able to go out barefoot to pick raspberries after bedtime!

Rhubarb, lovely rhubarb.

I often feel regretful about raising my kids in a confined urban setting. We have a front and back yard and a nearby park and we get out often enough, but it's not how I always imagined I'd raise a family. I thought I'd live a little closer to the edge of the grid if not off it entirely. (Have you read Wilderness Mother?) Other days I feel that we can give our kids the perfect balance or urban and rural by getting out of the city often. I'm always looking for ways to make this possible. 

The Clark family took their kids canoeing for 95 days.
Watch their video here and see why I find it inspiring.

I suppose my little green postage stamp urban acreage feels expansive enough in the peaceful after dinner stillness. I froze some of the rhubarb I picked and I made this rhubarb cheesecake with the rest. This recipe is so easy as there's no pre-cooking the rhubarb. I made mine with a graham cracker crust and my kids liked it even though it was made with our city rhubarb.

ABC, Oakley's Three!

I need a new camera. I threw a birthday party for my newly 3 year old recently and I didn't take a single photo. I already regret it.

If I do say so myself, the party was pretty Pinterist-worthy - for an event held in my proudly "nifty thrifty" home and not involving a professional party planner.

I used punchbowl.com for the invitations for the second year in a row. Their free offerings are customizable yet user-friendly.

The party itself was minutely lower key than Oakley's second birthday; 23 people rather than 30. Thank goodness it was sunny and we were able to get out into the backyard at one point. I'm beginning to understand why parents host parties in rented rooms and parks now.

I never knew before having a child with an "o" name just how great it would be for him. O's are everywhere. They're circles and zeros and faces and wheels and bagels, not to mention a well-used vowel. My son notices them all the time so I did an alphabet theme. I hung Lisa DeJohn's alphabet animals cards on twine with clothes pins, stuck ABC stickers all over balloons, put ABC bathtub stickers on our bathroom mirror, planted flowers in our entrance way planters and stuck in  a couple over sized whirligigs for good measure.

I served the essential alphabet pretzels and a plethora of "o" shaped food including pineapple rings, apple chips, rice crackers, olives, carrots, cucumber, and peppers cut in rounds, and Dad's O cookies. We played a couple simple alphabet games and at the end we handed out goody bags with each child's initial on the front and stickers, a bouncy ball, a whirligig, and an ABC book inside. But really, the cute kids  - all 12 of 'em - made the party.

And yes, I admit it. This party - exemplifying my love of typography and words and pattern and food and fun - was a little bit for me. I mean, my son's only three; he loves monster trucks, Lightning McQueen, hockey, Spiderman, tigers, Dora, Diego, AND the letters of the alphabet. I just chose something he likes that I could really get behind! He had a really good time and so did I. Now it all fades into a blurry memory faster than you can say "cheese". Thank goodness Grandma took a couple photos!

I made a fresh orange and olive oil bundt cake; we just called it
"o cake". The glaze made it extra delish but it also absorbed
all the decorative powdered sugar!

Maybe my boy's really getting into toys now that he's 3
or maybe the other parents are all super in touch with
what 3 year old's like, but every gift he received has
been a major hit (including the stomp rocket they're
all crowding around here).

Season of The Soup

We've all been there. My family of four has had the displeasure (and discomfort) of having just been there last week. We've been in the land of the sick. Congested, coughing, and sneezing with only soup, lemon n honey's, trucks and trains, and BBC's "Parade's End" to get us through it.

My soup season began with an old standby, Green Soup:

Next I made this pureed cauliflower soup from Vegan in the Freezer. Next time I'll try a version where the cauliflower and garlic are roasted for more flavour.

Most recently, I made a version of slow cooker "nutrient dense" chicken soup based on this recipe from Paleo Infused Nutrition but with more veg and noodles:

And though, according to The NY Times, the data is inconclusive on whether or not one should take in more fluids when suffering from a cold, we've decimated the tea cupboard and burned through honey, lemons, and ginger. 

The aforementioned trucks and trains (most of which were new additions at Christmas) have been a source of entertainment for our boys during these days of runny noses and ugly weather. The back edge of our sectional sofa has never seen so much traffic and the coffee table has been transformed into a bustling train station whose hours of operation perfectly coincide with the boys' bedtime. 

Today, we are officially over the worst of it and I have the best intentions for tomorrow. We will be out of pajamas by 8:30am and I plan to venture out into public after my husband heads back to work. The only downside of our recovery is that along with our tea supply we've also plowed through all five remarkable episodes of the BBC's "Parade's End". A return to regular life would seem dreary after our evenings spent in Ford Maddox Ford's parade if we weren't so thankful to have our nasal passages back in working order. 

My Local Orchard

I never would have guessed how much local fruit I'd be eating living in my central city location. This August I picked, ate, shared, baked, and froze a bowl of superb yellow plums, a handful of Italian prune plums, a couple buckets of blackberries, three colanders heaped with red Santa Rosa plums, 150 apples, and at least two dozen bunches of the best green grapes I've ever eaten - and all grown within one square block of my house! 

In our backyard we have two apple trees. Last year we had two dozen apples from the big tree and maybe two edible ones from the small tree. We pruned the trees last fall and this summer we got 100 apples off the big one and 50 off the small one!

Doin' it homesteader style

We ate and baked with the gorgeous 100 apples from the big tree but, other than giving the somewhat scabby little apples to my younger son for teething toys, I figured sauce was the solution. I was able to borrow from a neighbour (who's also a friend) an apple saucer (well, that's what I call it). She had it from her mother (who's also a neighbour) who used to use it in her homesteading days. 

I covered the apples in water, brought them to a boil, simmered them until the flesh was soft and the peels cracked, then tossed them in the apple saucer and sauced 'em. I added back in half the cooking water to lengthen the sauce (and not waste that pink gold - yes, the apple cooking water was a lovely pink lemonade color) and my boys ate it up right away. I got two mason jars out of two dozen of the worst apples and I feel right pleased about it!

Last meal ever eaten out of that tea cup;
he broke it on his way to the dishwasher.
Fortunately, no apple sauce was harmed.

Apples, sauce, and a prime example of
applesauce coma after two helpings.

Apparently our wall color is a dead ringer for homemade applesauce.
Put that on your paint chip Benjamin Moore!

"Dinnertime!"

Tonight's dinner brought to you by my baby, my BFF, and my pantry. I try to keep my cupboards stocked with the requisite handy items and sometimes I like to challenge myself to cook without buying anything new to complete the meal. Tonight I was inspired by my 6 month old (I wanted him to try yams - of course, I mean orange sweet potatoes - for the first time), my best friend (who recently told me about the deliciousness of the unlikely pairing of yams and avocado), and my pantry (which had been home to a lone can of crab for way too long). Dinner turned out to be twice baked potatoes with crab and avocado and a side of asparagus.

Cheesy Crab Stuffed Yams

Roast 4-6 yams, 45min in 400 oven.

Meanwhile saute:
1/2 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 tsp thyme
3 cloves garlic, crushed

When fragrant remove from heat and add:
1 can of crab meat
1/4 tsp grated or powdered ginger
s+p

Remove yams from oven, slice in half and scoop innards into a second bowl. Reserve skins on baking sheet.

Mash or whip potatoes with a few dollops or butter, sour cream, yogurt, milk or some cobination of the above until desired "mashed potato" consistency is reached.

Fold in the crab mixture and scoop back into yam skins.

Sprinkle with grated cheese and paprika. Bake until heated through and broil to brown cheese. Add a few slices of avocado for garnish and voila - dinner.

"Dinnertime!"

I have a few soups up my sleeve; this sounds messier than it is. You see, despite my husband's grumbles and recurring statement upon seeing soup for supper, "What's the main course?", I make and eat and love soup.

What follows used to be a plain broccoli spinach soup recipe that is now kitchen sink soup that's more appetizing than that makes it sound. This is the soup I make when I feel like we didn't eat enough veggies the day before or when I just want a tasty, quick dinner I know my 2 year old will gobble up.

Eat Your Greens Soup

Saute in olive oil:
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery or 2 leeks, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced

Add:
8 cups of a combination of chicken or veg stock, potato cooking water, pureed squash, leftover mashed sweet potatoes, et cetra (this is the kitchen sink part)
2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
2 fresh tomatoes, diced or equivalent canned tomatoes
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Simmer as long as it takes you to wash the one bunch of spinach and remove stems (15-30 minutes depending on child interference).

Add:
1 bunch spinach leaves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
S+P

Remove from heat and puree as much or little as you like.

Optional additions (it's good with all of the following or just one):
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 can cannellini beans
1 tsp basil pesto
Romano cheese, grated for garnish

Tried and True or Tired Food?

Is there really such a thing
as unique green beans?

I don't know about you, but I tend to
cook in phases. Every few weeks I get re-inspired by a cookbook, a new season in the air, or new ingredients at the market or in my garden, or a meal at a friend's house.

I still remember the lunch a dear friend made out of leftovers years ago using quinoa, ground pork, and a variety of fresh veggies and herbs. Ever since, I feel that quinoa and ground pork are naturally complimentary, like cheese and apple, bread and butter, eggs and arugula, chocolate and orange, bacon and Brussels sprouts...

Unfortunately, whenever I am on the far side, the down slope, of a cooking whirlwind I know the doldrums aren't far away.

"Sorry dear, it's soup again."

And so every other few weeks I get into a cooking rut. I seem to buy the same old vegetables and fruit when I shop and I lean heavily on my standbys (which means we eat more Mexican, more perogies, and more soup). As it is, I typically make soup or stew once a week even though it's not hubby's favorite. It's easy, nutritious, and I often freeze the leftovers for a rainy day and I like it. Perogies are the one frozen convenience food that I nearly always have on hand, and Mexican is anything with tortillas, beans, and salsa - again, requisite staples in my pantry.

During these stale, humdrum times I assume that I'll slide out of the rut as effortlessly as I slid into it, and this is usually the case. Other occasions, the rut is deeper and longer than I can stand and I have to propel myself out of it. It's these latter times that get me thumbing through my old copies of food magazines with Post-it notes or perusing sites like Foodgawker and Pinterest in search of an irresistible image or culinary combination that piques my interest enough to inspire me to saute, steam, boil, broil, poach, roast, simmer, and braise all over again.

My latest favorite food blogs are 101 Cookbooks, Serious Eats, and Lip Smacking. How about you? I want to know where you get your edible enthusiasm, your cooking creativity, your grilling genius. Do tell.

"Dinnertime!"

I grew up eating shepherd's pie. My husband grew up eating cottage pie. Despite much debate early on in our relationship, I now understand that I actually grew up eating cottage pie as well. Shepherds raise sheep and so shepherd's pie is likewise made with ground lamb, not ground beef as I am accustomed. Of course, cows don't live in cottages, but Wikipedia tells me "the term cottage pie is known to have been in use in 1791, when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop [for the] poor (cf. 'cottage' meaning a modest dwelling for rural workers)".

This is a meal that any shepherd, rural worker, or stay-at-home mom blogger living in a 1940's bungalow can make at 5 o'clock and eat with her family 45 minutes later.

Bungalow Pie

Peel, chop, and boil:

4 med potatoes or yams

When fork tender, drain, mash, and add:

1 T butter

1/2 cup milk (more if needed)

s+p to taste

Set aside mashed potatoes. Saute in olive oil:

1 onion, diced

1 lb lean ground beef

Add as you go:

1 carrot, diced

1 large handful of green beans, chopped (may substitute 1/2 cup frozen peas)

1 sprig rosemary, chopped

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
s+p 

When meat is browned, add:

2 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 bunch kale, chopped

1 cup beef, veg, or chicken stock

When kale is bright green, remove from heat. Pour meat and veg mixture into an 8x8 pan and spread mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle top with grated cheese or paprika, or both. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until bubbling. Broil briefly to brown top.

"Dinnertime!"

A new somewhat-weekly effort to record what we're eating titled after my son's joyful mealtime exclamation. No matter which meal of the day it is, it's always "dinnertime!"

I've been intending to post more recipes and I finally figured out why I've avoided it; I really dislike writing out the ingredients list. So I am writing up my recipes in the method that works for me (instructions and ingredients listed together, chronologically); I hope it works for you.

The only thing I ever craved while pregnant I craved during both pregnancies: real tequila, non-virgin lime margaritas. In lieu of the fact that I've been on the wagon  for nearly three years (as a side effect of my mothering condition), I've been making a lot more Mexican food in this time. My current favorites are chicken tostadas, baked eggs with tomato sauce and corn tortillas, and tortilla soup which I made last night.

Tortilla Soup for a Sodden Vancouver Evening

Poach:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 cups homemade chicken stock or good buillon
Handful of fresh herb stems

Remove chicken and cool. Using two forks or your hands, shred the chicken into bite-size strips and set aside.


In separate pan saute until softened:
1 onion
1 carrot
1 pepper
3 garlic cloves
1 zucchini

Add:
1/2 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cloves

Remove herbs from stock and add the sauteed veg and spices, then add:
1 28 oz can of tomatoes
Most of a 19 oz can of black beans
1 cup of fresh or frozen corn
s+p to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Heat through. Serve with avocado, grated cheese or a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and a handful of tortilla chips.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: a Retrospective How-To

There is the "kick-start the holidays" Christmas party, the Hanukkah party, the solstice party, the apres-ski  party, the gift exchange with friends, the work Christmas party, the school or church pageant, the neighborhood party, the gift exchange with extended family, the Christmas Eve dinner, the Christmas day brunch and the ensuing feast, the Boxing Day dinner, the leftovers meal, the holiday card night with friends, and the New Year's Party - Did I forget any?

Oh yes, the online Skype party with distant loved ones! Nuts. That one was hard to remember as I didn't turn on my computer much over the big weekend this year. Hopefully an interim weeknight call will make up for it!

From someone who successfully attended or hosted many of these events, my advice would be do them all (unless you're under the weather then by all means stay home with your germs and a good book)! To keep the stress levels low and the multiple gatherings enjoyable don't make, wear, or bring something different to each one. In November and early December bake a few batches of cookies and store them in your freezer. Around this time make a list of all the people you'd like to give a little something to over the holidays - my preference is to give everyone a little something rather than half the people a big something. Make a few homemade gifts (see below) and bring these along as needed. Budget for a couple extra bottles of something at the liquor store this month to keep you in the spirit of things and stock your pantry with bulk nuts (salted and candied or in the shell), oranges and pomegranates and cranberries and decent chocolate. These items can be prettied up for a last minute gifties or placed in nice bowls and set out for unexpected guests. Collect a few pinecones and cedar boughs and light some candles; now you're set for the season.

As for shopping, I love the idea of picking up items throughout the year when you see just the right thing for someone you love, but I never actually do this. While I hope to one day shop with that much foresight, I tend to purchase most of my gifts at the same store. One year it's a bookstore, the next an outdoors store, the year after that a specialty foods store and so forth or try getting everything online from Etsy or give yourself one day at a local craft fair; there are some really fantastic shopping events out there these days. Shows like the Shiny Fuzzy Muddy show here in Vancouver or The One of a Kind Show in Vancouver, Toronto, and Chicago.

Here are a few of my favorite gift-worthy recipes from Christmas 2011:

Candied Orange Peel

 I dipped mine in chocolate and filled mini take out boxes lined with pretty scrap paper to garner oohs and ahhs.

8 oranges, 10 lemons, 6 grapefruits or any combination

3 cups sugar plus more for rolling

3 cups water

3 cups semi sweet dark chocolate chips

1. Cut the ends off the fruit and standing on one end, follow the curve of the fruit and cut away only the outermost peel leaving most of the white pith on the fruit. Slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. 
2. In a medium pot of boiling water, 10-20 minutes (longer for lemons and grapefruits). With a slotted spoon transfer peel to dry surface and pat dry with paper towel.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peel and simmer until it turns translucent and syrup thickens, 10 minutes. With slotted spoon transfer peel to wire rack set in a baking sheet to catch the drips, separating the pieces as needed.
4. Let peel dry 1 hour. Toss with cup sugar to coat.
5. Return to wire rack to dry. Place in a warm (not hot) oven to dry if you find the strips do not dry as quickly as you would like.
6. Working in batches, melt chocolate in a double boiler and dip ends of strips in the chocolate and lay on rack or brown paper to harden.
7. Package in boxes with wax paper, decorative paper, and ribbon or enjoy at home with loved ones!

Snickerdoodles

These freeze really well. Be sure not to over bake them! 

2 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400 f.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. 
3. In a large bowl cream together the remaining ingredients. 
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until dough is smooth. If soft, refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. 
5. In a large shallow bowl mix together 1/3 cup white sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon  
6. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place on cookie sheets and press down each ball using the bottom of a glass to flatten to about 1/2 inch thick.  
7. Bake 8 minutes or until firm around the edges.

And finally, make the pumpkin butter recipe I posted about back in November. 

Now, on to the new year!

Pumpkin Seeds Galore and More

Okay, so it's a little late; Halloween was over two weeks ago but it just now occurred to me to share the story of our jack-o-lanterns (or "punkies" as my one and a half year old enthusiastically calls them). I walked down an alley the other day as I am wont to do (see posts Sept 5/10 and Nov 7/11), and I saw a garbage can; the lid was ajar and I could see a somewhat soft orange orb seated atop a bulging garbage bag. In another alley on another day I saw two pumpkins that had been placed in the overgrown grass next to a garage at the alley's edge, now slowly leaning into the landscape. These sights saddened me not because our city has bins for yard trimmings and compostables but because pumpkins are so delicious.

Gramps and Oaks at the bird sanctuary.

For me, the pumpkin is an integral part of Halloween. Back in my single days I had pumpkin carving parties even though I never lived anywhere that got trick-or-treaters; it was all about the resultant festive lanterns, roasting the pips, and drinking mulled wine. This September we took the kids and one set of grandparents on what is becoming my new pre-Halloween tradition, an annual visit to a nearby island bird sanctuary and pumpkin patch. We picked our pumpkins with care, checking out the full array before making our selection. At home, we placed them on our front porch as a seasonal display until they met their demise on the afternoon of the 31st.

Both my husband and I were naively looking forward to carving  pumpkins with our little guys looking on. The reality was somewhat less than ideal. The toddler had no interest in helping to scoop out the cold innards of the pumpkin and both kids commenced crying while we wrestled the gourds and wielded knives. I managed to get the seeds in the oven with a bit of salt and Old Bay (though they're equally as good with a little cinnamon and sugar). Pumpkin pips are also known as pepitas in Mexican Spanish or passatempo in Greek literally meaning "pastime" which I love.

This year I carved mine like this.

After the festivities of the big night I was left with these two gorgeous, homegrown, handpicked pumpkins that I couldn't just compost so I have been cooking, freezing, and baking up a glorious orange-colored storm. (I should note that I made a point to use soy candles with lead-free wicks inside our jack-o-lanterns as I knew we'd be ingesting them.) Last year, finding myself in a similar situation, that is, with masses of pureed pumpkin on hand, I discovered what has become a household standby, Squashy Mac n' Cheese (adapted from this recipe, it's essentially pasta in a chicken stock and squash sauce sprinkled with breadcrumbs and cheese and baked). As I had a teething seven month old last Halloween I also froze chunks of pumpkin skin for him to gum. This year my discoveries include pumpkin hummus, pumpkin ginger scones, and highly recommended pumpkin butter. And so I can happily report that my pumpkins did not end up in a landfill but were an essential part of filling up my family with a little compost leftover.

November Raspberries

Seriously. I happened upon a mature raspberry patch while alleyway walking in early Autumn and I've been visiting the spot every week for six weeks now and the berries are still there: ripe, red, tart, and not moldy. I pick a handful each time, the toes of my shoes glistening in the heavy dew, little drops of water splashing onto the brim of my hat off overgrown canes, and my nose and fingers getting cold. There are plenty on the ground and it is obvious that no one is overly proprietorial about them and so I marvel and savour their unseasonal appearance, thinking each indulgence will be my last of the year and yet they continue to surprise me. This type of surprise is the best kind: an unexpected find that, with a little effort for a small berry with big flavour, can totally make my rainy day.

Photo credit Leora Wenger

Cozying

Present participle of co·zy (verb)

1. Impart a feeling or quality of comfort to something.

2. Give someone a feeling of comfort or complacency.

It is officially cozy season: the harvest moon was this week, the 78 cents a pound local spartan apples are in stores, condensation is gathering on my single-pane windows, and I'm wearing socks around the house trying to escape the cacophony of competing leaf blowers exhaling dead flora from one neighbors lawn to another and back again as the wiry yard maintenance men keep each other in business.
And I suppose I do find myself feeling rather comfortable and complacent. As soon as I realized that the hot season was over I started jogging, only to discover a week later, that the rainy season had arrived just in time to dampen my zest. Now as much as I love how running in the rain makes my cells tingle, my new rubber boots are simply more enticing than running shoes and darn hard to jog in.
I'm 6 months into motherhood and I've been dismayed at how this stay-at-home parenting gig has really hindered my ambition. My greatest aspirations have whittled down to writing a small amount every day, providing my family with healthful flavorful meals every night, and having three more babies in the next six years. Pretty reasonable, no? 

At least I am writing every day. Some days I put something downright mundane in the agenda I'm using as an alternative to the traditional baby book, like last Friday's riveting "O rolled front to back 3x" while other days I manage a heartfelt email or blog posting. One day soon I'll get back to my writer's group; maybe once Oaks stops waking every three hours at night or perhaps when I stop missing him as soon as he's in bed. 

Most days I'm pretty satisfied with the variety of colors I get onto our dinner plates and the ratio of roughage to protein and starch. Though I suffer from the serious culinary condition of not being able to remember what meals I made recently and which were keepers, so that I find myself struggling daily to make something I've never made before. This is fine (though exhausting) for someone like myself who prefers not to eat the same dish twice in one month and is currently on maternity leave, but nearly impossible to maintain when working outside the home. To assist in my constant recipe mining I reference my collection of cookbooks (frequenting The New Basics, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, and the stack of Everyday Food magazines that I found at my old laundromat) as well as epicurious.com and my food-loving family who also enjoy a good meal every now and then, to put it lightly. Whenever members of the Dante clan share a meal the conversation always drifts towards planning the next meal while we're still enjoying the present one; it would be a good joke if it weren't so true. Emails between my mother, my sister, and myself begin or end with what we've pulled out the garden or a new recipe or concoction. In fact, my sister prompted this post with the mention of her recent parsnip and pear soup inspired by the cooling weather.

The killer instinct is alive and well in Central Park, NYC

And I wasn't kidding about the multiple siblings for Oaks. The little guy has really got my baby senses tingling, but my career goals not so much. How do they do it those mom-preneurs? I wonder if I ever had the killer instinct or if my languishing gumption is a symptom of first-time motherhood. So while the season is imparting its comfort, I am cozying up to the idea of going back to work in a few short months and coming to the conclusion that Fall is definitely too fleeting.