Sunflowers

By Pam Hadder


I don't know that you have ever had the opportunity to drive on country roads past fields of sunflowers on a hot August afternoon - it's a familiar and dear experience for me, having grown up amid agricultural abundance.

There really is nothing quite like sunflowers: tall and sturdy, their cheery faces seek and follow the sun's path from east to west across the sky each day.  It's simply wonderful to witness acres of the statuesque, bright blooms all moving in unison; their brilliant goldenrod yellow contrasting remarkably with their deep green foliage and the bright blue of the summer sky!

I've heard that the sunflower is a native North American plant, cultivated for many hundreds of years for its nutritious seeds.  Where I live - sunflower seeds are grown for human consumption, for crop seed, and for animal feed. I've also heard that there are 365 seeds in the centre of each sunflower and 52 petals on each head- mirroring the number of days and weeks in a calendar year - but I have never counted them!  I wonder if it's folklore or fact? It seems a bit sad that I have never made time to really find out more about them! Like many summer icons, I guess that I tend to take them for granted.


As we enter the last month of the short Canadian prairie summer, I am conscious of trying to appreciate each and every warm and sunny hour, and the beauty and richness of nature.  I often joke with friends and acquaintances about my need to "charge my solar cells" - so I guess I can relate to the sunflower: hopeful face raised skyward, drinking in all of the vital golden energy it can during daylight hours.


It comes as no surprise that in the early fall, when the sunflower ripe heads darken and droop, I feel a slight sense of sadness. I've driven past  pre-harvest fields many, many times - of course I know summer can't last forever, but my heart always sinks a little when I see those happy beacons transformed into sombre sentinels, heads bowed in tired acceptance; heavy with their burden of shiny black seeds. 

Something to think about when I enjoy a few sunflower seeds for a snack, or on a salad, or as nut butter - all that goodness and energy, captured from one whole summer goes into their creation: thankful for the little things that make our days a little brighter :)

New Summer Classic!

We've been enjoying some sultry summer temps - you hear a few muffled complaints about the heat and humidity, but most of us are pretty careful not to gripe too much... a few weeks and our glorious summer will be on its way out the door and we'll be hunkering down for one of our famous, drawn out prairie winters!

My latest fav summer dessert is so easy you will not believe it - GRILLED PEACHES! I have enjoyed grilled pineapple, but never had tasted grilled peaches until very recently when one of my dearest friends served them at her daughter's post-convocation party. I always feel simplicity is best in life and in food - you want to enjoy the honest flavours of fresh, quality ingredients versus overly-fussy concoctions -- that's just a given:)

Here's how it was done at my friends' BBQ ... hope you will try and enjoy. After sampling the grilled peaches, I am thinking that kabobs with teriyaki-marinated pork or chicken; along with peaches, pineapple, mushrooms and sweet bell peppers would make a killer combo (do you sense a culinary sequel???)!

Gail's Yummy Grilled Peaches

Ingredients
6 large peaches, halved and pitted
2 litre brick of vanilla ice cream
Smucker's caramel sundae sauce (or Starbucks caramel sauce)

Place peaches cut side down on a hot grill for 3-5 minutes, turn and grill the back side for an additional 3-5 minutes - watch carefully, as the finished product should have light grill marks, but should not be charred. Consistency is tender to the fork, but with firmness - not mushy!

Set grilled peaches aside to cool slightly while you slice the brick ice cream into squares. Place one or two peach halves cut side up on the ice cream, drizzle with caramel sauce and serve. YUM! Like pie without the heaviness - just a little piece of heaven for your taste buds xo!

Apples, Chicken, Comfort, Art

So very very cold this weekend - really makes me want to hibernate! No excuse not to get my laundry done, I suppose; standing by that hot clothes dryer and dreaming I am near the Mediterranean in the summer.... hmmmmm.... I can work with that -- thank goodness for my over-active imagination!

I am also thinking it is a good day to roast a farm chicken and to actually sit down and dine with the kids. There have been too many gobbled meals and far too much nibbling while standing/noshing in the car! I feel like a "wanted woman" ((...and, no, NOT in the romantic sense, btw)) -- just grubby, pasty, distracted; on-the-lam-from-joyful-living with a Tim Horton's ham & Swiss in one hand! It's a "get 'er done" kind of life, what can I say?

Homage to C. Dukes
Highlight of the week for me last week was definitely the visit to Caroline Dukes' art studio - so amazing to see everything in place years after her passing, and to see some of her major works in their birth place. Strange to think that in a few months those canvasses will be in other spaces, including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Also tremendously encouraging to see another female artist beginning to make use of Caroline's space. What a great view from that atelier/lucky gal -Winnipeg looks so European from those windows! Brought me waaay back to long afternoon hours spent in figure drawing and painting studio sessions -- my student life seems so luxe and indulgent to me now LOL :) Can't imagine having that time on my hands - just surreal; fantastic! I am so grateful for that experience in my life.

I still can't quite believe I have a couple of C.D.'s rough sketches from the Apple Pickers period -- can still remember visiting her studio with all of those big canvasses, freshly painted and glowing, around tiny Caroline. They were dynamic, vibrant and summer-like on that cold winter evening; what an extraordinary treat.

So today I am thinking that I will make some classic baked apples for my kids and fill the house with cinnamonny and savory chicken goodness. A hearty, heart-felt gastronomic celebration of thanks for the influence of a gentle artist on my somewhat grey little life.

Pam's Baked Apples

Ingredients:
4 Granny Smith Apples, cored
4 teaspoons butter, portioned
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash cloves
Dash nutmeg
Few grains of salt
1 Tbsp. real maple syrup
2 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup water or apple juice

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Core the apples, but do not remove the core right through to the bottom -- you need to have a little "cup" to hold the filling. Place apples close together in a oven-proof baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, spices and nuts. Spoon these evenly into the cored apple cavities. Evenly drizzle the maple syrup inside each apple and top each apple with a teaspoon of the portioned butter. Pour the water or juice into the dish, around the apples. Loosely cover with foil and bake 35 - 40 minutes. Apples will be tender,but not mushy when ready. Serve as-is, or with a bit of cream, whipped cream or ice cream. A nice breakfast paired with oatmeal, a side with dinner, or homey dessert.

Quick, easy and delish xo!

Perfect Sunrise

Well, it's one of those white-on-white mornings on the prairies - just a few grey lines and faded brown blurs to let me know my house is not floating inside a giant cloud. At least it's a bit milder... (maybe -15 C) but oh I love and crave those brilliant blue skies that stretch for as far as I can see; not to mention the HEAT! Still can't quite believe that I was born here...

Craving Summer & Sun

I spent a bit of time last night editing through some photos taken this past summer - 2010 may have fallen short for many of us in many ways, but in our part of the world we were treated to exceptional sunrises and sunsets - some kind of celestial consolation prize. I have truly never experienced a year that treated me to such beauty each and every day.

So, here a few canvasses painted by the universe, to put a little colour and warmth in your day. xo!

Autumn Beckons!

Brrrrr...ing on the HEAT!
Oh we prairie dogs who love the hot summer are cowering in our burrows today! Don't be fooled by the celestial blue skies and cotton ball clouds outside your office window, the wind is brisk and smells like harvest time. Where did our summer go?

Bake-A-Thon
Over the weekend I was caught in this crazy pattern of baking to warm the home (emotionally and physically) -- heating my small kitchen and filling the place with aromas of toasty oats, cinnamon and such! On the roster were oat and flax scones (part of my cool-the-hot-flash-dragon nutritional remedy!), flourless peanut butter cookies and (drum roll, the ole family staple) banana nut bread with chocolate chips.

Herbal or Horrible
Given the choice, I chose herbal -- I ventured to my small, rain-sodden herb garden and gathered fistfuls of basil and oregano to fashion an Italian-inspired salad to take to friends on Sunday evening. Mesclan greens, fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, garden market bell peppers, home-made (ultra garlicky) croutons and a vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar and olive oil! All devoured within seconds at the "receiving end" of its short life journey. And then, as we prepared to go home and rest for the next work week, the delinquent sun made a "neener neener" appearance!

July 2010 Post-Mortem

It seems like July would never come (I was sooooo ready for a break!) and now it's long gone and I am facing the last day of my summer vacation - those lazy days just vanished in time, just like a puff of smoke; shazam!

Camping was highlight, of course, and we lucked out with exceptional weather. But for the second year in a row I found myself saddled with a very picky, conniving kid - my son's buddy! (arg!) Next time we "fly solo"! My little guy makes friends easily at the campground, and I am just not willing to deal with the drama/dynamics of some unbalanced little personalities.

I feel a bit badly as I was raised to be generous and gracious, but I am
NOT a child psychologist and this is my holiday time -- only three weeks off a year to spend with my kids, so they are very precious. So... no whiners, party poopers, thankless, mannerless passengers allowed in my holiday space -- NO MORE!

Treasure Found
Week Two I escaped to Las Vegas with a girlfriend. It was impromptu -- found a great hotel+flight bargain and seized the opportunity to get away. I had never been to Vegas and haven't a hot clue about gambling.

I soon learned why they call slot machines "one-armed bandits" LOL! But we did enjoy walking and seeing the sights and managed to save a bit of $$$ to bring back some fun souvenirs for friends/family :)

The Bellagio is really a wonderful hotel/resort with exceptional staff, service etc. The food was surprisingly affordable and consistently delicious. I was impressed at the consistent delivery of excellent guest services at the Bellagio -- really commendable, given the size of the place and the complexity of the demands placed upon the staff; so "bravo"!

Highlights of Vegas and our Bellagio stay were the fountains, the conservatory and the Cirque du Soleil show, "O".

Weird and random musings... I was gobsmacked by how many families were dragging kids in strollers through the casinos. Vegas is still Vegas, and little kids do not belong anywhere near a casino -- just wrong on so many levels!

Woodsmoke & Starlight!

Summer Vacation - AT LAST!!!
It couldn't have come too soon for me this year! It has been a challenging time of ungrateful clients, too many people out to take advantage/wanting your heart and soul for nothing (both clients and staff) and a painfully sluggish economy -- just to add to the stress! The past months have not typically brought out the best in people. So... bring on the summer holiday! I am getting ready to go camping with my best friend, my son and my son's buddy. The other day I kicked my pumps off in the car at lunch hour and felt the texture of the rubber car mats -- in my mind I was at the lake shore, feeling the cool lick of the water and rolling the smooth pebbles under my toes! Yes, I am SO ready to get away:)

Food-on-a-Stick and Other Delights
I try to keep camping simple and yet not spartan. We typically allow for a couple of restaurant meals - good old A&W burgers and root beer one night, and Pizza Hut another night. But the rest of the time we are "true campers", cooking over a fire pit and singing songs under the night sky while the fire flies sparkle in the dark trees. Because of our northern latitude, we are often treated to northern lights - usually green and white, and occasionally with a burst of soft pink. Oh, and of course, you have to enjoy "S'mores": the fire-pit toasted marshmallow and milk chocolate bar pieces sandwiched between graham wafers -- ooey gooey delicious!

Keeping Things Interesting...
In the weeks before summer vacation, my radar is always alert and scanning for any new activities or recipes I can use to spice up our time together camping at the lake. This year, I came across a great recipe for baked beans. My plan is to make the beans in advance, freeze it in smaller batches and to take a small container along to reheat over our camp fire. I have adapted the recipe somewhat to suit my tastes -- but the secret weapon remains the same: two bottles of beer! Hope you will try this and add it to your roster of summer meal memories. xo

Campfire Baked Beans

Ingredients:
2 cups canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained*
2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups canned navy beans (in tomato sauce)
1 lb. bacon, cut in large chunks
2 large cooking onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chipotle paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. black strap molasses
2 - 12 ounce bottles of beer
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

*You will require one-14 ounce can to obtain one cup of beans -- a little more or less can be used, and add/substitute your favourite bean varieties as desired.

Method:
Cook bacon in fry pan until crisp - drain and set aside. Reserve 2 Tbsp. of the bacon fat for the recipe. Add the onions to the reserved fat and fry until they are soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the garlic, chipotle paste, cumin, salt and pepper, and cook together five minutes to blend the flavours.

Place the drained beans in a large dutch oven or crock pot. Add to this, the onion mixture, sugar, molasses, water and one of the bottles of beer. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for approximately 45 minutes (4-5 hours on high, if using the crock pot). Add additional beer if needed, along with the bacon. Taste and add more salt and pepper as required. Delicious on their own, or with mild tomato salsa and grated cheddar. Also a great side to hot dogs, burgers or steak. Enjoy!

Steamy Summer Sustainance

A String of Pearls
Of my three sisters, two of them are close to me in birth date - although they are nine and seven years older than me (much, much older, I know... wink!) we are celestially close! My one sister was born June 30 and the other July 8, and as for "yours truly", I am in the middle! This makes for a very festive month little time span for we girls... party, party, party :)

Hot, Hot, Hot!!!
The steamiest time of the year has special food memories for us all. We shared such a dinner (and Boston Cream Pie!) for Sue's B-Day on July 1 -- she had plans for the actual birth date with some gal pals, so we combined forces on Canada Day.

Dinner was prepared by my dear Momma (MMM for Marvelous Mother Martha) and it proved to be a German farm family feast -- what a delight: farmer sausage, roast chicken, new potatoes with dill and sour cream, steamed green beans and Russian Salad.

The Russian Salad recipe comes from my maternal Grandmother, Susanna Kitzmann (Nast) whose family roots were in Russia (authentic, NOT the famous red dressing in the Kraft bottle!). The recipe follows and I hope you will try it. It makes a lovely meal on its own, but is especially wonderful with a bit of roast chicken or lean sausage and new potatoes on the side. We are very lucky in my area to have access to wonderful Mennonite-made farmer sausage - very lean and flavourful; but you could substitute any favourite sausage or barbecued ribs.

Susanna's Russian Salad

Ingredients for the Dressing:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1- 2 tsp. liquid honey, or other sweetener
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (regular or low fat)

Ingredients for the Salad:
10-12 cups fresh mixed garden greens (our typical mix is Romaine, red leaf lettuce and green leaf lettuce)
1/3 cup fresh dill weed greens, finely cut
1/3 cup fresh chives, finely cut
1/2 lb. bacon, fried to crisp and crumbled
Optional: 2 medium tomatoes, chopped and drained

Prepare dressing and bacon in advance and refrigerate until serving time. At serving time, toss greens together with bacon, reserving a bit of the dill, chives and bacon for garnishing. Toss greens/bacon mix with dressing, garnishing with bacon, tomatoes and herbs. Serve immediately - serves 4-6.

Enjoy!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Hello Cupcake :)

At long last some blue skies and sunshine have aligned with our weekend hours. I am anxious to get out there and go for walk along the river! However, first I am baking cupcakes for my Mom's birthday -- the house smells amazing! When I get back from my walk I will fill and ice these yummy morsels.

I found this recipe a while back on the Internet, but have adapted it to be lower in sugar, higher in cocoa and with the addition of baking soda -- replacing some of the baking soda. No birthdays in your world for a while? Why not celebrate the summer sun, a random happy moment, or wonderful, delightful, party and pastry-worthy YOU? Hope you will try, enjoy in good health and let me know how you like them.

Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Batter Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup canola oil
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. sea salt
3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 - 2/3 cups granulated white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Combine eggs, water, oil, milk, vanilla and salt in a large bowl, beating until well-combined and slightly frothy. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a mid-sized bowl and add the dry mix gradually to the liquid to form a smooth batter. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line 24 muffin tins with paper liners. Ladle batter into the cups and bake for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool completely and then pipe in creamy filling using a pastry bag (filling recipe follows). To fill, first make a cross cut in the top of each cupcake with a sharp knife, then insert the pastry bag tip and squeeze until the cupcake swells slightly at the crown. Ice with favorite icing or use my Easy Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows filling).

Creamy Cupcake Filling
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup shortening
dash of sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar
3 Tbsp. milk or cream

Beat together butter and shortening, adding in salt and milk (cream). Add in vanilla and gradually mix in the icing sugar to form a creamy filling. Pipe into cooled cupcake centers using a pastry bag with steel tip.

Easy Chocolate Glaze
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. canola oil

Microwave in small glass bowl on High setting for 2-3 minutes, stirring after the first minute and each 30 seconds thereafter. Watch carefully as chocolate can easily scorch and the time needed to melt/combine will vary from one microwave to another. Drizzle or spread while lukewarm over cooled and filled cupcakes. This glaze will harden and be glossy -- also nice to use for dipping fresh fruit or animal crackers for a quick dessert.

Yield: 20 - 24 medium to large sized muffins. Based on 24 muffins, the calories per are 294, 14g fat per, and 24 mg cholesterol per. Enjoy!

September 13, 2009

Summer Nights
Well the tropical weather continues... after a cool, wet summer we are now enjoying sunshine, temps in the high 20's and super humid conditions -- what gives? Seems like September is the new July and maybe in the years ahead this will be come the most sought after vacation time!

Tonight I am sitting with a freshly washed face, my Zoom whitening touch up trays in my mouth and thinking back on a busy, joy-filled weekend. I had a bridal shower to go to Sunday and I ran errands/did laundry etc. Saturday. In between I was able to connect with three girlfriends which was so wonderful.

Didn't have any great urge to cook, however I did buy some great fresh, free range chickens and ground beef at my fav local meat shop. Friday night supper was nachoes with beef for my son and a taco salad for myself. This week I must buckle down and watch those carbs... I just feel so much better if I do. If anyone has any great protein-packed low carb recipes out there, I would love to hear from you and compare notes.