Double, Double...

"Double , double, toil and trouble:- William Shakespeare

Cauldron, boil and cauldron bubble...or at least I think that is how it went. With Halloween fast approaching, a recent trip to Boston, trying to buy a set of flats and working on top of all of that, I was so very busy that I forgot to mail out the cards I hand painted specially for Halloween. If you were expecting a card from me, I didn't leave you off my mailing list, I simply got overwhelmed by my life (dramatic yes?). That said I did spend the Friday before Halloween spooking around Salem, you know the town famous for witch trials in the late 1600's? No big deal...but seriously, it was awesome and I will save that for another time. For now I will leave you with my would have been awesome cards. Water colors, a pencil, paper and just a little bit of childish inspiration and you have yourself perfectly ghoulish cards. Happy haunting!
-m

Bitter Sweet October...

"Bitter sweet October, the mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.- Carol Bishop Hipps

Juts a few snip-its of fall at the Halifax Sea-port market!

It was a beauty of a day..

An Optimist Is A Person Who....

"An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on thanksgiving."-Irv K

I have a confession. I, Micheline Helen Briand had never...never ever, cooked a big turkey dinner all on my own. We all know I love to cook and bake and putter around incessantly in the kitchen. I have also helped my mom stuff a turkey, mash potatoes and bake pies for many holiday feasts. Never have I ever done it all on my own start to finish. In all honestly I am sure I was sleeping for most of the prep work on countless occasions. I had no excuses and this Thanksgiving I decided that I would pop my turkey basting cherry and have my grandparents and uncles over. Hoping I wouldn't have to make an emergency 911 call to the quickest pizza delivery, I dragged kitchen table into the living room to accommodate five people. My turkey dinner went off without a hitch, that is unless you count my look bag bursting, about a dozen frantic calls to my mom and dad for moral support and one second degree burn to my right breast. I think everyone enjoyed themselves and among other things, I am thankful my turkey didn't turn out like the one on christmas vacation...

For a simple fall centerpeice, I carved out the brains of a small pumpkin from the market, I placed a small rocks glass inside with some water and filled it with fall flowers.  Cute and simple! Enjoy!
-m

We Live In A Disposable Society....

"We live in a disposable society. It is easier to throw things out than to fix them.We even give it a name- we call it recycling."- Neil LaButer

Renovators Resource can be found on Maynard street in downtown Halifax. It is a very unassuming hole in the wall that is filled with treasures recycled from old homes that went up for demolition (probably to build a towering condo). I am talking crystal door knobs, old doors and claw foot tubs. Everything from light fixtures to door hinges and all of it is dusty, grimy and full of potential. I love the idea of crystal door knobs as hooks in bathrooms to hang towels or used to display jewelry and keep necklaces tangle free. I have seen many an antique door turned into headboards and wall art and room dividers. Windows make lovely mirrors and old lock plates would look beautiful framed with an accent color behind them (say red in a heavy black frame). The possibilities are endless. My favorite find, besides the amazing antique mantel my aunt picked up to use as focal point in her restaurant, would be tub claw feet. They are beautiful, silver or gold and would be a great door stop among lots of other things. All of this is affordable, unique and can add some character in places where it is lacking. Check it out.
-m

Look at all this stuff:

Picture these bad boys framed down a hallway..

Tub feet...ten buck and they are beauts!

Pretty great right?

All The World Is Birthday Cake..

"All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much!- George Harrison

With fall in full force, I am veering away from tart fruits and crisp salads and turning toward dark and spicy dishes/treats that fill you up. The hearty kinds, mainly chili, stews and roasts. While my sweets are punctuated with high notes of cinnamon and cloves (prob my favorite flavors ever!). Always on the hunt for something new to make, I happened upon this recipe for a ginger-stout cake. Molasses, ginger and beer, what could be a better combination? Not to mention I am a sucker for moist cakes and my dad just so happened to buy me my very first bunt pan while he was in the states. I just had to break it in!

This is one of the most moist and spicy cakes I have made to date. It says to just dust with icing sugar but I used a lemon glaze on mine, I also added some extra spices but they seemed to work great. Really easy and no fail! I sent it along to my sisters work with her (so it wasn't in the house!) and it was a big success there. Enjoy!
-m

Spicy Gingerbread Stout Cake
1 cup oatmeal stout or Guinness Stout
1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1- 1.5 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground cardamom
3 large eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bunt pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature (I stick mine in the fridge to cool faster!)

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and sugars. Mix in oil, then molasses mixture to eggs/sugar. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

Pour batter into bunt pan and give a few taps on counter to prevent air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs , about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Lemon Glaze
Mix 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1.5 cups icing sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla and a good sprinkle of cinnamon. Pour over cool cake still on wire rack and allow glaze to set.

Check out that bourbon colored bunt cake!

I used a catalog to prevent spillage on my table!

Cute right?

Ghosts, Like Ladies...

"Ghosts, like ladies, never speak until spoken to..."-Richard Barham

I love Halloween, always have and probably always will. It never mattered as a kid that it was so cold you often had to wear a snow suit under your costume or that your green "wash out" hair color would maintain a green, chlorine colored hue for weeks. Halloween was something well planned and well executed in our household. My mother was always a creative genius. Twenty-six years later I still love October, Halloween and fall in general. I totally buy into spooky things and make ghost walks around Halifax and citadel hill a top priority, even though I have heard the tales dozens of times. This year I am pulling out the big guns...Salem. That is right folks, a trip to Boston will not only allow me to realise my Ikea dreams but also bring me to Salem, near the very end of October. What could be spookier than that?!

Here is a do it yourself project for those that like Halloween and like pumpkins but don't enjoy removing their brains. Get some liquid glue, a small paint brush and some glitter (mine is all from the dollar store). Pick up a few pumpkins, I went for small pie pumpkins and little gourds from the market. Make patterns with the glue on your pumpkins and thoroughly dust with glitter. Allow to dry and enjoy!
-m

Glitter!

Polka dots...cute right?



Three little pumpkins all in a row...




Mahone Bay...not the cheapest place to buy pumpkins I must say..



Produce Great Pumkins...

"Produce great pumpkins, the pies will follow later"- Anonymous

Ya, I know..my last post knocked fall but in all honesty I really do love it. Nubby sweaters, boots, tights, scarves and all things cosy. Pumpkin pie and just a little sprinkle of witches, ghosts and spooks, oh my! What is there not to love really? My decorations are out and I have already started to tamper with pumpkin puree.

Here is the thing about pumpkin. It is awesome. Toasted and salted pumpkin seeds? Delicious. Pumpkin pie? Best pie ever. However there is more to this little orange orb than those two treats that instantly come to ones mind. Pumpkin cookies and muffins are delicious, as is pumpkin cheesecake. Those recipes are the perfect way to use up left over canned pumpkin and it also freezes brilliantly if you are already too pumpkin overloaded (which I feel is impossible!).

This week I made pumpkin bread-pudding and that was a game changer for me. Using the Smitten Kitchen recipe, I made my own adjustments (because I can't just leave a good thing alone!) and soon my home smelled of warm spices and sweet pumpkin. Easy recipe with very few ingredients it may become a new fall tradition for me. Recipe follows! Enjoy!
-m

Pumpkin Bread-Pudding

1 1/2 cups whole milk or cream ( I used low fat cream!)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle

In and 8x8 pan, place bread cubes and drizzle melted butter over top and toss until bread chunks are well coated . Whisk together rest of ingredients and pour over buttered bread in pan. Stir to ensure all bread is coated and soaking in mixture. Place in oven and  bake 25-30 mins or until custard appears set.

So Long Sweet Summer...

 "So long sweet summer, I stumbled upon you and gratefully basked in your rays"- Chris Carrabba

Ah Summer where did you go? It is October second, we have a rain/hurricane warning. The weather network tells me to prepare for about forty millimeters of rain with high winds. Awesome. The leaves are changing, pumpkins and hay bails are everywhere I look. It is officially fall. Chili is simmering on the stove, I have my slippers on and baileys in my coffee (it just feels appropriate!). Yes, I am just about ready to hibernate. So here are some nostalgic pictures from the summer past to hold you over till lets say next May. Tuck in and cosy up..winter is next!

Coffee on the deck in the sun....

Beachy days and beachy weddings..

Did I mention how great decking is?

Basin Head.

Seasonal treats! The Pearl Cafe.

The Dunes.

Savage Harbor...sandy beach for miles..

Sunsets and crickets...sigh..