The Blessed Cool: Autumn

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Yesterday was hot and humid. I didn’t go outside very much because my body does not tolerate heat and humidity with grace and ease. The hot and humid weather appeared in June, and only let up for a few days through the whole summer season, until today. So here it is the 19th of September, with autumn about to enter the scene in a few days, (9:54 p.m. on Saturday, September 22nd). Suddenly the temperature has plummeted from 22C at this time yesterday morning, to 14C this morning. I am wearing socks! And long pants! And shoes with toes in them! And I am comfortable! Being almost naked has its moments, but I prefer to be clothed for the most part! This morning’s breakfast consisted of two Turmeric Breakfast Cookies, and a cup of coffee (50% chicory 50% coffee) with a teaspoon of maple syrup and a few tablespoons of almond milk. The cookies are a big hit with me! The first batch I made using squash puree, the last two batches were made with my canned applesauce. I keep them in the refrigerator because they disappear only two at a time, and are quite moist, so I want to … Continue reading →

Whoa Nellie!

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After the brief relief of some cool weather last week, the heat and humidity have returned. September 15th and still the almost unbroken heat of summer is with us. Luckily I am comfortable indoors, but it does curtail my outdoor activities, and has all summer long. What to do with the vintage blackberries Attila brought up from the freezer!?! The basement is now an ongoing project, as Attila has begun to move materials out of the basement and into the garage. Yesterday Attila was getting something out of the freezer and bumped into five small containers of wild blackberries. We picked them when we were living at the country house, just down the country road from our property. They are at least four years old, but I think they are probably older than that. I became aware of them when Attila said in passing that he was throwing out some old blackberries from the freezer. To Attila they were ewwww! Whoa Nellie! I don’t think so! I requested that he bring them up to the kitchen so that I could have a look at them. A bit of freezer burn, a bit of ice accumulation from the move from the … Continue reading →

Turmeric Breakfast Cookies

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Wednesday already! My Brother-The-Middle-Boy, some years ago, told me about the benefits of Turmeric. At the time I couldn’t find any recipes I liked that included it as an ingredient, and eventually lost interest in looking for one. And there the matter stood, until last week. I got it into my head that including Turmeric in my daily diet would be a good thing, so I began anew to search for appealing recipes. I found one, but it didn’t quite meet my criteria for a healthy recipe, too much sodium, too much sugar, and too many “fussy” ingredients, like using soaked flax seeds instead of an egg. So I tinkered with it. My version of Turmeric Breakfast Cookies is low sodium, low sugar, and full of oatmeal and a vegetable or fruit, depending on what options I choose at the time. I enjoy one of these cookies in the morning with my coffee. They are very spicy, so eating them as a snack before bedtime was not a good idea, heartburn! This morning I arose at 5:30 a.m., which is normal on a weekday. I get up with Attila, who has to get ready to go to work. Immediately I … Continue reading →

Harvest Season Vacation

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My vacation this year was taken primarily in the kitchen over a hot stove. Pressure canning!  Doesn’t sound like a dream vacation does it?  It didn’t sound that way to me, but the reality is very far from the experience.  I love canning, I love harvest season, I love spending time in my kitchen, I love good fresh food, and I loved having Attila around and about the place, sometimes helping me, sometimes off puttering in the garden or the garage.  Most of all I love to get my teeth into an activity, tackle it, and accomplish a goal. Here are a few pictures of my canning adventure. Worldly Weather 13°C Date: 1:00 PM EDT Monday 10 September 2018 Condition: Light Rain Pressure: 102.2 kPa Tendency: Falling Temperature: 12.6°C Dew point: 11.4°C Humidity: 92% Wind: ENE 10 km/h Visibility: 13 km It was less than a week ago the humidex was hitting 40C! Look at that high today 13C! The weather people say warmer weather is on the way. That will give the garden a chance to yield lots of produce before the first frost hits. Quote “The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” Bertrand Russell 1872 – … Continue reading →

What I did on my summer vacation.

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Our first summer vacation in over two decades came in the summer of 2016. We were very excited! My brother had a heart attack and died that week. In 2017 our second opportunity for a summer vacation came up, and we spent it at our Rideau Camp. That week a neighbour destroyed a corner of our property with his tractor, and a property dispute ensued, in which I ended up having to involve the police to prevent the individual from continuing to damage the property, it was not fun, and certainly not relaxing. In addition to that miserable process, it was cold and rained the whole time we were there, So, this year, when an opportunity for a summer vacation came along, I decided to pass. God only knows what misery would befall me on a third attempt at leisure and pleasure. Attila had last week off. The first Saturday began as hot and humid as it had been all summer, being outdoors was not bearable. It was the Labour Day long weekend in Ontario. I thought perhaps it might be fun to drive out to a few local farms, who advertised on the internet. I was looking for tomatoes, … Continue reading →