C'est Halloween !

Happy Halloween all ! Hope you have a safe and fun day dressing up as anything you want to be ! Me as a flapper and some Halloween pics below! 

"I'm Doomed...."

"I'm doomed, one little slip like that could cause the Great Pumpkin to pass you by!"
-Linus from Charlie Brown after exclaiming you should never kill a pumpkin

Halloween is two days away. I unfortunately am working and am bummed about not getting to see all the neighbourhood kids dressed up in their finest. It is such a treat when you are so used to apartment living. Just another reason I love being a home owner!

Last night we carved pumpkins, I LOVE carving pumpkins. The smell takes me back to my childhood and it's always fun to get a little creative. I also love pumpkin seeds roasted in the oven. If fall had a "taste" I am convinced it would taste like salted, oven-roasted pumpkin seeds. Growing up we tossed them with a little bit of salt and roasted them until they were just crispy and lightly browned but this year I decided to try something different. Below you can find two recipes for pumpkin seeds two ways- spicy and sweet. Happy haunting all!
-m

Sweet Seeds
  

• 1.5 cups of pumpkin seeds (patted dry with a paper towel)
• 1 tbs of melted butter (to help them brown!)
• ~2 tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of cocoa powder

Toss seeds with above ingredients and mix till well coated. Place on pan covered with parchment paper and place in oven pre-heated to 350. Roasted for 10 minutes, remove, stir and roast for another 10-15 minutes or until seeds are brown. They will crisp up as they cool!

Spicy Seeds

• 1.5 cups of pumpkin seeds (patted dry with paper towel)
• 1 tbs olive oil (to help them brown and spices to stick!)
• 1/2 tsp siracha chili sauce
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Good sprinkle of salt!

Toss seeds with above ingredients and mix till well coated. Place on parchment covered pan and place in pre-heated oven at 350. Roast for 10 minutes, remove and stir (sprinkle with a little more salt if you so choose). Roast for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. They will crisp as they cool!

At Midnight I Will Turn Into a Pumpkin...

"At midnight I will turn into a pumpkin and then drive away in my glass slipper..."
- Audrey Hepburn

Halloween is fast approaching and I have yet to unpack my box of Halloween decorations. Maybe it's because it is so mild out. With the exception of the leaves finally starting to turn, it feels a lot more like the first of September then the end of October. Don't get me wrong, I have been to the pumpkin patch, I have hollowed out a few squashes and spiced lattes and ciders have more than kissed these lips a few times already this fall. I have watched three of the Friday the 13th movies as well as two of the Halloween horror films but it is just so hard to believe that it is almost the end of October!

Last week a group of fab ladies from work go together to decorate pumpkins. Picture a handful of health care professionals, ten colours of glitter, glue, sparkles and paint. There was a massive sparkly mess to clean up, I am sure of that but it was so much fun. It's also provided a nice change from carving pumpkins (they won't rot!). A perfect way to spend a fall afternoon!

If  you want to get crafty like we did, here are some supplies to grab, readily available at any dollar store!

• Glitter, one should buy lots of glitter!
• Acrylic paint
• Tape for making patterns on pumpkins
• Glue...classic old while Elmer's works, but I would also suggest a glue gun for be-dazzling
• Paint brushes/ foam brushes. Foam are great for painting big-pumpkin surfaces and small are great for making patterns with glue then dusting them with glitter
• Optional- gemstones, pearls, feathers, googly eyes and ribbons 

Check out our day below and check out the simple centrepiece I made for Thanksgiving (confession- made a similar one with dahlias two years ago, I think I prefer the sun flowers!) . Happy crafting!
-m

Since The House is on Fire...

"Since the house is on fire, let us warm ourselves."- Italian Proverb

Last Sunday we bombed off to the valley and spent the day in Wolfville. We had intentions of going apple picking because that is what everyone else seems to do in the fall around here. Instead we accidentally found ourselves at a vineyard sampling a variety of wines. Then we not so accidentally stumbled upon a second and then a third winery. It was a beautiful day and the wine kept us very warm against the crisp fall air. Needless to say, the apple picking didn't happen and I don't regret that one teensie, little bit. We visited Grand Pre', Luckettes and Blomidon vineyards. Sample sets are inexpensive and we were able to try around fifteen wines for about fifteen dollars. There are seven vineyards in the valley and all only a five to ten minute drive apart! I highly recommend trying them out.

On our way back I had to stop at a few of the local farm market's, seeing as how I had nothing to show for the day except purple lips. I picked up green peppers for a song. Around 40 green peppers, locally produced for just under five dollars. I bought a massive bag of hot peppers as well and formulated a plan in my head to try my hand at "canning". I figured hot pepper jelly was just as good of a first attempt as any.

The next day I purchased supplies and researched a few recipes. I de-veined and de-seeded what felt like a million peppers. I poured everything into my pot (double, double, boil and trouble) following directions to a tee. The problem with directions is they don't often distinguish small details from one another. I learned the hard way that there is actually a big difference between a "rolling boil" and a "flaming inferno". If you have ever made preserves, you know that you must boil an awful lot of sugar. Sugar boils fast and it boils hot. It also hits the "rolling boil" for about an eighth of a second and then is boiling over into a "flaming inferno". I set my stove on fire. Literally on fire, flames up to my over-range microwave. Flames that somehow managed to stun my critical thinking centre for a few seconds, as I had never in my life seen such a fire indoors and not in a fireplace. My brain did eventually kick in and with a little water tossed on, I was good to go. I did end up making three batches and avoiding any further fires. Although processing jars of jelly is a pain in the behind, there is something wonderful about the "pop" those lids make as they seal themselves tight. Recipe and pics below. Happy canning and extinguishing all!
-m

Hot Pepper Jelly (adapted from All Recipes)

This jelly is delicious and makes a wonderful hostess gift around the holiday season. It is also great to have on hand for when unexpected guests arrive. Serve on top of a log of goats cheese or cream cheese with your favourite crackers. 

Tip- Original recipe makes around six small jelly jars, sterilize your jars and lids prior to starting. I wash mine in hot soapy water and then throw them through the dishwasher on "hot-as-hell" and heated dry. Also make batches one at a time. Doubling a preserve recipe almost always fails....

You will need:

• 1 Cup chopped bell pepper (I used green) de-seeded and de-veined
• 1/2 cup of chopped hot peppers such as jalapeno, de-seeded and de-veined (if you like heat like me, leave some of those seeds in there!)
• 5 cups of white sugar
• 1.5 cups cider vinegar (white would work too)
• 1 optional sprinkle of cayenne pepper when boiling
• 6 fluid ounces of liquid pectin  

In your food processor, toss in chopped bell peppers and hot peppers and mince. Combine vinegar, sugar and peppers in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a "rolling boil"...watching closely to prevent "flaming inferno". Boil for three minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for ~5 minutes. While stirring constantly add pectin and allow to cool for 2 minutes further. Then stir again for one minute. Pour into your hot sterile jars and lid- wiping rim with a clean cloth before applying the rim .Make sure you leave at least half an inch of head room. Process jars in boiling water -submerged with at least 1"of water over tops of jars. Boil for ten minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Store in a cool, dark place! Easy enough eh?

If God Wanted Us To Bend Over...

"If God wanted us to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor!"-Joan Rivers

My house is pretty old. Everything in it is pretty darn old...plaster walls-old, wooden windows-old and hardwood floors-old, old, old. I have been picking away at things but I have to admit, my to-do list around here is at least a foot longer than I am tall. Priorities have changed and I have learned to live with things that when I moved in I said "HAVE TO GO". I was naive and thought money grew on trees or something (my money tree house plant has yet to produce a bill). Narrowing down priorities is important and slowly picking away at them is the way to go.

My hardwood floors downstairs were in rough shape. The finish was gone in most places and it absorbed my mop water when I washed the floors (always a good sign). The dining room was an entirely different colour than the living room and high traffic areas were worn down to a pulp. I researched re-finishing them myself, equipment rentals and varnishes and the cost was astounding. I figured it would cost 1000-1500 to finish the down stairs alone, not to mention the man-power and time it would take. That is when my awesome neighbour suggested a guy who had re-finished theirs. He did weekends- cash only and had many satisfied customers.

I called him up, he came by to have a look and we settled on $600 to do the entire downstairs (living room, dining room and entry) and he would come on a weekend when we were away for a wedding. I left a key for him outside, cash on the mantel and kept my fingers crossed that he was a decent guy. When I arrived home on the Monday I was pleasantly surprised. My floors were beautiful. They had been meticulously sanded within an inch of their lives and had three coats of clear satin varnish applied. I couldn't be happier! The hardest part was squeezing all of the furniture up-right in the kitchen! Check 'em out and find some tips below!

Floor re-finishing tips:

• Find someone who comes recommended by a source you can trust.
• When debating staining them dark (I so wanted dark!), try to remember what suits your house and what will be both less perishable and show less dust. Dark floors showcase dust and pet fur..
• When picking a finish also keep dust and pet hair in mind (every home gets dusty no matter how often you clean but that doesn't mean it needs to be brought to peoples attention!). The more shiny the finish the more dust and pet hair will be noticed. I picked a satin finish for this purpose even though high gloss would have been stunning. Tumble weeds in corners do not need to be centre stage.
• Try to re-finish floors before you move in, it's easier not to have to move furniture and not to have to tape off rooms. Do it before you do anything else if your funds allow.
• If the above bullet is useless and you are already moved in, go to the dollar store and buy painting tarps. Huge pieces of plastic for a buck that can be used to prevent dust from sanding getting into other rooms. I taped off both entrances to my kitchen and  my stairs with plastic tarps and painter tape. This kept my furniture and walls dust free in the rooms that weren't being re-done.
• When all is said and done- wash your walls and wipe everything down before bringing furniture back into rooms with newly finished floors. The sanding dust can get everywhere!
• Finally, don't forget to put heavy duty furniture pads on the bottom of everything to help keep your new floors beautiful!

-m

The Laziest Man I Ever Met...

"The laziest man I ever met put popcorn in his pancakes so they would turn over themselves."
- W.C. Fields

Ricotta. I have a love/hate relationship with the smooth, milk-whey cheese. I always forget how much I do not enjoy it until I use it and am epically disappointed by it's lack of depth in flavor. I always regret my purchase and catch myself saying "goats cheese would have been perfect".

Last week my bestie came over an impromptu late supper and wine. I had been surfing the online recipe world and found an appie that consisted of grilled cherry tomatoes, garlic and ricotta on grilled bread. How delicious does that sound? I popped over to the grocery store, picked up a few staples and fired up the grill.

Well, if it had been a more flavorful cheese I think I would have LOVED the recipe. I will make it again but I will substitute the ricotta with goats cheese... but all you ricotta lovers, go to it!

Of course the next day I had an entire tub of bland old ricotta left in my fridge. I do enjoy it in baked goods so I got on the horn to find a recipe to use up all this cheese. I settled on lemon-ricotta pancakes and I have to say I take all my above hate for the cheese back. It made fluffy, perfect pancakes, by far the best I have made EVER. They were light, fluffy and the hint of lemon was dreamy.

You can find both ricotta recipes below (my variations at least!). Happy whizzing about in the kitchens all!
-m

Grilled Cherry Tomatoes on Grilled Toast

Fire up your BBQ and soak a handful of bamboo skewers in water while you do your prep!

You will need:

• Around  a pound of cherry tomatoes
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• about 10-12, 8" bamboo skewers
• Sliced crusty bread
• 1/2-1 cup of ricotta cheese (or goats...)

Combine oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Toss cherry tomatoes in oil mixture to coat and slice bread. Thread tomatoes onto skewers (4-5 per skewer). Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill on medium heat for three to four minutes per side. Brush the rest of the marinade on bread and place bread on grill while tomatoes cook. When done, spread ricotta in a nice thin layer on bread and top with grilled tomatoes. Serve warm (with a crisp white wine!).


Lemon and ricotta pancakes (This recipe is the best!!)
Adapted from "The recipe critic blog" 

You will need:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1/4 cup sugar
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl combine ricotta, milk, yolks, lemon, sugar, zest and mix. Sift dry ingredients into ricotta mix and stir! In a separate bowl whisk egg whites until frothy, add salt and continue to whisk until peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into ricotta mix and stir until combined (don't over do it!). Scoop onto hot non-stick pan or griddle (~1/4 cup). Cook until bubbles form on the top and then flip and cook for a minute or so longer. Repeat with the rest of the batter and serve warm with maple syrup! Tip- I turn my oven on to 200 degrees and place the finished pancakes in an oven-proof dish while the rest are cooking, that way everyone gets nice hot pancakes!