Coffee Luvr

It's one thing to say you love your coffee, but how many of you can say your coffee loves you back? Check out the grounds in my coffee basket! Actually, this photo was taken at the office back in the fall - there it was - a glistening, coffee-brown heart xo... have not replicated that moment again, but definitely feel the love every a.m. with my hot java :) More recently, on the home front... I had to purchase a new coffee maker and decided to splurge on the Bunn brand coffee maker sold by Tim Horton's. It is a brewer designed for home use, but has some features of the commercial version - in particular the reservoir that preheats the water for your next cuppa! Apparently it is the hotter temp that makes the better brew, and I must say I am enjoying the use of it. It also brews very quickly - a full pot in about two minutes. Satisfies my caffeine addiction, and my impatience too -- LOL! My Mom and Dad were both coffee lovers, but in particular my Mom was the brew master. Ever hospitable, she always makes amazing coffee and usually has some kind of home baking to tempt her visitors too. I am passing on the baking these days (aside from the occasional sugar-free peanut butter cookie) - got to fit my summer duds, after all, and I have been training hard at the gym, so I don't want to blow it. But, I wanted to share a favourite recipe of my Dad's - it is a crumb cake recipe that Dad's sister (my dynamic Auntie Helen!) used to make, and she kindly shared the recipe with my Mom. My Dad passed away in March, twelve years ago, so Dad, this is for you! It is a delicious cake - not too sweet or too rich and it pairs so beautifully with a great cup of coffee. Hope you will try it some time when you want to treat yourself with something home-baked and extra-special. Auntie Helen's Crumb Cake Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar (brown is also okay) 3/4 cup margarine or shortening 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon Blend the above ingredients with a fork or pastry blender to form a coarse crumb mixture. Reserve 1 cup for topping. To the remainder add: 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. ground cloves 1/2 cup raisins (any type, I like Thompson!) 1/2 cup dried currants (or walnuts) 1 beaten egg 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk plus 1 Tbsp. white vinegar) Mix well and pour batter into a buttered 8" x 8" or 9" x 12" cake pan (use sometimes use a 10" round springform pan). Sprinkle reserved crumbs over the top and press down slightly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 30-45 minutes, depending on pan size. Delicious right out of the oven with... you guessed it... COFFEE xo!

Spudnuts!

Yes... SPUDNUTS!
My Mom makes homemade donuts for Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) - this was a tradition in her home as a child. She uses a recipe that is made with mashed potatoes - so we call them spudnuts - crazy stuff.

Mmm...
This is the first time I have helped Mom with the production of her famous donuts - I was designated "The Glazer". My job was to lightly coat each donut with a glaze made from sugar, milk, vanilla and butter: "Don't drop them in; just use your hands and lightly skim the surface!" (That oil is over 200 degrees Fahrenheit - so, sorry, Mom, I needed to use a fork to manage those little devils --need to preserve my mouse hand!)

Recipe?
Who me, deep-fry? Not likely to happen, so I have never asked Mom for this recipe. The rare time I have something fried, it is in a restaurant - the occasional order of tempura or yam fries. For the donut lovers out there, try searching the web - I saw a recipe on the All Recipes site that contains Mom's secretweapon: NUTMEG! xo!

March = Meatballs!

Ah, comfort food!
Sundays in March scream out for the stick-to-your-ribs variety of sustenance - it has to be savory and nostalgic to balance the raw cold that just cuts to the bone. So, who am I to fight it? Comfort food it is...

Rolling Right Along...
I was really hoping to get to my studio to paint today, but laundry, errands and a few must-do (but mundane!) tasks around the house have eaten up the best part of the day. I like to paint at midday, when the light is ideal - although it is still daylight until 6 p.m. now, our daylight hours are still short, so it makes the window of opportunity even more precious -- and, at times, elusive!

And so it goes for me all through the winter -- I am on rations of light and starving for more. Unable to paint this aft, and thinking of my own dear Mom and how she always cooked these amazing, balanced, sit-down meals for her family, I decided that I could pour a little love and creativity into my time in the kitchen if not at my easel.

The Decision
After a bit of thought as to what to prepare, I settled on Porcupine Meatballs - not something my Mom made, but a recipe I prepared in my early teens at school, and one that my kids love: Foods and Nutrition class wasn't a total loss, I suppose!

And "NO" - these are NOT made with wild porcupine meat (LOL) in case you are wondering just how wild we Canucks are! These meatballs are made with beef and uncooked rice -- as the rice swells during the cooking process, it sticks out of the meatballs a bit; hence the "porcupine" name!

I have made a few adjustments to the recipe over the years, tailoring the recipe to our tastes; hope you will enjoy the combination of flavours too. We had our Porcupines tonight with a side of homemade Garlic Mashed Potatoes and mixed veg, it was a hit with the fam, and I enjoyed the silence as they all chowed down:) My son had his very LOUD friend over all day and I was quite pleased that Mr. Megaphone Mouth had to go home for din-din...

Satisfying and homey, but not difficult or too labour intensive -- here is the recipe for you to try. Something to warm your heart a little while you wait for signs of spring...

Pam's Porcupine Meatballs

Ingredients:
2 lb. lean ground beef
2/3 cup long great white rice (I use Jasmine or Basmati)
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 cup finely grated cooking onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. freshly milled black pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dusting
3 tins of tomato soup
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 cups water
1-2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil for browning

METHOD:
Combine beef, egg, rice, onion, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix thoroughly until evenly combined. Pre-heat a deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid, adding in the oil.

Place the flour in a small bowl and begin rolling the meat by tablespoonfuls. Dust each ball lightly in the flour, patting off the excess and then placing the meatballs in the skillet to brown.

When all meatballs are browned, add in the soup, water, brown sugar, and chili powder, and stir gently to combine ingredients and coat all of the meatballs. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour - until rice is tender and sauce thickens slightly. Serve with mashed potatoes and veg. Makes about 3 dozen large meatballs.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
3 lb. russet potatoes
1- 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
5 cloves garlic

METHOD:
Cut the tips and ends off each garlic clove, but do not peel completely. Wrap in foil and place in an oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 1- 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and set aside.

Peel and chop all potatoes, covering with water in a large pot, and adding the salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain the potatoes, add the butter, milk and roasted garlic -- the garlic will easily slip our of the skins and will be just like soft cheese. Mash well until creamy in consistency - serve.