Dining

I've had my fair share of cooking disasters; curdled milk, raw chicken, burnt cookies. Ask my long suffering mother.

In my better moments, I admit to being (mostly) responsible. But on the whole, I've found it suits better to deflect raised eyebrows to the recipe's soundness.

And you have to admit, this is not just pulling a culinary fast one. There ARE those recipes. The ones with way wrong cooking times, or you know when they don't specify the size of 'glass baking dish?"

The worst!

What is more horrifying, is that sometimes, whole cookbooks fall into this category. Taking an unofficial survey (oh, of one), I've been safe to assume that the worst cookbooks are the 'themed' variety. Recipes entirely based on TV shows, or the ones with scene stills from a movie on their glossy cover. I squint and smirk, because I pride myself on a sixth sense and can usually pass them right by. I KNOW those recipes won't work.

Until.

This past Christmas I received Dining with Mr. Darcy - a cookbook of regency food that Jane Austen or her characters would have eaten.

Let me explain my observations.

The first thing I noticed was that the cover did not feature Kiera Knightly.

 

That's kind of hard not to love.

 

Second: There were no pencil illustrations to be seen. The photography was surprisingly pretty and there was lots of it.

 

 

 

Third. The recipes appeared to strive for Regency authenticity (at least as much as I know about it) and not just throw "Lizzie's Favourite" in front of every pudding or fool.

 

So I made the English muffins.

 

And they worked.

 

So I made six more recipes. (roast pork with onions, syllabub, apple custard tart, bath buns, dried pea soup...)

 

And they worked too.

 

Hmm.

 

The most unusual recipe I tried was Flummery. A sort of almond flavoured milk gelatin, it was intriguingly smooth and placid. Maybe the desserts back then had to allow for corsets?

 

 

So I take back my assumptions about 'gimmicky' cookbooks. Despite the recipes in Dining with Mr. Darcy that call for partridge and sweetbreads, it is still fully functional, interesting and fun to read.

 

 It could stand alone, even without the alliterative title.

 

But I still am holding ground on the bad recipe theory. They are still out there, I promise. Take this excerpt from Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy, published 1747.

 

"To make a hedgehog, take two Quarts of sweet blanched Almonds, beat them well in a Mortar, with a little Canary and Orange-flower Water, to keep them from oiling. Make them into a stiff Paste, then beat in Sugar, put in half a Pound of sweet Butter melted, set on a Furnace or slow Fire and keep it constantly stirring till it is stiff enough to be made into the Form of a Hedge-Hog, then put it into a Dish.

 

?

 

 

~Liv



 

 

 



Single on Valentine's Day

 

 

Is it rude to steal a lover's holiday? I say let's go ahead until they make a special day for singles. Maybe they already have, and I just don't know about it...

 

For those who didn't get a love letter today, read any or all of the following:

 

Psalm 107

Psalm 136

Ephesians 1

1 John 4: 7 - 21

Revelation 19: 1 - 10

 

There. Feel better? There's more than enough love to go around.

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, did you celebrate today? You should. Because we've all got love.

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

           Millie



A Homemade Christmas Part 3

          I thought a homemade Christmas made alot of sense. "Why does no one give homemade things when there is so much talent in this family?"

           Perhaps I put my foot in my mouth when (something like) that came out, because the idea stuck and I really hadn't considered what I could make for someone... =S

       
         Reformation day came, the date for our annual Christmas draw. I'm always nervous as the basket of names approaches. Who's name will be on that slip of paper this year and will I be able to come up with a gift that seems right. 

          And the paper read:  Millie

          Followed by the feeling of "I can do this". Not sure why, I had no immediate ideas, but it came together so naturally somehow, one piece at a time...

   Item #1:   an old window frame from the granary 

                    a little fresh paint

                    a couple small pieces of 1/4" plywood

                    some cord sheets

                    some fabric that seemed to say Millie

                 + some chicken wire                                   

                          

       Earring keeper/pin board. I need to make me one of these! =)

   Item #2:    a little jersey knit in mustard chevron      

                    a little sew. a little try-to-turn-a-donut-rightside-out, a little seam ripping, a little try again...An endless scarf is really one of the easiest things there is to sew but apparently my brain wasn't working when I started into this project. Who cuts 2 strips of fabric when you could cut one and fold it in half?!?!

 It looks much better with the navy cardigan she got for her birthday. =)

          Item #3    some fats

                          some lye

                       + some lavender

              

    Lavender Soap...because Millie is a lavender kinda girl.

          I was very pleased with this gift. Self praise I know but it seemed just right. I'm thinking the homemade Christmas is a keeper...but we may have to bump our name drawing date to give a little more time for crafting...we'll see.

          Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Aimee

         

A Homemade Christmas Part 2

Even before I picked a name from the hat, I'd decided I wouldn't go for shock value this year.

Actually, while discussing the whole hand made Christmas concept, Owen and I had already mocked the inevitable turn out.

"I mean, if you pick a name," he said, a little sarcastic, "I can't imagine what you're going to give them..."

Yeah, yeah.

So my only challenge was to make the quilt a little cooler than average.

It was just the icing on the cake when I ended up picking his name.

Punk.

I decided to go the 'Eye Spy' route; a novelty print quilt that tends toward the busy looking end of things. I decided to feature particular things that Owen is partial too, including his hobbies and food, and got to work finding fabric!

I tried to tame things down by using larger blocks of fabric and I selected fewer fabrics framing the prints, so a clearer colour theme could come through.

The internet is not as almighty as you might think when it comes to novelty fabric, but I did score some Grinch and bacon fabric! (And yes, yes, beer stuff too.)

For some blocks, I appliqued logos - and on a bear print, I embroidered a bulls eye. Poor thing - it didn't see it coming.

I also incorporated some selvage ends from the fabric, that had cute and relevant words.

As a finishing touch...my first ever quilt label.

 All fancy there with fabric marker.


Wrap it up, add some pecan pralines with a bow - and you have a home made Christmas.

And I have to say, I'm looking forward to next year!

xo ~Liv

A Homemade Christmas Part 1

 

In case you haven't noticed, I am not a very crafty person. And by "crafty" I mean I'm not knowledgeable about crafts, not that I am not very devious. I am very devious, let me assure you.

 

But, when it comes to things pertaining to sewing machines, rotary cutters, glue, and church ladies craft nights, I start to get anxiety issues. It may perhaps have something to do with the fact that I live with two crafters extraordinaire. It's like standing up to sing "22" when Taylor Swift's sitting on the couch right next to you. Talk about pressure!

 

So, when the announcement was made that this Christmas, our family gift exchange was to be made up entirely of homemade items, I began to feel the butterflies rising in my stomach. Maybe some other family members felt that way, too.

Turns out, we shouldn't have worried. Turns out everyone in our family is rocking awesome talented. Turns out, we can amaze each other, if we really try. Turns out a home made Christmas was a pretty good idea.

As I stuck my hand into the bowl containing all of our names written on slips of paper, I sent up a silent prayer I wouldn't get a guy's name, or worse... my mother's name. Can you imagine trying to make something for my Mom, the quilting expert, who never made a crooked seam in her life? It would be like drawing a picture for Vincent Van Gogh.

I opened the slip of paper...Phew!...the name was: Abigail.

Okay. *deep breath* I can do this thing.

This is what I came up with.



 

 

House themed notecards. These were done with watercolours on folded watercolour paper. They were actually a lot of fun! I sketched them out lightly with pencil before painting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought this message was very appropriate for my absolutely gorgeous sister. She always looks beautiful. For this project, I used a piece of broadcloth and embroidered blue and pink lines on it to make it look like loose leaf. Then, I embroidered the message in black. I hot glued the cloth into the frame, as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How about some embroidered pillowcases? I knew Abi liked such things because I creeped her Pinterest boards. I also sneaked up to her bedroom when I was at her house, once, to check out the colour of her sheets. So, I really was crafty for this project. Hardy har har. I didn't want to push my luck by making the pillowcases myself. So, instead I bought two plain brown pillowcases and used a design I already had to sketch on the birds and hearts before embroidering. I used a chain stitch in red thread.

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon sugar body scrub was next on the list. Here's the recipe I used: http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2012/07/homemade-body-scrub/. Easy and good.

 

 

And finally...

 

 

 

(Forgive my strange, wrinkly hand. Apparently I have monkey paws.) I'd been wanting to make clove studded oranges for a couple years now, and I'm so glad I got around to making them, this year. I think they smell amazing and look kind of cool. The clove stems can be brittle, so poke holes in the oranges first with something pointy (like a kitchen skewer), before you push in the cloves. It's kind of fun to experiment with different patterns. I felt like Emma from the BBC adaptation of that Jane Austen book, except I didn't have a white linen napkin on a tray, or a cool frock.

 

 

And Emma didn't have a wonderful sister named Abigail who makes Christmas crafting a pleasure.

 

 

Happy furious-last-minute-crafting, people. Stay strong until the very end!

 

(And eat that extra slice of pie. You know you want to...)

 

 

- Millie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 







Nothing Nicer

There is nothing nicer than sewing for a new baby! I had the fun of it this winter - and I found some great tutorials along the way.

First and Foremost - Burp Cloths. (Sorry Millie)...but what else do you call them?

I used a towel for the back which was stiff, but should be absorbant.

Tutorial here: http://www.danamadeit.com/2012/04/celebrate-baby-tutorial-burp-cloth-gift-sets.html

Quilts are pretty much the ultimate gift to anyone - anytime, anywhere. (In my opinion.) But with super-soft minky on the back? Perfect for baby.

Quilt Pattern found here: http://aquiltisnice.blogspot.ca/2008/09/zig-zag-quilt-kit-tutorial.html

And I know not everyone is into nursing covers - but if you are - this tutorial was very quick and easy!

http://www.prudentbaby.com/2010/01/diy-nursing-cover.html

That's all for now!

~Liv

The Attack of Super Mouse

Otherwise known as the ultimate "Burnt Suppers" day: when even your mouse trap breaks.

I want my Daddy. And a really big cat.

- Millie

Sometimes, I Even Find Myself Embarassing.

I debated back and forth, whether to blog about this or not.

There were several reasons.

I was partially squeamish about being seen in my sleeping wear, (indecent) partially shy to admit I've wanted pajamas like Shirley Temple has in Curly Top (juvenile) and even more shy to admit I've watched Shirley Temple at all.

And there isn't even a helpful tutorial or pattern that I can share. This many-month project, was all tracing my own PJ pants and mangling an old paper pattern I borrowed. 

In the end, it was my pure, unjustifiable, inner glee with how this turned out, that made me decide to post.

So here it is.

 

Clown  Pajamas.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

~Olivia

from the Crafting Archives...

After each new project completed, I've intended to post full comments and pictures for your pleasure.

And after each new project, I get sidetracked by another and forget.

The sum  total of all this confusion is that you get one post instead of six.

You're welcome.

So. What's been going on in my sewing room?

We have....Exhibit A: The Bow Clutch

Fast, easy and a great way to explore denim, canvas or other textiles. Don't let the zipper scare you! Try these.

And yes - I know they are not perfect rectangles. I pick my battles when it comes to sewing.

http://www.elmstreetlife.com/2012/02/diy-bow-clutch-sewing-tutorial.html

Exhibit B:  the Ultimate Masculine Mittens

You remember my mitten grief  of a year ago? Not any more. Although I have made two more pairs of  knitted mittens with better success - this tutorial is a much happier experience. So quick - and perfect for re-purposing an old sweater.

http://whipup.net/2012/01/26/guest-post-convection-mittens/

Exhibit C: Delicious Stuffed Elephant

This project totally stole my heart. I mean, making something to wear or use is so different than creating something that stares back at you. I loved it.

It also makes the perfect baby present. I felt oddly cruel tying it to some receiving blankets  - but it's going to a good home, honest.

I adapted the tutorial a bit, but the pattern pieces were a helpful start and FREE - which is hard to come by, for some reason.
(Incidentally,  if you run across free stuffed animal patterns, I'd love to see the links!)

http://jillmadeit.blogspot.ca/2010/11/stuffed-animal-elephants.html

And Finally...Exhibit D: The Terrible Trio of Cross-stitch

This project is finally done. That's the nicest thing I have to say about them.. The nastiest thing I have to say, is that they give me a headache everytime I look at them.. And somewhere in between, I have to admit that they are sort of  cute and tacky.

Lucky for you - I have no tutorial or link, and the pattern is buried at a secret location.


And that's that!  I have more obsessions with random  crafting ideas, brewing within me these days. Be on the lookout for granny squares and burp cloths!

~Olivia

Special Edition: Post from Abroad, with a Guest Appearance

Emily: Olivia puts up with a lot from me. While she’s been visiting for the past week and a half, I have done things with her that she would not otherwise dreamt of doing. 

Olivia: Like spend good money on seeing a Nicholas Sparks movie. Or ordering a made-up-in -Emily’s-mind drink at Starbucks. And I’m positive I’ve never gone through so many orange lights in my life.

Emily: And then there are the things we are only able to get the gumption for when we’re together. I don’t think either of us would have made carrots into heart shapes for chicken soup, alone. Or made sidecars, complete with glasses rimmed with sugar and lime rind, on a weeknight. Maybe the most fun are the things we both enjoy doing alone, but become genuinely squeal-worthy when we’re together.

Olivia: Such as our obsession with checking off recipes in our cookbooks. Or our obsession with cookbooks at all, for that matter.

Which leads us to....

Jamie Oliver Meal 1.0 

The cookbook, scored for $14.99 (original price $49.99): Happy Days with The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver. 

The theme, inadvertently: Italian. 

Menu: 

1) Shrimp with Chili, Parsley, and Garlic on Ciabatta Toast. 

Our favourite recipe from the evening. Surprisingly simple and flavourful. Add a salad and double the recipe to make it a delicious meal all on its own. 

2) Classic Penne Carbonara

Technically delicious, but we both found the visual of runny egg yolk at the bottom of the bowl a bit of a mental hurdle. If we made it again, we’d reduce the egg mixture and maybe cook it a bit longer. Nonetheless, you can’t go wrong with bacon, so try it. 

3) Cannoli Siciliana 

(canolli biscuits with ricotta-pistachio-chocolate filling)

We hate to criticize Jamie, but we have to wonder if he ever actually made this recipe or served it to anyone. The cannoli were really crispy, the filling was delicious but difficult to squeeze out of the bag (became a 2-person job just to fill the cookies), and the raspberry sauce drizzled over top created a quandary: is it, or is it not, a finger food? Knife and fork are impossible, but fingers are downright messy. It was still delicious, and the next day we omitted the raspberry sauce and enjoyed the cookies again. 

Favourite moments of the ordeal (besides eating...and check-marking)?

Olivia: Emily speaking aloud to the non-present Jamie Oliver in the grocery store, as if evoking a patron saint.

Emily: the hypocrisy of eating half a box of Viva Puffs in the car on the way home from the grocery store, and then enthusiastically cooking this meal as if we care about fresh herbs and fine ingredients.

In conclusion...

Emily: I’m incredibly thankful for friendship. But it’s one thing to bond over browned butter and vintagey dishes and singing along to the country station. It’s another to be stretched and encouraged by each other - and what I really love about Liv is not the way she will literally tuck me in at night if I ask, or say “me too!” about how I feel, more times than I could count, but it’s the fact that she points me to Christ. There is true joy in the kitchen while we cook Jamie Oliver recipes, not just because we both enjoy chopping parsley and frying bacon, but because there’s love of Christ in both our hearts.

Olivia: Right on and back at’cha.

That’s dorky, but truth.

Thanks for reading (and sorry for the ridiculous photo quality)! Recipes on request. 

Dietary choices and donuts.

Ok, so first I want to clear a few things up. I do not have allergies.  Our family does have some intolerances and I do choose to limit my intake of certain foods due to health concerns. I do get flustered when people go out of their way and to a lot of trouble to make a meal that conforms to all of my dietary needs, although I really appreciate it!  I do get sad inside when people who know of my restrictions choose to serve me a giant plate of pasta, with a big bowl of ice cream for dessert and offer no alternative. I avoid certain foods when I can, but I also make exceptions (which is why it is totally ok to include some off of my lengthy list of no-no's in a meal you may prepare for my and/or my family). However, you won't find much glutenous food in my home, nor will you find many eggs, a stick of butter, or a jug of milk, or your normal white sugar.  Instead, you will find the most "horrific" ingredients such as: gluten free flours and nut flours, things like coconut oil, flax meal, almond milk and nuts and seeds.

BUT, I have take it upon myself to try and prove to those that may shy away from such ingredients (ahem, Andrew) that you can you make yummy treats to break up that steady diet of fruit and veggies and to help you feel just a little guilty. :)

   I adapted this recipe to work for our family's dietary needs, although I did include the refined sugar from the original recipe this time. Next time, I hope to replace it completely with more friendly sugars. :)

                                                      Maple Glazed Donuts

• 2½ cups (350g) all-purpose gluten-free flour, plus more by the tablespoon (9g)
• 1½ teaspoons xanthan gum (If your g-free mix already has xanthan gum in it, you can omit this)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (I didn't have this, so I left it out)
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup (50g) sugar (Normally, I would have subbed in coconut sugar for this, but I decided to use the bad stuff, since I was making these for my husband and didn't want to push my luck. ;)
• 2½ teaspoons quick rise yeast
• ½ teaspoon fresh finely-ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 c of water with 2 tbsp of ground chia and flax seeds. I let that soak for a bit and thicken up the water. (I am going to try using 3/4 cup of pumpkin someday for another flavour of donut)
• 9 ounces almond milk
• 4 tablespoons of coconut butter
• Oil for frying-- I use coconut oil
• 1 cup (120g) confectioner’s sugar
• 4-6 tablespoons almond milk
• 1 1/2 tsps maple flavouring.
• In your mixing bowl, place 2½ cups flour, the xanthan gum, if you're using it, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda and sugar. Whisk to combine well. Add the yeast and optional nutmeg, and whisk again to combine well.  Add the vinegar and the chia/flax misture, and mix well to combine.
• In a small saucepan, heat the milk and coconut butter, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted and the milk begins to simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool a bit until it reaches about 110 degrees F.
• Add the melted butter and milk in a slow, steady stream as you stir until the liquid is absorbed by the dry ingredients. The dough will be very wet. Slowly add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of flour, 1 at a time, mixing well in between additions until the dough comes together more. It should still be wet and sticky if you touch it with your hands, but it should be easy to scrape it off the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula. You may not need both tablespoons of flour.
• Turn the dough out onto your rolling surface using some extra gluten free flour to make sure it doesn't stick. Flour your doughnut cutter well and cut the dough into doughnut shapes. Place the donuts on baking sheets in a warm, draft-free spot and allow to rise until about 150% of their original size. The dough should mostly rise vertically rather than spreading horizontally too much.
• In a large, heavy-bottom stock pot, heat at least 2 inches of oil to about 350 degrees F. Once the oil reaches temperature, fry doughnuts and holes in the hot oil in small batches, about 1 minute (or less) per side, until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels.
• For the glaze: Put your confectioner's sugar in a bowl. Add half of the milk and maple flavouring and mix to combine into a thick paste. Add the rest of the milk to make a nice glaz-y consistency. Dip the whole donut right in the glaze and then transfer to a wire rack to set..
• Store uncovered at room temperature for the day.  Gluten free donuts really only taste great for about 24 hours. Any longer than that and they dry out.
  
   And....enjoy! I'm proud to say that my husband really did enjoy them, despite their free-ness of gluten and dairy. :) Mission accomplished!
  
                                                ~Abigail

Real life is...

melting down the not working-gooey fudge to pour on top of brownies, and burning it black in the pot. Double fail.

Serves me right for making such things - 8:30 pm, after Zumba class.

~Liv

October Baking

There is no good reason to be grumpy in the Fall. Or Summer or Spring. Or Winter.

 

But sometimes it happens.

That's when you have to get in the kitchen and bake.

 

Bake the seasons with cinnamon and butter and pumpkin and sugar.

Lots of sugar.

 

 

Baking makes things alright again. One shake, stir and measure at a time, you see the small stuff.

 

The pretty dishes.

The little girl who stopped by to help stir.

Browned butter.

Always, the browned butter!

And that's just a start.

 

Here are some recipes I've been trying this season. 

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/10/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/10/pumpkin-cake-with-whiskey-whipped-cream/ (I used brown butter frosting!)

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/browned-butter-frosting-10000002012759/

http://www.shutterbean.com/2012/coconut-chai-coffee-cake-giveaway/

What have you been making this Fall? :)

~Liv

Domestic.

I always love the part, in any Laura Ingalls book, when the family moves into a new home, and Ma places the china shepherdess on a shelf. 

 

‘Well’, Pa said at the table. ‘We’re settled at last on our homestead claim.’

‘Yes,’ said Ma. ‘All but one thing. Mercy, what a day this has been. I didn’t get time to drive the nail for the bracket."

‘I’ll tend to it, Caroline, as soon as I drink my tea,’ Pa said.

He took the hammer from his toolbox under the bed, and drove a nail into the wall between the table and the whatnot. ‘Now bring on your bracket and the china shepherdess!’ he said.

　

I think in a million ways, the pioneers had Martha Stewart and a host of other home economic experts beat, on the domestic goddess front.

Think about it. They were the ultimate do-it-yourselfers. Look at the tools they worked with, the things they made – just to keep their families clothed, fed and alive.

But they did all this without their lives becoming utilitarian. Their belongings don’t have a painful sort of simplicity or starkness. In a lot of ways, I think they found the wonderful place where beauty meets necessity.

 

Says Ma; "I am going to put up the little shepherdess just as soon as the roof is finished over our heads."

 

Need and aesthetic right on each other’s heels. Usefulness and thrift balanced with the art, to make a house a true home. And the idea that domesticity brings the most joy, when it is necessary, making comfort in chaos.

They were on to something, those pioneers.

 

 

~Liv

 

Many thanks to sweet Kate, for teaching us all about pioneer life!