Wednesday, November 30th -another closing celebration comes to an end

Conditions at 5:30 am: 8' and overcast, heading for a high of 14' and light rain

We certainly feasted last night. There was an amazing array of salads and casseroles to choose from and there were so many you couldn't fit a bit of everything on one plate. And then there were the deserts. A great meal was enjoyed by all. I've asked the girls in our group to email me the recipes for the dishes they contributed so I can share them with all of you. I was every so proud to see that they all made the effort to make something from scratch. 

Graciously accepting our thank you's from Yolanda

I have to send out a huge thank you to all the ladies in our class. They very generously gave me a gift certificate for Cedars Restaurant and a lovely card. It was very sweet ( and not necessary) of them to do that and I truly appreciate it. Then the instructors  also received gift certificates for Papa Joe's from the committee along with another thank you card. So we'll be eating well over the next little while!

The fiddlers fiddling

Along with the food we were entertained by the display from the quilting class and the scrapbooking girls as well as the judo class, guitar and fiddle classes. The fiddle people were really very good. I'm sure some of them have been going to these classes for a number of years but I'm sure there were also some new people. They did an awesome job for just 10 weeks of playing together (or at all, in some cases). 

All in all, a really great night. Once again, thank you so much to all, and especially to Brenda for all your help - it would not have been possible without all of you.

PS - the macarons were a success - at least the tray was almost empty when we got ready to leave so that was a good thing. As I went to collect it, the lady who does caretaking at the school was putting a few left over treats on a plate to take home. There was one more macaron left on my tray so I suggested she take it so I could have the tray. She asked "Oh my gosh, did you make these?  I'll have to get your recipe" at which point Brenda countered with "Marlene, you don't even want to go there!" We told her they were a 'bit fiddly' and I said if she wanted some, to get in touch with me and we'd work something out!

Tuesday, November 29 - The Potluck Party

Conditions at 5:30 am: 3' and overcast, heading for a mix of sun and cloud and 7' later

What we hoped for 

Well, after much searching at lunch yesterday and phoning around after, I was unable to find the necessary item to make our macaron presentation complete. I had hoped to secure them to a styrofoam cone to form a tree but I couldn't find a suitable cone. The only ones available were tall and skinny and not what I had in mind. In the end our macarons are in rows on a tray. Not the presentation I was hoping for but maybe next time. Nonetheless, they taste good and that's really all that matters.
I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing evening with friends tonight and not having to teach anyone anything. Just have fun - but then really every Tuesday was fun this year.

It's a busy week. Last night, with Brenda's help, we filled the shells, and tonight is the potluck. Tomorrow night we're meeting my friend Donna in town after work. Thursday I'm working so Friday is the first evening this week I'll have nothing to do. Yay! Then Saturday I'm working but only till 8:00 pm so that's a bonus as well.

Last night Brenda and I were looking through some cooking magazines and realize we really need to get our acts together and get some baking done for Christmas. It will be here before we know it. I won't need to do a lot as the kids won't be here and I know Lloyd will be trying to eat properly (note I said 'trying') but it will be a lot more difficult if there's tons of treats hanging around.

What we ended up with

Monday, November 28- MACARON MADNESS!

Conditions at 5:30 am: 5' and cloudy with showers, heading for more showers and a high of 11'

What a great weekend! Friday evening I worked at the store and it was extremely quiet. Not so great for passing the time but it turns out everyone was shopped out ( I assume) as they were all out early in the day doing the "Black Friday" thing that seems to have taken hold here. Finally a day to celebrate our mass commercialism (how sad). Apparently there were approximately  500 people outside the Walmart IN CHARLOTTETOWN on Friday morning waiting for them to open.
I guess food specials just don't hold the same appeal.

Saturday I worked at Toyota and had the afternoon off from the store. It felt like I was on holiday. After doing a bit of grocery shopping and picking up some items at Bulk Barn it was back home to get ready for our staff Christmas Party. I arrived in town about 5:45 expecting it to be difficult to find a place to park as the parade started at 5:00 and would be just reaching downtown. But I was really lucky because I easily found a spot near the bank, where we usually park and it's a short walk to the pub. When I got there a few people were hanging around outside so I waited and went in with them. The Claddagh Oyster House was closed for our party and it's quite lovely inside. It's not very big and it was quite cozy. I was invited to join two couples at their table that had one single place in between the U-shaped bench so I gratefully accepted. I sat with two people from work that I really like and it was a lot of fun. I'd never met their wives before and they were both very nice. We had a lovely meal and a great time was had by all - at least at our table. There was lots of conversation and laughter. I truly enjoyed my evening.

I had my cell phone with me because Saturday night was also the fund raising auction at the church so I told Brenda to send me a message when it was done to let me know if our gourmet dinner sold. Turns out it did. They started the bidding at $200 and of course no one bit on that one. Then a fellow bid $100 and that was it. No one bid against him and he won it. I've not met this man (I don't think) but Brenda tells me he is a great fellow and we should have a terrific time doing the dinner. His wife works in at the Bulk Barn so I'll have to find out who she is and introduce myself as I'm there fairly frequently.

This is what they should look like - stay tuned for ours

Sunday was French Macaron day. The instructors are only expected to provide rolls for the pot luck but being the cooking instructor  I don't feel I can get away with that. SO Brenda is bringing the rolls - but they will be her wonderful home made ones, not the ones bought from the store that probably everyone else will bring. I decided to make French Macarons. So Sunday I made a couple of batches and then Brenda came over in the afternoon and we made another. While I was at the Bulk Barn on Saturday picking up ground almonds for my cookies, I spied a mix for French Macaroons. All you have to do is add water. I thought, wow, if this works it would make the job much easier. Turns out my original thinking proved right once again - home made is much better than the mix. They looked good in the oven but as soon as they came out they sort of collapsed onto themselves and you lost the little 'foot' that is very important to a macaron. So after making two batches with the mix I went back to made from scratch. And they really aren't difficult, just a little time consuming. They turned out properly so now it's on to the next step. I will put the filling in them tonight and put them in a cool place so the flavours blend as they are supposed to and then I have a bit of a surprise presentation but more on that later. Don't want to give the secret away!

One little note that we found quite amusing: Patti called me on Saturday afternoon as she was on her way to the airport. She was headed for a layover in London (the one in England and I'm very jealous) and had a bit of shopping she was going to do while there. Then next weekend she is off to San Francisco, on a layover, to look for a couple of things the kids want for Christmas. I suggested that most of us just go to the mall - not to Europe!

Friday, November 25 - One month till Christmas

 

Conditions at 5:30 am: -2' and overcast, heading for a high of 6' and mostly cloudy skies

It's only been one day and already we've become accustomed to looking at the snow. I thought more of it would have melted out here but that's not the case yet, although today's temperatures may help a bit. The good news is the roads are clear and dry so I really don't care how much white stuff is on the ground! It was a bit of a challenge to get up the lane (!)  last night and I ended up leaving the car down at the end but that's okay too. Not the first nor the last time that will happen.

When I was watching the taped news on Wednesday at midnight there was a story about an Air Canada jet that had to make an emergency landing in Charlottetown. It was on it's way to St. Johns and had lost an engine. My first reaction was "I wonder if Patti was on that flight" as I know it's one she sometimes does. But then when I thought about it she would have definitely given me a call from the airport here. I would have had to leave work right away and rush over to give her a big hug - it would have been very scary for both of us (but she probably would have handled it in her usual calm and efficient manner as just another day at work). Click on the link to read the full story.

Airplane makes emergency landing at Charlottetown airport - Local - The Guardian

Last night I had the pleasure of dining with the Van Gaals on my way home. Then I spent the rest of the evening in my PJ's and watched a bit of TV and talked to Lloyd for a while. Nothing too busy, even though there were things I need to do but I'll get there. I have to find some things I need to work on Saturday morning and that requires a few minutes in my craft room. I want to get working on my Christmas cards. I received so many comments on the cards I sent out last year, that I have to do something just as interesting so it's taken a bit of thought, but I have come up with an idea, but it needs a bit of tweaking.... stay tuned and watch your mail boxes!

Thursday, November 24th - Dear Mother Nature - this really isn't funny!

Conditions at 5:30am: 1' and overcast heading for a high of 2' and a mix of sun and cloud

I know this is Canada, and I know it's November but this really isn't funny. We need a couple of light snow falls to ease us into winter driving conditions. This was crazy. When I left work yesterday to go to the store, the driving conditions were treacherous at best, at least in town. There wasn't that much snow yet, only a couple of inches but it was VERY slippery. Good thing for me the guys put my winter tires on yesterday afternoon!

Right outside my back door this morning

When I left to come home at 10:30 (actually it was closer to 11:00) there was more snow and the roads were still quite slick but at least there was very little traffic. I came home through Fort Augustus and it was snowing quite heavily but there were no other cars on the road so I could take my time. It was very dark and very snowy so I really had very little idea just where I was most of the time. I was quite surprised when I saw the Websters Corner sign to see that I had made it that far. But at 40 km an hour it took a while. As I passed the Van Gaal household the driveway was blown in and everything was all in darkness. (Not that I would have dropped in - it was approaching midnight by that time). It was a very peaceful island sight. But I ventured on and by the time I got to my road I breathed a sigh of relief until I turned the corner, that is. The wind was blowing up from the Pisquid River and the road was very badly drifted in. The snow was a least a foot deep on most of the remainder of the trip and I really thought I might get stuck a couple of times. By this time the wind had picked up and it was doing some serious drifting. I did manage to make it up my driveway but this morning I'l need to shovel a bit as there's a nice drift in front of the car. But I made it safe and sound and that's all that matters. It should all be gone in a day or two as it will be warmer tomorrow and on the weekend. But it was definitely a wake up call - Winter's here! - at least for a little while.

We'll see how the drive back in goes this morning.

Wednesday, November 23 - Another successful season comes to a close

Conditions at 6:30 am: -3 and overcast, heading for high of +1' and 10 to 15 cm of snow beginning this afternoon and continuing over night.

Our cabbage rolls and pierogies were a success. We reheated the cabbage rolls and made the pierogies while we waited. While they were a bit fiddly to make, they were worth the time and effort. They were delicious and everyone enjoyed them. Of course the smell of sauteing onions and frying bacon coming from the kitchen caused more than a few heads to pop through the door to see what we were doing.  A big thank you to Brenda for helping to make it all possible - it wouldn't have been such a success without all your help.

The class of 2011! Thank you ladies.

For those who were not fortunate enough to join us, here's the recipe for the Pierogies. They are surprisingly easy to make and I will definitely make them and freeze them before buying them.

Homemade Pierogies with Sour Cream


Sour cream in the dough is a favorite secret of many pierogi makers.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra to serve with the pierogi

• 1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces

• butter and onions for sauteing

• ingredients for filling of your choice (potato & cheese filling recipe below)

Preparation:

Pierogi Dough

To prepare the pierogi dough, mix together the flour and salt. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Each batch of dough makes about 12-15 pierogies, depending on size.

Prepare the Pierogies

Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick. Cut circles of dough (2" for small pierogies and 3-3 1/2" for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.

Boil the perogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and let dry.

Saute chopped onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft. Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy. Serve with a side of sour cream and crisp bacon

Homemade Pierogi Tips:

1. If you are having a hard time getting the edges to stick together, you may have too much flour in the dough. Add a little water to help get a good seal.

2. If you don't want to cook all of the pierogies right away, you can refrigerate them (uncooked) for several days or freeze them for up to several months.

3. You can fill pierogies with pretty much anything you want, though potato and cheese is the most common (recipe below). Sweet pierogies are often filled with a prune mixture.

Potato, Cheese & Onion Filling: Peel and boil 5 large potatoes until soft. Red potatoes are especially good for this. While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop 1 large onion and saute in butter until soft and translucent. Mash the potatoes with the sauted onions and 4-8oz of grated cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you want your pierogies), adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some fresh parsley, bacon bits, chives, or other enhancements if you desire. Let the potato mixture cool and then form into 1" balls.

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So it looks like we may be in for our first real taste of winter this afternoon and evening - up to 15 cm of snow will fall by morning so the trip home at 10:30 tonight and the drive back in tomorrow morning may be really interesting! Better go and wrestle my snow tires out of the shed so the guys can put them on for me today. I'm sure it will be a big help to have those on tonight.

Tuesday, November 22 - James may be right

Conditions at 5:15 am: starry skies and -6' heading for a sunny high of +1' later and maybe some serious snow tomorrow

My guess was the birds were Quail. Last night James called on his way to swimming class to say that he was pretty sure they were Quail as well. Now this morning there is a comment at the bottom (posted anonymously) that indicates they look like they could be Bob White Quail. Thank you anonymous for confirming our suspicions, or at least acknowledging that we may be right!

Well, it looks like we may be in for some snow tomorrow. All day yesterday the radio kept saying we'd better get our winter tires put on but the Weather Network only indicated a couple of cm's. Now this morning they are predicting 5 to 10 cm. It could be not so bad or it could be really messy. I think I'll take my snow tires to work on Wednesday and see if the guys have time to put them on for me. I work till 10:30 on Wednesday night so there won't be much traffic on the road and it's not supposed to start snowing until mid afternoon so the ride home could be interesting. Nothing like getting us into winter mode right away.

I'm not sure what came over me last night when I got home but I had lots energy. I think it was the mental fact that I didn't have any prep work to do for class as Brenda and I did it all on Sunday. So when I got home I got busy and swept the whole house (finally got rid of the dozens of dead flies lying around upstairs), stripped my bed and did the laundry, vacuumed the carpet - it was a very productive evening. While I was doing all that I had a piece of chicken and some baby potatoes roasting in the oven. So when I was finished I had a nice meal. Not sure what happened last night but it would be nice if it happened more often!

Tonight is our final class. I'm sad to see it end but also glad to see it end at the same time. It's been a great group. We have our pot luck next weekend and tonight I want to set a date for the girls to come here for a pot luck when it's over. I'd love that. But I'll have to put up my tree for that. I used to put it up the weekend of the Santa Claus Parade in Guelph, which usually falls on the same day as the Toronto Parade, which is this weekend. Maybe I'll get started on that this weekend. Not having to work till 11:30 on Saturday night will make a world of difference. We have our party but I doubt it will be really late and it won't be standing on my feet for 8 hours.  I might actually have a productive Sunday.

Monday, November 21st - Our first snow

Conditions at 5:30 am: overcast and 2' which is 1' higher than our forecast high of 1' with a chance of a little snow flurry activitiy

A weather network image from Friday morning

Well, Friday morning, I was feeling a little smug about the fact the radio said there was snow everywhere and we had none. It was just raining when I left for work and just starting to turn to flakes but by the time I got to town, there was a good inch or more on the ground everywhere. Of course by the end of the day, it had all melted away. So you can imagine my surprise when I got out to our area and found that the one inch or so that town had received, was still on the ground. Everything was wrapped in a coat of white - and was still there when I left in the morning. But it was gone by the time I got home late Saturday night.

Friday night I met Brenda in town and we went to the craft sale but it was very busy. We thought we'd do well by going when they opened at 5:30. I arrived around 5:15 and there was a big line up of people waiting to get into the school and it was very cold, so I waited in the car till Brenda got there. Thank goodness for cell phones, or we'd never find people. After touring the show, we headed downtown to the Olde Dublin where Maureen met us and we enjoyed a most pleasant evening of food, beverages and conversation. I left a little before the others and headed home as I had to work on Saturday. Needless to say, Saturday  was a long, but uneventful day.

Sunday was much better. Brenda came over in the morning and we made the cabbage rolls for Tuesday. I had researched several recipes and found that the mostly all take a long time to cook  - 2 hours in the oven. That just won't work in our class, so we made them in advance and then we'll add some more sauce to them on Tuesday and put them in the oven to reheat on Tuesday and we can eat them there. We will make the pierogies in class. We've made the filling and the dough so the rest will be easy to put together and enjoy as well.

While the cabbage rolls were baking, we took a bit of time to head down the road to go for a hike on the trail. The road in was a bit muddy in spots so we had to drive carefully but we made it in and out again successfully. The trails were a bit slippery in spots as there are all the newly fallen leaves mixed with all the rain we've had recently. And just as we neared the end of the shortest trail, it started to rain so we timed it just right. But it was nice to get out there and the dog really enjoyed his little romp in the woods.

It seems that "There's a Chef in My Kitchen" may be reborn on the island. Brenda was looking for a fundraising idea for her church auction. So we are offering a "Catered Gourmet Dinner for four" as an auction item. I came up with three menus that might be of interest as well as a description of the prize. We presented it all to one of the committee members last night to see if it might be something he thought might work. He really liked the idea and will discuss it with the others and get back to us. It's definitely something different for here and it could be good or not. We'll just have to wait and see. We won't know till we try it. At least some members of the church community know me from either the Rec Centre and Community School so hopefully one of them will take us up on our offer. They all know Brenda really well and she was a huge help with the party we catered at Tracey's last year. We just might be able to make this work. Unfortunately I won't be able to help as I have a staff Christmas party to attend on Saturday night.

Yesterday morning, I noticed some birds, 6 in total, walking around my front yard. I took a couple of pictures through the window but as soon as I went outside, they flew away, across the road towards the river. I thought they looked like quail but I'm really not sure, so if anyone has any idea, please let me know.

Friday, November 18th - Another week almost over

 

Conditions at 5:30 am: the weather network says 0' and snow flurries but not at my house - it must be slightly warmer out here in the eastern end as it is just raining - could be different when I get to town - heading for a high of 2'

Yesterday was yet again a lovely day once the morning rain cleared. We were supposed to get more rain late in the afternoon but that never happened. I met Brenda at the Home Hardware in Stratford for the ladies night they were having from 6:00 to 8:00. I thought it was going to be demos of things and some new Christmas decorating ideas but it really wasn't what we had hoped for. There were a couple of vendors set up and some snacks but that was about it. We were there early, around 5:30 and spent some time touring the furniture area upstairs but in the end we didn't even buy anything. Brenda saw a few people that she knew but I didn't see anyone familiar. In the end we topped off our evening with tea at her house. A bit of a disappointment but what the heck. But then when I got home I got a call from one of the vendors, Epicure, telling me that I had won a door prize - a cutting board, so in the end I guess it was worth it after all !

So tonight we are heading out to the Craft Show at Colonal Gray High School. It's usually quite a big event.That will put us in the Christmas spirit!

I shared the picture of my cake with one of the girls at work yesterday, and she later asked if I could decorate cakes for her kids birthdays if needed. I told her absolutely. It seems one of them has celiac disease and so she can't just go and buy a birthday cake,she has to bake them herself and she says her decorating skills aren't the greatest. So this could work. She bakes the cake and I can decorate it.

Well, obviously it's a slow news day so I will wish you all a great weekend and let you get on with your day!

Thursday, November 17 - our lovely fall may be coming to a close soon

 

Conditions at 6:15 am: light rain and 8', heading for a high of 12' with raining ending this morning but beginning again this afternoon- much cooler expected tomorrow

Not much to report this morning, except I'm really happy to advise that a mouse JUST  ran across my kitchen floor. I know that means I'll have to get the traps out again but I'm really pleased to see at least one! You see, I had this theory. Brenda had quite a number of them earlier in the fall and I had none whatsoever. It concerned me because I've had them the last two falls. But none so far this year. My suspicion was (and may still be correct) that the snake that had taken up residence in the back yard in the summer has probably moved into the basement for the winter. Lots of rocks in the walls and a nice cool clay floor - an ideal place to spend the winter. If that is, in fact, what could have happened, I figure it's the snake living in the basement that's eating all the mice. Some might say this is a good thing but believe me, that is probably the one most terrifying thing that could happen to a person like me. 

Crazy you say? Just don't be asking me to go down there for ANYTHING! 

We had yet another great day yesterday. I wore my fall coat when I went out at lunch but soon took it off and left it in the car. However I did speak to Brenda later in the afternoon and she advised it had cooled off a little.

So much to do and so little time. I heard about a Christmas decorating demo at the Home Hardware in Stratford tonight and then tomorrow night is also the Colonal Gray Christmas Craft Show. Saturday I'm working till 11:30 and Sunday is a dinner at the Rec Centre for the volunteers. I guess it's that time of year again. 

 I decided on my way home last night that I'm  only going to work at the store until Christmas. I don't relish that drive home late at night in bad weather come January or February. There's no other traffic out at that time and I don't think I'd like to make that trek all by myself. So a bit of extra  money for Christmas is a great thing but after Christmas I need time to just chill, not to mention spending some time sorting and getting the house ready for Lloyd to move here. I realized the other day there's no place for his clothes, or his shaving stuff in the  bathroom - those kinds of things. I've lived here alone for so long that my "stuff" is pretty much occupying every square inch. There's no room for someone else's "stuff". It will be an adjustment for both of us. I know when we made this decision a little over 2 1/2 years ago, we both acknowledged it might take up to three years but I don't think that deep down either of us really expected it would. But the end is in sight and I'll be glad when he gets here. I think in reality he should arrive here on April 30th - then it will be exactly 3 years to the day! But sooner would be fine as well.

Wednesday, November 16th - Happy Birthday Patti!

 

 

Conditions at 6:15 am: 6' and clear skies, heading for a sunny 10' later

I had a lovely chat with Patti yesterday, as she was hanging around the St. John's airport. She's heading there again today. It's really too bad that she doesn't get to fly into Charlottetown because then I could take my lunch hour when she's waiting for the flight back and we could visit. The airport here is so close to my work. Hopefully I'll be able to catch her today to wish her a happy birthday, but I did wish her one yesterday just in case we don't connect today.

Well, we did our Lebanese food last night. It was my first attempt and for the most part it was definitely a learning experience. We were happy with the results but there are a few things that we can improve upon the next time. We needed more filling for the quantity of bread and we also need more sauce. I'm not sure what kind of sauce is on the meat at the restaurant because it was much more yoghurty than ours turned out but they were still not bad. The rice turned out pretty good as well. It was a good first attempt and the girls were impressed with themselves.

We also made samosa and they were good although the amount of salt in the dough needed to be reduced. But the filling was good. We did deep fried ones although I think the oil needed to be a bit hotter. They were not quite as dark and puffy as the ones I've had before but they were tasty. We also did a batch in puff pastry. They were quite good as well.

So only one more class left before the pot luck. Brenda and I were talking last night on the way home and while we've both really enjoyed it, we're kind of glad to see the end get here. It is quite a bit of work and of course taking on another job didn't help either. But it really has been fun this year. Next week we're going to try out hand at cabbage rolls and pierogies. Stay tuned for updates.

In the meantime, here;s the recipe for the samosa. They were a bit fiddly but tasty. The rest we still need to work on.

Vegetable Samosas

Filling

The cooked filling 

1 Potato finely diced (5 to 10 mill cubes)
1 carrot finely diced - as above
2 cloves of crushed garlic.
1 Onion finely chopped
1 Cup of frozen peas
1 tblspn vegetable oil
2 tspn curry powder or your own spices according to taste
Salt, Pepper to taste.
100ml of vegetable stock.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic, mix in  the spices and fry until soft. Add the vegetables, seasoning and stir well until coated. Add the stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until cooked.

Now it's time for the pastry.

Making the Samosa Pastry

You don't have to make your own pastry. You can simply buy some ready-made pastry from the shop. For samosas you want to fry, use Filo Pastry and for samosas you want to cook in the oven use Puff Pastry.

This recipe will make enough pastry for 24 samosas and you will need:

The deep fried ones

225gm. plain flour
2 tspn. salt
2tblspb. vegetable oil
80 ml warm water.
Mix flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well into the centre and add the oil and enough water to make a firm dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and roll into a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and roll out into a circle of 15 cm. Divide this circle into two equal pieces with a knife.
Brush each edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers, sealing the dampened edge.
Fill the cases with a tblpns of your chosen mixture and press the two dampened edges together to seal the top of the cone.
Deep fry the samosas in hot oil until crisp and brown take out and drain

Baking Samosas in an Oven

While samosas are traditionally fried, many people prefer to bake them in the oven as it is more convenient and healthier. (although I'm not sure puff pastry is necessarily healthier!)

The puff pastry version

When using an oven buy ready-made Puff Pastry.
Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and roll out into a circle of 15 cm.
Divide this circle into two equal pieces with a knife.
Brush each edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers, sealing the dampened edge.
Fill the cases with a tblpns of your chosen mixture and press the two dampened edges together to seal the top of the cone.
Put the samosas on a lightly greased baking tray.
Beat one egg and lightly brush over each samosa.
Cooking times should be displayed on the Puff Pastry packaging.
Cool on a wire tray after removing from the oven.

Tuesday, November 15th - A chance encounter that worked out

 

Conditions at 5:15 am: a balmy 11' with some clouds, heading for 13' later and a few showers in the morning

Last night I stopped at the grocery store to pick up supplies for tonight's class. I was also on the hunt for the type of pita breads that were used in the restaurant on Sunday night but to no avail. So on my way down University Avenue I stopped in at Cedars to inquire where I might be able to purchase said breads. The woman I spoke with was most helpful. She explained they were a Lebanese pita, much larger than anything we get at the store. They are split in half and opened up. The two round halves (about 12' in diameter) are partially overlapped, then the filling is spread down the centre and I was shown how to roll them up. Extremely helpful. She also suggested a little store over in the Brighton area that may have the pitas. So I got back in the car just as my phone was ringing. Turns out the Van Gaals were in town and had just arrived at the Old Dublin Pub. Was I interested in joining them? That seemed like a no brainer. But first I ventured over to the store and found exactly what I needed, and two packages were left - just the right amount. I was delighted to have found them and now we are well on our way to getting our recipe done as authentically as possible.

I got to the pub in no time as I was already downtown. Brenda and Bernie enjoyed sharing a De-fibulator burger, the one from the Burger Love promotion in the spring. We had been there during that time and theirs was our favorite. I had the steak and baked potato that was on special and it was cooked perfectly. When we were done Brenda dropped Bernie off at home and came over and helped me prep and stock up for tonight. That was a great help as there were several things to be done. In no time we had the spice mixture made up and the chicken marinating. The tahini sauce is also in the fridge and everything is ready to pack up tonight. I hope they turn out, and it's what the girls are looking for.

Came across this article yesterday - at this rate, Brenda and I will be geniuses well into our golden years!

Can't decide whether to order wine with dinner? Here's a little tidbit to help you make up your mind: Deciding "yes" might protect you from dementia down the road.

A review of the findings suggests older adults who indulge in a daily glass (one if you're a woman, two if you're a man) of their favorite alcoholic beverage (wine, beer, or cocktails) are significantly less likely to develop age-related cognitive decline or dementia compared to folks who don't drink at all.

Booze for the Brain

How does imbibing do this? Researchers think the daily habit may protect against inflammation-inducing proteins in the brain, including B-amyloid -- a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer's disease. Other findings suggest that moderate drinking can boost cerebral blood flow by dilating vessels in the brain. One part of alcohol's brain-protective equation: It's thought that moderate social drinking may have a cumulative effect over many years in reducing the long-term risk of age-related cognitive decline.

Monday, November 14th - I have more research to do

 

Conditions at 5:10 am: 9' with a few clouds and heading for a mix of sun and cloud and 13' later today

What a glorious day we had on Sunday. I woke up around 8:30 to sunny skies and a light breeze. I actually spent a large part of the morning puttering around outside, something I haven't done in quite a while. It was just too nice to stay indoors. Then I spent a relaxing afternoon putting the new heddles on my loom a rather time consuming task that I've just not gotten to. Now it is back together and I want to get working on something again. I've gone back to my instruction book and decided I need to do some samples that it recommends so that   I can learn all about the different structures of a pattern and how and why they work. But I need to make myself a warping board first. That will be my next project, once we get community school finished. But it was a productive afternoon and I got caught up on some TV at the same time.

Later I picked up Bernie, whom I had invited to join me for some research at Cedars Eatery, and we went into town. He had no idea what he was getting himself into but he was willing to give it a try. We both ordered the Chicken Shawarma and the Lebanese rice so I could try them. They were not quite what I got from the recipes I'd read so I'm really glad I went. The rice there is slightly different than any of the recipes I'd come across but we'll give it our best shot. I may try some tonight for my supper to see if I'm even close. Also, all the recipes I found call for pita bread but the wrap they use at Cedars is much thinner and larger so I'm going to see if I can find something similar at the grocery store. I think I've seen them before so hopefully I can find them. After some coffee and Baklava for dessert, I returned Bernie back to his house. I'm very grateful that he agreed to go with me, as I really don't like going to restaurants by myself. And besides it WAS their wedding anniversary yesterday so it's only right he should celebrate it. So a belated Happy Anniversary to you too, Brenda. Hopefully your flight got in on time - I know that one is often late for one reason or another.

Other than that it was a quiet weekend. The weather was so nice yesterday morning that I was really sorry that Brenda wasn't here as it would have been a perfect day to go for a walk on the Appalachian Trail.  And how, you might ask, where we going to do that? Well, it turns out that the trails that were built over the past few years,  off of our road, are considered to be part of that famous trail system. Apparently an application was made when they were completed and because of where they're located, they are considered part of the Appalachian Trail. Check out this article for the whole story - so we don't just go hiking, we hike the Appalachian Trail!

Opening of Dromore Trail in PEI

The Dromore Woodland Trails Officially Becomes Part of the IAT/SIA Trail At the conclusion of a very successful 2009 Annual General Meeting of the International Appalachian Trails/Sentiers Internationaux Des Appalaches Council, that Island Trails hosted from 29th to 31 Oct. 2009 at PEI’s Stanley Bridge Country Resort and Conference Centre, Chapter representatives from Maine, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island officially opened Island Trails IAT/SIA Dromore Woodland Trails on 31 Oct. 2009. With Dromore’s opening, the IAT/SIA trail now extends from the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Mount Katahdin, Maine, to the northernmost tip of the Appalachian Mountains at Belle Isle, Newfoundland and Labrador. Started in 1995, the IAT/SIA has now been extended from Northern Maine, into Northern New Brunswick, to the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec, to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, to its North American terminus at Crow Head, Newfoundland and Labrador. Joining IAT/SIA Council and Chapter representatives at the Dromore Woodland Trails 31 October 2009 opening were members of the Island Trails Board of Directors, PEI Provincial Government Officials and members of the “Trails 4 All” Hiking Club of Charlottetown. The Dromore Woodland Trails, located just south east of Mount Stewart in the centre of PEI’s Queen’s County, consists of four sections totalling roughly 14 kms. (including loops and connectors). It provides numerous route choices for short, half – day or full – day hiking experiences. An attractive wooden sign identifies each trail head and trail markers guide hikers at intersections. By joining with Maine and the other four Canadian Eastern Provinces, Prince Edward Island is making its own unique  contribution to the 1900 – mile – long IAT/SIA Trail. As people hike the Dromore Woodland Trails, they should remember that the bedrock beneath their feet is actually debris from the ancient Appalachian Mountain chain that once ran through Prince Edward Island.

 For even more information on our area,  which I found really interesting - check out this link;
http://www.internationalat.org/Pages/SIAIAT_PDF/dromorebrochure.pdf





Saturday, November 12 - Better late than never, is my motto

Conditions at 9:45 am: 3' and partly cloudy and very windy headed for a high of 6' - quite a bit different from the 15' we on Friday - except that it was really windy and very rainy.

Friday was Remembrance Day and here on the island, that means a day off for everyone. Needless to say I never got around to the blog. (and I WAS told about it!).  I had lots of things planned for the day but some of them will have to wait. I worked until midnight at the store on Thursday and by the time I got to bed it was almost 2:00 am. I had a hair appointment at 9:00 Friday morning so was up at 8:00. When I got home I tidied up a bit then around 12:30 decided it was time for an afternoon nap. Well, three hours later, I woke up. So much for a productive day. But obviously I needed it. Upon dragging my butt out of bed, I made myself something to eat. I had all the ingredients for another recipe of the Pad Tai we'd made on Tuesday night so it was a treat to sit down to watch TV with a nice meal - something I don't do often enough for myself.

I sat myself down to watch the Marilyn Denis Show which I had taped earlier in the day. Brenda and Meghan were on it  and boy did they have connections. They were right there in the front row. There weren't enough shots of the audience for my liking but there was one particularly good shot of the two of them.  We'll get together after she gets back, and watch it and she can fill me in on all the background stuff!

Well, Bernie is finally reunited with his truck. I stopped in to his place on Friday and picked him up to go back to pick up the truck. Then this morning (Saturday) Bernie came and picked me up and drove me to work so I could pick up my car. He claims he had something else to do in town today, and I hope that's right. So now all is as it should be. I suggested to him that I could pick Brenda up at the airport on Sunday night but he says he should really do that. I know he'll want to hear all about her trip and how the girls are doing.

So, the girls in our cooking class want to learn how to make Chicken Shwarma's and Lebanese rice. They really like the food at a local restaurant called Cedars and I don't think I've eaten there. So I thought it might be prudent to check it out first before I start researching recipes.  On Thursday night I didn't start at the grocery store until 7:00 so I thought, great, I have two hours to play with, I'll just take myself out and have supper there - you know - research! So after taking almost half an hour to get downtown, when I arrived, the entire lower part of the city was in complete darkness. Not a street light or building light to be seen. It turns out there was some sort of incident with a hydro pole downtown and it took out all the power. Of course the restauant was in that lower block. So I ended up coming back uptown and getting a slice of pizza from the deli department for my supper. Today I start work at 2:30 so there's not enough time so I guess I'll have to go on Sunday. I have a couple of other things I can do in town at the same time so I might do that. Then I can research recipes for something close and do the shopping on Monday after work.

Okay, that's it for now. See you bright and early Monday morning.

Thursday, November 10 - Tongues may be wagging

 

Conditions at 6:00 am: partly cloudy skies and 7' headed for a high of 13' and more sun and cloud mix

So Brenda was catching the 6:05 flight out of town yesterday to go to Toronto to visit the girls for the weekend. Trouble is Bernie is really busy hauling stuff as it is harvest season after all. So on Tuesday we came up with a plan. She would come into town in the afternoon and do some errands then meet me at work at 5:00. I drove her to the airport in her truck and then brought it home.( I left  my car at Toyota.) My cell phone rang just as I got home and it was Bernie. He was out in a field somewhere and suggested that depending on where he ended up he may come over and pick up the truck so not to be alarmed if I heard someone out in the yard. But when I got up this morning it's still here. Good thing I live in an out of the way place or the whole community would be questioning Bernie's truck being here all night, the same day that Brenda left town!

But I'm sure we'll figure out something tomorrow. I have to work until midnight tonight so if it's still here on Friday morning I'll call him and we'll work something out if he needs it.  Not to worry.

So Christmas is coming - or so all the stores are telling me quite loudly. Last year, if you recall, I gave the two older grandchildren each $100 with the following stipulations: they had to save 25%, they had to make the world a better place with 25% and the rest they could spend on whatever they wanted. So I was talking to Patti the other day and she told me they put the entire thing in the bank. Their school was doing a food drive at Thanksgiving so they both decided they would use their donation money for that. Well, I wish I'd been there. She tells me James went to the store with the list of what was needed and a calculator and spent a considerable amount of time getting the best value for his money. He checked all the prices and added things up on his calculator. In the end he wound up spending around $50 and Meghan about $40. It brought back some memories of taking James to the dollar store when he was little. I'd give him a dollar and he would spend half an hour going all through the store before he finally made his choice. He's not one to just give up his money without being sure he's getting the best for his money. Not a bad way to be. I think he'll do well. So I think I'll do the same thing again this year. I'll give Tristen some money as well this year. Patti tells me he's been asking to have a bank account so now he can open one with the money he gets from Grandma. (also makes Christmas shopping much easier and also teaches them how good it feels to do something for others)

Wednesday, November 9th - a brief trip to Thailand.

Conditions at 5:30 am: 3' and a few clouds, heading for a high of 10' and a mix of sun and cloud

After a much calmer day at work, I was happy to share my time with our community school students. They are such a great bunch of girls that it's truly a fun way to spend the evening. This week we attemped Thai food.
The recipes we used are as follows:

Gai Tom Ka
(Thai Coconut, Ginger and Chicken Soup)
Everyone loves this unique and flavorful soup. Next to Pad Thai, it’s the most popular menu item in Thai restaurants. For this Canadian version, we’ve used grated lime rind for kaffir lime leaves, grated lemon rind for lemongrass and fresh ginger root for galangal. However, don’t substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce. This version is quite hot. For a milder soup, use less red pepper flakes.
• 1 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk (1 can / 398 ml)

• 1 cup chicken stock

• Grated rind from 1 medium lime OR 2 kaffir leaves, torn into pieces, discarding stems

• Grated rind from half medium lemon OR1 stalk lemongrass, lower 1/3 only, sliced diagonally into 1 inch/2 cm pieces

• 1 tbsp grated gingerroot

• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes OR ground chili paste OR 1 small hot red pepper, chopped

• 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced and cut into 1 inch lengths

• 1 cup straw. oyster or regular mushrooms, sliced or halved

• ¼ of a sweet red pepper, cut in thin strips

• 2 tbsp fish sauce

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, or to taste
1. In saucepan over medium heat, simmer (don’t boil) coconut milk, stock, lime and lemon rinds, ginger and red pepper flakes for 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken, mushrooms, and red pepper; cook stirring often, until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes. Stir in fish sauce, coriander and lime juice to taste. Makes 4 servings, about ¾ cup each
Taken from Anne Lindsay’s ‘New Light Cooking’


Pad Thai

In Thailand this noodle dish is eaten at any time or in any place – from restaurants to street stalls. Each cook adds a personal touch. This version is lower in fat and uses easily available ingredients
• 8 oz medium-wide rice noodles

• 3 tbsp fish sauce

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 eggs lightly beaten

• 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

• 8 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 4 oz tofu, sliced in thin strips

• 3 cups bean sprouts

• 6 green onions, chopped

• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

• ¼ cup chopped unsalted peanuts

• 1 lime, cut in wedges
1. Soak noodles in hot water for 20 minutes, drain.
2. In small bowl, mix together fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar: set aside.
3. In large non-stick wok or skillet, heat 1 tsp of the oil over medium-high heat; cook eggs, stirring, until scrambled. Cut into strips; transfer to side dish.
4. Wipe out pan. Add remaining oil. Stir-fry garlic, red pepper flakes and shrimp for 2 minutes. Add tofu; stir fry for 1 minute or until shrimp are pink and opaque.
5. Add noodles and ½ cup water; cook, stirring for 2 or 3 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in fish sauce mixture, bean sprouts and half of the onions; toss to mix well. Transfer to serving dish. Top with eggs, remaining onions, coriander and peanuts. Garnish with lime.

Makes 4 servings
Taken from Anne Lindsay’s ‘New Light Cooking’

In addition to these two recipes, we also attemped soft spring rolls. While they were a bit of a challenge they turned out quite well.Everyone had a different opinion of what they liked best but they were all a success.It's hard to believe there's only two classes left. Next week they want to learn to make Lebanese food. I've never done it but I'm willing to give it a shot. I've got some homework to do!

Tuesday, November 8 - What a great show

Conditions at 5:15 am:  clear bright sky with lots of stars and 8', heading for an expected high of 12' and sunny!

Well yesterday proved to be quite a challenge. First off, I stupidly forgot to re-set the alarm clock. I changed all the clocks on Sunday morning when I got up but totally forgot about the alarm. So when I got up Monday morning, at what I thought was 5:20, I immediately got to work on my blog, made my lunch, etc, etc and then when I thought I had approximately half an hour left to get showered and dressed for work, I noticed on the clock in the kitchen that it was 5:25 - how can that be when I didn't get up until 5:20? Then it dawned on me that I had neglected to change the alarm.So needless to say it was too late for me to go back to sleep as I was now very wide awake. So it was a long day. To add insult to injury, it was the busiest day I've ever seen at Toyota as far as the phone goes. However I'm sure it will be quiet today as I'm almost positive that every person on the island who owns one of our cars, called yesterday so there's no one left to call today! It was insane. We had a few flakes of snow on Saturday and now the whole world has woken up and said to itself - oh my gosh, winter is coming and I need my snow tires put on. So I was really happy to see that part of the day come to an end, as were the folks in service.

After I got home and had a bite to eat, Brenda picked me up and we headed out to the Harmony House theatre in Hunter River. What a lovely venue. It's quite small and intimate and a fabulous little spot. It was once a church and the couple who bought it and revived it, have done an amazing job. We arrived in time to have a glass of wine in the downstairs bar. It's all wood and exposed brick and is very nice. Then back up the stairs with the very unique railings made from bent branches - Richard really needs to see this.

We were in the front row so we were very up close and personal. Too much so as it turns out. At one point Nathan was talking about Stanfest in Canso, N.S. and I whispered to Brenda that it would be a great bike trip but she suggested that the weather is usually really poor that weekend and a car might be more to our liking. Nathan asked if there was something we would like to share with the rest of the crowd. OOOOPS! So we told him we were just making a comment on the weather for that event and he conceded that being surrounded on three sides by water, made it subject to some precipitation. But after that we kept quiet! But it was a great show. He has an amazing voice and if you closed your eyes, you thought for sure you were listening to his father. He's much slimmer, more like his uncle Garnett, but he certainly has the voice. He also kept us entertained by telling little stories in between songs of incidents that would have been related to him throughout the years by people who knew his father. We figure he must have been quite young when his father died.

He doesn't usually sing his father's songs, as he has a music career of his own, but for this tour it was perfect. He really should do it more often, and if this one is any indication, I suspect he may do it more. The crowd loved it and gave him a standing ovation, which I think really pleased him. Hopefully he'll continue and for those who haven't yet had a chance to see this show, you are in for a treat. I think there are a total of 4 shows in this tour and if they are all as successful as this one was, he has something to be very proud of.

Monday, November 7- The cake was a success

Weather at 5:30: 4' and clear skies, heading for a high of 10' and sunny!

If this is November, we'll take it. Saturday was a different story - wet snow and cold. Sunday was sunny and would have been a beautiful day except for the wind that made it much colder. But today will be lovely.
Well, Friday night, I baked the cake part of the project. Then Saturday when I got home, I got into putting it together. I must confess - I did have a bit of assistance. Brenda and Helena came over to supervise. They brought wine and encouragement along with them. It was a great night for me, really nice to have the company. They also washed dishes so that was a bonus as well.

The lemon curd filling was applied

So first step was to split the cake in two layers and fill the inside with the lemon curd. I can't wait to make this for Lloyd, it was SO good. Then it was time to cover with buttercream and put on the fondant. That's the stage I was at then the ladies arrived.

The butter cream went on next and then the fondant

Then I used a tracing wheel from my sewing supplies to put lines on to mark off the squares. A light brushing of pearl dust accented the lines and gave it a nice sheen. Then Brenda and Helena put the silver balls at the intersections of the lines. Meanwhile I worked on the figures. They had begun to sag a bit and while the boy was still usable, the girl really wasn't so I had to re-do that one. Once it was all assembled, we went into the living room with some nacho chips and salsa and watched a couple of programs on TV. When they left I checked the cake again and once more the figures were sagging. I then realized that the weight of the heads was adding to the problem. So I was able to move them off the cake and re-position them so the heads were resting more on the bed and not on the bodies. They weren't perfect but you got the idea. I also made the headboard for the bed, out of chocolate improvising with a mold that I had.

The finished project

Sunday morning I made a little 'book' to rest on the pillows that read "Our bedtime prayer - God bless Mommy and Daddy and the nice people who built our new playground" We completed the project with a little teddy bear lying on the pillows as well.

Sunday morning Brenda came over after church and helped me get it wrapped in basket wrap. Then we re-convened at the hall a little after lunch. No one could remember everything about last year so we had to reinvent some of our procedures. But we had a bigger kitchen and more stoves to work on this year so it was much better. Again the spaghetti supper was a success and there were lots of cakes for the cake auction. Most of the cakes sold for between $20 and $30  so I was thrilled that mine sold for $100. In the end it was Bernie who bought it after outbidding Dave Wakelin, but Bernie had a secret up his sleeve - he had a bidder on the phone who was going to pay for the cake. There was some sort of collusion going on but we won't question! In the end it was a very successful day and quite a bit of fun.

Friday, November 4th - Step one of my cake is finished

  

 

Conditions at 6:00 am: a rainy 6', heading for a rainy high of 7' but we'll be back into the sunshine and double digits again next week

I spent quite a bit of time yesterday contemplating the design of my cake for the cake auction. Since it is a fundraiser for the playground, I thought I might incorporate that into it. It was meant to be a surprise but in reality there are only two people who read this who will be there so it's not like I'm letting out a big secret!
I wanted to use some of the fondant we had left over from Tuesday's class. I had decided to make a rectangular cake and cover it with the fondant and decorate it a bit. I can usually come up with a better idea but it generally takes me a  while. So I've decided to turn the rectangle into a large bed, with the fondant being the bedspread. I'll make a headboard out of white chocolate and two children made out of fondant, kneeling beside the bed saying their prayers - my theme? "Thank you for the playground" - think it will work? I hope so. If nothing else it will spark some conversation.
So, last night when I got home, I formed the figures of the praying children out of fondant. I've never actually done this before but I've watched them do it on TV many, many times. How difficult can it be? Well, it turns out you need some artistic talant at sculpting, which I don't really have, but I think they turned out not too badly. They need a couple of days to dry out a bit as the fondant doesn't dry out as the gum paste does but I think they'll work. I positioned them along side an overturned cake pan so they are in the right position for putting beside the cake. What do you think of step one?

I'm pretty pleased with my first effort even though they aren't quite perfect. Hopefully the rest of the cake will make up for it. Stay tuned for more photos upon completion!

I got a call from Patti and some pretty excited children yesterday. Last week she got a new car, a Dodge Journey. It seems they had the blue tooth installed yesterday and they were trying it out. Now when they're in the car, all they have to do is say "Call Grandma" and it automatically dials my number. How much fun is that? I wonder how sensitive it is? I suspect you may have to activate something or every time one of the kids asks "Can we call Grandma" will it automatically call?  Gotta love technology.
And speaking of technology I finally got my new answering machine sorted out. I'm not sure why, but the pre-programmed message it came with was a man speaking in French. I'm sure that might have been a little confusing for people calling the Denny residence. But I finally got it figured out. I had some difficulty with it as when I followed the instruction it would come up with a message saying "Not available at this time" so I wasn't able to change it, but apparently it worked itself out because I was eventually able to change it.

Well, that's it for now - a pretty quiet news day. I'm off to work. Don't forget to turn your clocks back this weekend!