Feasting On Tomatoes!

Growing up on the farm, we always had a large garden. When the seed catalogues came in the dead of winter, my parents carefully selected the varieties of each type of produce to ensure the hardiest and most flavourful results. In the spring they would carefully plant the seeds and nurture their growth throughout the growing season. Mom and dad spent countless hours tending to the plants to ensure that they would have a bountiful harvest of produce to help feed the family.

The tomato plants were treated with even more love and care. Dad would start the seeds in small containers and place them under grow lights he set up in the house so that the plants would be strong and healthy by the time it was safe to transfer the plants to the outdoor garden in late May or early June.

Of course, Mother Nature could throw some nasty weather (frost, wind, hail, draught, etc) at the gardens at any time, so the harvest would vary every year - but if we were lucky - there would be more tomatoes than we knew what to do with!

There is NOTHING like the taste of a locally grown, fresh, vine ripened tomato! Store bought tomatoes just don't cut it!

Granted, tomatoes on the vine can be rather tasty and are a suitable alternative in the off season if the price isn't too high. Personally, I won't pay more than $1.50/lb at any time of year for tomatoes on the vine! But, given the option - I'll take a locally grown vine ripened tomato ANY DAY!!

There are countless ways to enjoy tomatoes!

My mom and I used to make at least a couple pots of tomato sauce and bottle it to use for pasta dishes or pizzas. She would can or freeze tomatoes to use for any number of dishes in the winter. If there were enough extra, she also made tomato soup.

Most of all though, we ate the tomatoes fresh! As a side with a main course, in salads and sandwiches - we practically inhaled the luscious red fruit!

I miss those days! I miss being able to walk out to the garden and eat a tomato fresh off the vine!

Luckily for me, I have some wonderful friends who will supply me with a few of the beauties if they can.

When my gal pal and I headed out on our road trip in early August, she brought along a couple of local tomatoes to have with our picnic lunch. One, we cut up and ate as is - with a hint of salt and pepper added. SO GOOD!

The other one, she sent home with me to enjoy. It was a rather large one - one of those that a single slice will pretty much cover the whole slice of bread. It was so big that I was able to make 4 sandwiches with it over the next few days! To keep it fresh, I placed it cut side down in a Rubbermaid container, covered it with the lid and stored it in the fridge. I took it out about an hour or so before I made each sandwich to allow it to adjust to room temp before slicing and eating!

A week or so after that, another good friend gave me a few tomatoes from her garden! Oh my! My taste-buds were heading to Nirvana!

So how do I like my tomato sandwiches? Several ways actually!

The first one of the season is always the basic one. Two slices of fresh whole wheat bread, a bit of Miracle Whip Light on each slice, some fresh ground pepper, a light sprinkle of salt and a thick slice of tomato! A feast for the taste-buds! Toasted bread also works for this, but somehow the fresh bread just makes this even more divine!

After that, I mix it up a bit.

Make the same as above but add some chopped green onion and a bit of lettuce (leaf is preferable). I also like adding a slice of medium cheddar for one of the variations. Toasting the bread first is up to you!

Without question, you have to have the classic BLT - toasted of course! I tend to buy turkey bacon more than the regular bacon, but if you find a really meaty package of bacon then go for it! I just don't like losing at least half of each strip to fat drippings with the traditional stuff!  I've also been known to jazz up a BLT with some chopped green onion and a slice of cheddar cheese!

You gotta have a grilled cheese and tomato! This is one of the few things that I prefer using Cheez Whiz rather than sliced cheddar as it melts and browns better under the broiler. You can also add a bit of chopped green onion to this one to kick it up a bit!

Okay, this next one may seem a bit strange and may even gross out some of you but I SWEAR this is delicious! Toasted peanut butter and tomato! Someone my mom knew, introduced her to this combo back in the 70's! We were all a bit hesitant to try it but we started with just a small piece of tomato on a corner of a slice of toast with peanut butter. Try that first. If you like it - and most people do - then add tomato to the rest of the slice!

If I still have fresh tomatoes to enjoy after indulging in at least a couple of each of the above sandwiches, then I make Bruschetta. This summer, I even started making my own French Bread (I use 50% all purpose flour/50% whole wheat) with the wonderfully versatile recipe from the gals at Mennonite Girls Can Cook! 

Bruschetta

2 medium tomatoes

3 small cloves garlic

2 green onions

1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 Tablespoon fresh, finely chopped)

1 teaspoon dried cilantro (or 1 Tablespoon fresh, finely chopped)

1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 Tablespoon fresh, finely chopped)

fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste

8 slices French bread

extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

Finely chop the tomatoes - if they are overly juicy, remove about 1-2 Tablespoons of the juice. Finely chop two of the garlic cloves, add to the tomatoes. Chop the green onions and add to tomatoes. Add the oregano, cilantro, basil, a dash of freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

Brush the bread with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and toast. Rub the remaining garlic clove on the olive oil side of the toasted bread. Top each slice with tomato mixture (about 1 Tablespoon on each) then sprinkle the Mozzarella on top. Place under preheated broiler and allow the cheese to melt and just start to brown. Serve warm. Makes 2 servings as a lunch or 4 servings as a side to a meal.

Enjoy!

dn

Road Trip

Road trips aren't for everyone. It depends a lot on where you are going and more importantly the compatibility of the people you are travelling with. If you have some common interests (beyond family ties) the trip can be much more enjoyable regardless of the duration or destination.

As a kid, I was never a fan of road trips - not that our family took many. In fact, I don't recall many trips that required more than an hour's drive each way. Most were to nearby towns or to Winnipeg.

For most people that wouldn't be enough time to get really bored. Unless, of course your father was one of those farmers who enjoyed taking slow drives past every field on all the back roads just to see how other peoples crops were doing. Despite being a farm kid, I was never interested in farming so I found these trips to be VERY boring! If I could find a way to avoid tagging along on these outings - I did! Even the promise of going out for an ice cream or some other edible treat before we came home couldn't entice me to go.

My parents and I did drive to Thunder Bay for the wedding of one of my cousins in the mid 70's. For me, that was a LONG trip. We left early, stopped at Kenora for lunch and drove straight through after that. I could never read in a moving vehicle and staring out the window at all the rocky terrain east of Kenora was boring for a teenager. I did have a small portable radio with an earphone but radio reception wasn't great. The stations that I did manage to pick up, only stayed clear for a short time then faded as we passed out of their signal's range.

If I was on a road trip, I wanted to have someone to talk to about things I was interested in - or at least have a decent radio station to listen to. For me, it was more about the destination and being entertained along the way.

So, I haven't gone on a lot of road trips.

Oh sure, there were a few - like the time that three of my friends and I drove to Southern Ontario for a friend's wedding back in the early 80's. We drove down through North Dakota, then east through Minnesota and Wisconsin before taking a ferry back into Ontario. We drove home along the Trans Canada. We were only gone for 8 days but it was fun - especially getting to see a number of our friends over the few days we actually stayed in Ontario. En route, we talked, sang, listened to cassettes and played games.

I recall one road trip on a warm fall Sunday, back in my high school days. One of my gal pals and I packed a picnic lunch, filled her dads pickup truck with gas and headed up into the Pembina Hills to explore. The radio was blaring and we gabbed as we admired the beautiful fall foliage. We put at least 120 miles on the truck that day!

Since losing so much of my sight, my road trips have been even more infrequent. For many years, I barely left the city. It wasn't that I didn't want to go somewhere. It was more that I didn't want to impose on my friends to take me for a drive - with or without a particular destination in mind.

2011 changed that. I asked three friends to drive me out to see my ailing mom and to sort through things at the farm house where I'd grown up. Those were three bittersweet trips. I was thankful to be able to spend just a little more time with my mom, but also knew that each time could be the last that I would see her. Sorting through all of her possessions was also emotional as memories of youth and happier times flooded my memory. My wonderful friends kept me company as I took those emotional trips home.

One of those friends and I took another road trip a couple of weeks ago. We first met back in 1994 but over the years have discovered that we have many mutual friends and acquaintances. The town where she spent much of her youth, was also the town that I lived in for three years in the late 70's. She has been back many times over the years but I haven't been there since the mid 80's! To the best of our knowledge and despite all the commonalities, we never met back in the day.

As she drove into town, we both noted how much things have changed. New businesses, new homes and residences for seniors. She pointed out the house her parents had owned. We drove by a small house that some mutual friends had lived in.

I couldn't remember the street name or house number where I had a basement apartment, but was able to give her directions. I had dug out an old picture of the house but even it has now changed. The windows and front door are different. The front walk is no longer there and the driveway has been paved over.

What surprised me the most though, was that the campus where I had worked and later studied was no longer standing. The main building had been demolished! I had known that the old house that had been used as a dorm and the kitchen for the school had been sold a few years after the school had closed. It was moved, restored and is now an art gallery. The gallery was closed the day we were there so I didn't get to see inside but it is now located on a spacious lot that also features a beautiful sculpture garden and infinity pond/fountain.

Not far from the gallery/garden is a stunning nature park with natural grasses, stone work and a pathway surrounding a large pond that is connected to a nearby creek. (The pond is used for skating in the winter) Benches made of wood and stone are positioned at several points around the pond. The setting is tranquil and inviting. Had this piece of Heaven been there during my time in town, I'd have spent a lot of time there but it was just a farmer's field outside of town back then.

We had packed a picnic lunch and sat at a table near the town pool to eat. Aside from a very frisky wasp who insisted that it wanted part of my sandwich (his requests were repeatedly denied and he was eventually disposed of) it was a perfect day to be outside and enjoy our old and new surroundings.

Throughout the day, we also continued to find more connections by naming off places we remembered in town and the people we knew to see if the other knew them or perhaps the family. We hadn't gone to shop but to explore and reconnect with our pasts. We went to see how time had changed the things we had known and to deepen our friendship.

Things never stay the same. Tinges of sadness at the things that had changed. People and places no longer there. Pride and delight in seeing the progress and the diversity that the little town has developed over the years.

Road trips can be fun. We want to go back again sometime and take another dear friend with us to show her our roots.

We are already contemplating where a road trip may take us next year. 

When you travel with the right people - the journey and the destination will always be an adventure to savour and to treasure.

dn

Roasted Red Pepper and Cashew Hummus

Believe it or not, until a year ago, I had never tasted hummus let alone tried to make it. I'd heard about it of course, but for most people it seemed to be either a love it or hate it thing. The store bought versions of hummus got mixed reviews and many critics said they were bland in comparison to making it from scratch.

Making it seemed like a lot of work for something I didn't know if I'd even like. I'm not a huge fan of chick peas (although I do generally add a can to my chilli recipe) and I'd never bought tahini so didn't see the point in even trying it. Why waste my time, and money on ingredients?

But, eventually my curiosity got the better of me, so I went hunting for variations of the recipe. I hoped I'd find something with flavours that I'd enjoy - that would also pretty much erase the thought that I was really eating a glorified bean paste.

There are many recipes for hummus. To my surprise, there were also several variations that didn't even call for tahini! That was good for me as I also didn't want to buy a jar of it only to use a couple tablespoons. I'd have had to find a friend to pawn the rest of the jar off onto.

Luckily for me though, one of the first recipes that I came across was for a Roasted Red Pepper and Cashew Hummus! I LOVE red peppers and I LOVE cashews! It also had garlic! Sounded like a great combo to me!

Like all of my other recipes, I made a few adjustments from the original recipe. I'd never actually roasted a red pepper before but the instructions seemed easy enough. It didn't specify how large a pepper to use but I happened to have a fairly large one on hand so used it. The only cashews I had, were salted so I omitted the salt that the recipe called for. If you have unsalted cashews, then you will need to add salt but know that you can do it either way - just don't use salted cashews AND the salt! A 14oz. can of chick peas was used in the original which was smaller than the one I purchased so I adjusted the quantities slightly - including adding more garlic!!!

The result was a truly delicious and flavourful blend of ingredients that was perfect for dipping veggies or crackers in! I've made this several times now and it always gets rave reviews!

Roasted Red Pepper and Cashew Hummus

1 large red pepper deseeded and cut into 3 or 4 pieces

3 large cloves garlic - roughly chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup water

1 19oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - rinsed and drained

1 cup unsalted roasted cashews*

1 teaspoon salt*

Place the red pepper (skin side up) under a hot oven broiler (griller) for around 10 minutes or until the skin blackens all over. Remove and cover the charred peppers with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap for 5 minutes to allow the steam to loosen the skin from the pepper flesh. Peel off the blackened skins and discard. Roughly cut the pepper flesh into pieces.

Place the roasted pepper, cashews, and remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally.

*If you only have salted cashews, omit the salt.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups. Serve with raw veggies, crackers or pita chips. Cover and store any leftover hummus in fridge for up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

dn

Summer Sport

Just before the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, I posted a blog about my ineptitude at winter sports.

Now it is less than a week to the start of the SummerOlympics which are being hosted by London this year.

So, I've decided to share a bit about my ineptitude for summer sports as well!

Although there are many visually impaired athletes in this world, my limited vision was a major factor against me when it came to sports. it wasn't my only obstacle to athletic prowess though as I'm just plain uncoordinated! I was never graced with an athletic body.

As a kid, I never enjoyed phys ed classes or organized sports. I never had the strength or the stamina to fully participate. I hated having to run laps either in the gym or around the school grounds. I found that no matter how hard I tried - and I DID try - doing sit-ups, push-ups and other physical activities was an exhausting effort of futility. I stumbled my way through years of classes with final grades of D. I only passed Grade 10 phys ed because at the end of the year, the teacher had me redo the written tests for various sports that we learned through that year. Even she recognized that I couldn't do most of the stuff in class!

I hated school sports days where everyone was expected to participate regardless of ability. I never managed a decent high jump or long jump. I couldn't do hurdles without tripping. Relay races terrified me as I knew I'd have trouble receiving and handing over the baton.

That pretty much eliminated any of the Track and Field events!

Team sports were just as bad for me. Thanks to my lack of coordination and agility, I was almost always the last to be picked and was only sent in as a last resort! I couldn't see well enough to follow the ball for Baseball. I could barely dribble the Basketball - let alone make a basket! I couldn't run fast enough to keep up in Soccer or Field Hockey!

There was a brief shining moment in Junior High Intramural Sports that I could almost play Volleyball. Due to few players showing up, I was put in the game and though I couldn't hit a ball in action, I was able to do a decent serve. The team tried to only bring me in long enough to serve, then switch me out with another player. That only worked for a handful of games until they were reminded of a rule that a player had to be in for a full round of positions before being taken out. Oh well!

Fencing, Judo, Wrestling, Boxing, Taekwondo? Let's see ... requires coordination, agility and strength. Nope!

We never had Tennis at our school, but we did have Badminton. Growing up, I was also exposed to Table Tennis. Needless to say, these weren't my sports either! Shooting certainly wasn't on my radar as I've never wanted to handle a gun. The few times that we had Archery in phys ed? Hitting the target was a bit of a challenge! I recall hitting the hay bales behind the targets more than anything!

Equestrian events can be exciting to watch as the horse and rider move as one to complete the course but I was only on a horse a couple of times in my youth and frankly did not enjoy the movement. I didn't mind being in a horse drawn carriage/wagon, but actually riding a horse either with a saddle or bareback was not for me either!

Water sports can offer a lot of variety. Sadly, I've never been much of a water person. I could paddle a Canoe back in my summer camp days - but only on calm waters! I've never been in a Kayak or tried Sailing but neither appeals to me.

I took swimming lessons when I was a kid but never passed the first level. I couldn't swim under water and was terrified to open my eyes under water! I did learn to do a dead man's float and a life guard at the summer camp I worked at taught me to do a dog paddle but I couldn't go more than about 20 feet! Treading water wasn't one of my finer accomplishments either! I'm not good with heights so never really tried Diving.

So much for Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Diving, Sailing, Rowing, Canoeing, Kayak and Water Polo!!

How about Cycling, you may ask? Well, to be perfectly honest - I never learned to ride a bike till I was about 10. I had a tricycle when I was little but when I tried using a two wheeler, I just couldn't get the balance! I don't recall if I ever had training wheels but I do remember my dad running along behind or beside me helping me stay up. I finally got the hang of it a few years later. That being said, I enjoyed leisurely rides but was never interested in competing even for fun.

That pretty much left Gymnastics.

With the vault, it seemed that I could do a decent mount or dismount but rarely both in the same attempt. I managed a few simple moves but never made it past the basics. One time, I had really worked on a routine and had it darn near perfected - until the teacher was judging and I fell and sprained my ankle! She gave me the marks though as she had observed me do it in practice and knew I had done it well before!

For some reason the uneven parallel bars only half terrified me. I didn't like anything that turned me upside down and my dismounts were a hit or miss - mostly miss! But there were several of the basic moves that I could do semi decently! I never did figure that one out!

I was petrified anytime I had to do the balance beam in phys ed! Even with spotters and extra mats I couldn't stay on that narrow beam! My movements in floor exercises were anything but graceful as I had to stop and regain my equilibrium between many of the moves!

Luckily, we never had Rhythmic Gymnastics back when I was a kid! It is beautiful to watch but way beyond anything I could ever have done!

Yup, Summer Sports ain't my thing either! I'll stick to doing my daily workouts in the privacy of my own home and going for casual walks.

I admire those who have athletic capabilities regardless of whether they participate for fun or for competition.

The athletes make it look so easy even though I know that they have devoted countless hours and made untold sacrifices to reach the levels of Olympic competition. The dedication and determination to challenge their abilities and compete to be the best in their sport is both admirable and inspiring!

Even though I am not a sports fan, I will be watching at least some of the games over the next couple of weeks - if only to admire the sheer athleticism and determination of our athletes!

GO CANADA!!!

dn

Country Fair

Growing up on the farm, our family always looked forward to the country fair.

It was three days of fun in the summer! Rain or shine, cool or hot, people of all ages flocked to the fair. It was a chance to meet up with your friends, neighbours and meet new people!

The main focus was on agriculture and home economics endeavours. The livestock included various divisions for horses, cattle, pigs and in more recent years some exotic farm animals and even a petting zoo. The home economics displays and exhibits included baking, canning, jams & jellies, fresh fruits & vegetables, plants, floral, quilting, needlework & sewing, and a wide range of other arts & crafts. There was also a special section that focused on the arts and crafts of school kids from Kindergarten through Grade 12.

A few months before the fair, a book of prize categories for the livestock and exhibits would be published and snapped up by many of the locals and those in nearby communities. Small prizes were awarded for the top 3 places in hundreds of categories. Ribbons were also awarded as a more permanent acknowledgement of the recipients accomplishments. Some of the livestock was auctioned, with the monies bid going to the people who raised the animals.

Besides the exhibits, there were vendor displays, food booths, baseball games, horse racing, a nightly variety show at the grandstand and of course a midway! The first day of the fair focused on the achievements of regional 4-H clubs. The town also hosted a pancake breakfast and a parade during the final day of the fair.

My dad loved to check out all the livestock barns. Mom loved to linger in the display buildings and check out many of the various categories. It gave them both a chance to visit with friends and see what was new and creative. Despite being a farm kid, I almost never went to the barns - too strong a smell for my nose! Although dad did get me to go a few times if there were some baby animals on display.

Actually, I didn't spend a lot of time in the main exhibits building either. It was interesting, but frankly, even back then I didn't have enough sight to see the names of the winners or to be able to appreciate the work that went into the entries.

Well, that isn't quite true. There were a few years that I was really interested in some of the categories! From about age 10 or 11 till I was 17, I entered baking in the junior section. Occasionally, I also ventured an entry in the adults section if I felt I could do a good enough job.

My mom and I would go through the categories and decide which ones I would enter. The first couple years, I only entered a few categories but by my mid teens, I entered pretty much every baking category in my age group. One year, I even won Junior Bake Queen and was given a pen and pencil set. I don't recall how much money I won that year but probably around $15-20. Not enough to really pay for all the supplies used in making my entries but mom let me spend it as I wanted. I seem to recall spending most of it on the midway!

The midway, was your typical assortment of rides, games, sideshows and a few food vendors. Carnival barkers calling out to the passersby, enticing them to come and try that attraction!

Most of the games looked easy enough but of course were always harder to win - especially any of the big stuffed animals or prizes of any value. I played a few, but tended to stick to something with a slightly better odds of winning - like Bingo! Not that I was or am a fan of the game, it was just a way to kill some time and sit in the shade of an open air tent without spending a pile of money!

I wasn't overly adventurous on rides. I didn't like anything that turned me upside down and was never a fan of roller coasters. When I was little, my dad took me with him on the bumper cars and would ride the merry-go-round with me. Mom wasn't much for rides - they made her dizzy. As I got a bit older, I tried several rides and came to have some favourites that I looked forward to riding at least a couple times every year.

The "Tilt-A-Whirl" was my favourite and involved spinning in a small circle while also spinning in a larger circle - and at various angles! I don't recall the details, but there were ways to spin even more if you shifted your weight as the cars were at certain angles!

Another ride that I really loved was the "Scrambler". It also involved spinning cars that wove in and out of each other's paths as they spun. I can still picture the silver cars! 

I've found some pics online of some of the other rides I enjoyed.

Naturally, I had to do the Ferris Wheel at least once every year and I preferred to do it at dusk to enjoy the sunset sky or after dark to get a full view of the lit midway.

Midway food was okay, but most locals preferred getting their eats from the local vendors that set up near the grandstand. These booths were run by volunteers from local community clubs and church groups so you knew the money stayed in town. There was also a dining hall run by a local church group. They served home cooked food but the building didn't have AC. It almost always had a waiting line to get in but we only went there if the weather was cooler!

My parents loved going to the horse races during the last 2 days of the fair! They'd meet up with several friends and have a hat pool for each race. Everyone put in a quarter and drew a number. If the horse with that number won, they got the pool! Dad and his friends would also go to the ticket windows and bet on some of the races. He taught me how to read the race forms. Over the years, you could really get to know the lineage of some of the horses! I could pick a few winners but never won if I actually put money down! In between races, everyone would visit, get refreshments, listen to the town's volunteer orchestra or watch the baseball games in the two diamonds that were on the infield of the race track.

In the evening, we'd watch the grandstand show. In those days, it was more of a variety show with an emcee, acrobats, comedian, a novelty act or two and maybe a ventriloquist. There was also a backup band for a couple of singers and/or a group that we'd never heard of, It was always a unique blend of entertainment! After that, dad would take us for one last walk down the midway - and maybe one last ride. On the way home we'd stop for an ice cream and share our stories of the days adventures.

I haven't been to a country fair since the 1980's or a city fair and midway since 1990. Given my visual limitations and risk for further vision loss with the jarring movements of the rides, I don't foresee myself ever going on any rides again. A small part of me misses the thrill of the ride. My limited vision also makes mobility in noisy crowds difficult so I don't go to fairs anymore. There is a part of me that really misses the atmosphere of the fair and midway, but I have very fond memories of all those years of going to the country fair!

Many small towns and communities will be hosting country fairs in the coming weeks. Check out your area to see if there is one near you! It is a great experience for kids of all ages! And if you do - take a ride on the "Tilt-A-Whirl" for me!

dn

Weekend Getaway

Last fall, one of my gal pals called and asked if I'd like to go with her to her cottage about an hour north of the city on Lake Winnipeg.

Would I? YES!!!

It had been years since I'd gotten out of the city for more than a day trip.

I've always envied people who had a cottage - or access to one! I know people who own cottages but just never felt comfortable enough to try and invite myself - especially since I'd need someone to drive me!

My friend and I had talked about me going up with her before, but she also knew that I wasn't a fan of hot weather or much of a water person so hadn't asked me during the hotter months.

We left late Friday afternoon and were back early Sunday afternoon. Only two days but OH - how wonderful it was to get away! The weather was cool and mostly cloudy but it was just so relaxing!

Well, I must have been a good guest as I got invited back last weekend!!

Again we left on Friday afternoon and arrived around 6. The weather was sunny with temps in low 20'sC so quite comfortable. We dropped our stuff at the cottage and headed out for a yummy supper of fish and chips (fresh pickerel) then to get some groceries for the weekend. Back at the cottage, we settled in and spent the rest of the evening chatting. We turned in around 11.

I woke about 5 to birds chirping and the sound of rain. Naturally, I rolled over and went back to sleep.

When I did get up a few hours later, I could tell from the look of the puddles on the ground that we'd gotten a fair bit of rain during the night. Unfortunately, it continued to rain off and on all day! Not that we had really planned much outdoor activity - it just wasn't what we had hoped for either! We wanted to spend at least a bit of time outside!

We did manage a short walk between showers in the afternoon. We walked to the nearby beach, listened to the waves lapping the shore and watched some sailboats out on the water. 

Within minutes of our return home it started to pour! An hour or so later the sun shone for a while but was once again overtaken by clouds and rain.

My friend's cottage isn't fancy - or even that modern. The original part was built about 50 years ago but has been added onto a couple of times. My favourite room is the spacious sun room with lots of windows, wooden walls, beam ceiling, comfy places to sit a spell and a fireplace in the corner! She had the fireplace installed after she bought the place a few years ago. Personally, I think it makes the room perfect! When we weren't in the kitchen or the bedrooms, we spent almost all of our time in this room.

There are lilac trees on the edge of the neighbours property. While the sun was out, there were at least twenty monarch butterflies fluttering around the blossoms! Even with my monocular, it was still a bit hard for me to see them but it was a lovely sight! The bright orange and yellow wings were so vibrant! I tried to take some pics, but even after I cropped them, they are still quite hard to see!

After a BBQ supper, my friend lit a fire. I love a wood fire! Even though I grew up on the farm, we never had a fireplace so that was something that I always looked forward to when I worked at camp or visited other people who had one!

There is something about the smell of the wood, the crackle of the logs and watching the flames dance themselves into an exhaustion of glowing embers that is so soothing and mesmerizing!

As much as I love living in the city, there is a serenity and peacefulness to being in a country setting. When you are surrounded by the sounds of city life, you tend to forget how quiet it can be. The roads in the area aren't paved, so you hear vehicles coming from further away as the gravel crunches under the tires. The sound kept reminding me of being on the farm and hearing a car driving in the lane and wondering who was coming to visit. I had to keep reminding myself that as quiet as this place was - there were also many other cottages nearby!

I fell asleep to the sounds of crickets. No screeching tires, horns, sirens, loud music or late night rabble-rousers!

On the other-hand, I was awakened in the pre-dawn hours by the cacophony of birds chirping. What could they possibly need to discuss so loudly at that time of the morning? Couldn't they possibly wait to have these discussions at a more civilized hour - when most humans are also awake? I mean, it's not like we actually understand what they are saying! Oh well, at least I was able to eventually get back to sleep!

So what else did we do besides talk, eat, sleep and take a short walk? Well, we both had our e-readers with us and spent some time reading. I had also brought backgammon, a crib board and a deck of large print playing cards. Neither of us had played backgammon in many years so we had to reread the rules first! Alas, my friend's luck was better than mine and she beat me 3 out of 5 games - and yes I'll admit it - she skunked me in two of them! I was the victor in cribbage though!

All in all, it was a wonderfully relaxing weekend despite the weather. 

I sincerely hope that I am invited back - perhaps as soon as the fall? 

I can hope! Besides, I want a rematch of backgammon and I must defend my Crib title!

dn

Apple And Pork Burgers

There are countless kinds of beef burger recipes out there. There are also many for chicken or turkey burgers. There are a wide variety of burgers available at your local grocers - from your basic beef burger to a gourmet variety! You can make or buy salmon burgers. If you are lucky, you will even find farmers sausage burgers in your area. (I prefer Winkler Farmer Sausage!)

But you don't often see recipes for a pork burger - unless you really look for them.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that lean ground pork was on sale at a local grocer. I'd never bothered buying ground pork before but decided to look for recipes for pork burgers. I found several at Pick Pork (type "burgers" into their search box on the left side for the full list) and also at Canadian Living.

The recipe that I came up with for this post is based on the Sage Apple Burger from Canadian Living. The original called for apple juice to be mixed in, but I decided to try it with grated apple instead. I also added some sweet bell pepper, a bit of BBQ sauce and some garlic powder. The apple and the BBQ sauce help keep the burger moist and add flavour. This recipe will also work well with ground chicken or turkey rather than with the pork.

Since I live in an apartment without a balcony, I grill my burgers on a George Foreman Grill. However, if you are lucky enough to have an outdoor grill, The Manitoba Pork Council recommends that you barbecue fresh/thawed burgers over medium heat for 5-6 minutes per side or until no pink remains. Frozen burgers will obviously take a bit longer.

When serving the burgers, I like to use my Mango Chutney (recipe posted here) but you could also use relish (my recipe posted here). It's a personal choice how you garnish!

Apple And Pork Burgers

1 1/2 pound lean ground pork

1 egg

1/3 cup finely chopped green onion

1/4 cup finely chopped red or orange sweet bell pepper

1/3 cup grated apple (1 medium apple, peeled and cored)

1 Tablespoon BBQ sauce (original, onion or garlic work best)

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Combine all ingredients and shape into 6 or 7 burgers. Place the burgers between layers of wax paper in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze the burgers, then stack (with the wax paper between them) in a freezer bag and store in freezer for future use.

Note: I cut several lengths of wax paper ahead of time, then lay a burger at the end of each one and fold end over end so that once they are frozen, there is at least two layers of wax paper between each one. This makes it MUCH easier to separate when you want to cook them.

 Everyone has their own way of preparing and garnishing their burgers. This is mine:

1 apple and pork burger (frozen)

1 slice onion

slice of red or orange sweet bell pepper

3 medium mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 whole wheat hamburger bun

light mayo, or ranch dressing

mustard (French's original or sweet onion)

Mango Chutney

Monterey Jack or Mozzarella Cheese

While the grill is preheating, prepare the veggies and bun. Spread a bit of mayo or Ranch Dressing on half of the bun. On the other half, spread a bit of mustard, then mango chutney. Place a slice of cheese on each half. Toast the bun halves in a toaster oven or place under a broiler to warm buns and melt the cheese while the burger and veggies grill.

Place the burger, onion, pepper and mushrooms on preheated grill. Grill for about 6 minutes or until burger is no longer pink inside. It isn't necessary with a Foreman Grill, but I like to turn the burgers and veggies about 1/2 way through to ensure even grilling.

To assemble, place the onion and pepper on the bottom half of the bun, top with the burger, then sliced mushrooms and then the top of the bun. You can either lay the onion and pepper on whole or chop and then put it on the bun. I find that by putting the onions and peppers on one side or the burger and the mushrooms on the other that the veggies are less apt to fall out as you eat them - probably sticks a bit more to the cheese that way!

I also tend to have more of the mango chutney on the side for dipping but you could also use ketchup.

Serve with a tossed green salad or raw veggies and dip.

Enjoy!

dn