News of the Day

Big doings this weekend for a lot of folks.  

 Here on the island, it’s the weekend of the 50^th annual Oak Bay Tea Party.  

In the UK they are celebrating on a far grander scale:  
 This is the weekend of the Diamond Jubilee, honouring the 60^th year of 
Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

We don’t often see childhood photos of the Queen, so I was interested to see this one, taken in 1928 and shared by The Vintage Tearoom this week on Facebook.

Talk of the Jubilee festivities brought high tea to mind, and I found some pastries that would be perfect for a celebratory cake plate.   

These strawberry and lime stuffed cupcakes from Miranda at My Favourite Things  
look almost too beautiful to eat. Thrifty Foods has strawberries on sale this week so I may need to give the recipe a try!

A lot of crown shaped and crown decorated items appeared on Pinterest just before Mardi Gras, including these pastry crowns filled with cheescake mousse and topped with glazed banana bits by Hungry Happenings. 

I think they’d be perfect for a Jubilee Tea.

My own weekend is shaping up to be pretty quiet.  I spent quite a lot of time cooking and cleaning today, but did get out to do some shopping this morning.  I found the most beautiful tomatoes and basil while I was out and about, so you know I had to make a salad.  Look for the recipe tomorrow.

I spent less time than usual on line today, in part because I couldn’t access Aunt B’s news feed or activity log on Facebook.  Facebook has been really buggy lately so I’ve been working on sending my favourite pages to my RSS feed.  It’ll be nice to have everything in one place, and to know that I’ll get to see my foodie friends’ posts more reliably.  If sending pages to an RSS feed is something you’d like to do, you’ll find this post from Blogging with Amy very helpful.

My Facebook friends have been very encouraging to me this week.

Miz Helen’s Country Cottage featured my Roasted Asparagus with Butter Crumbed Eggs on this week’s Full Plate Thursday linky party

and The 21st Century Housewife, shared my Puffy Omelette with Cheddar and Chives on her Facebook page today.

I found some frugal tips on line today too.  This great upcycling idea from

Creative Recycling Ideas – Riciclo Creativo Idee fai da te’s

may find a place by our front door. 

(I love the hanging up your glasses one:  I’m always misplacing my specs.)

Canadian Budget Binder always has good information on saving money. 

Today they shared a link from Kitchen Daily with eleven tips on reducing kitchen waste.

Some of them were new to me but I have to say:

-Apple cores and peels are not discarded at my house. I add a little water to them, simmer them until they're soft and then squeeze out the juice. I use it in baking recipes or to round up another fruit or juice when making desserts, jams or jellies.

-Orange and lemon peels are never discarded at my house. If I'm not going to use them right away, I grate them and freeze them for use in recipes later on.

-Discard day-old rice? Not a chance! We usually use whole grain rice and it takes a long time to cook. Since it takes about the same amount of time to cook a lot of rice as it does to cook a little, we make our rice in big batches and use it throughout the week. Sometimes we even portion it out and freeze it (if there's room in the freezer) for later use. Without leftover rice, there would be no fried rice or rice pudding at our house, and we incorporate it in a lot of other recipes too. If reheating it, we just pop it into a steamer for a few minutes to get perfect, fluffy grains.

So that was my day.

I hope your Saturday was a happy one.

Do you have any favourite tips on reducing kitchen waste you’d like to share?

If so, I’d love to hear them.

See you tomorrow.

News of the Day

Sometimes the cosmos conspires to give you just what you need, just when you need it.
I woke up tired today—never a good beginning—but found plenty of inspiration and encouragement along the way. 

Gardens always lift my spirits.  This beautiful rose, jeweled in rain drops, greeted me from the flowerbed beside my office door this morning.

The first thing I saw when I opened my Facebook today was this inspiring quote, shared by Pure Nourishment:

"We have become accustomed to living our life with joy amidst pain and challenges.... You have to celebrate the gifts because life is so hard and I think once you realize life's gonna be hard, the good stuff really comes forward." ~Dana Reeve

Canning Granny shared this picture on Facebook and said "'We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.' Dontcha just LOVE a brand new box of crayons!?!?!?!"

My family and friends tease me about my "crayon addiction." I always feel the need to have at least one or two big, brand new boxes in the cupboard.
Not that I don't use the old crayons.
I do, right down to the nubs, and then I melt them down to use in other crafts.
Still, there is something about the promise of a brand new box of crayons. 
When you open them, the scent immediately transports you back to childhood. :)

Joybilee Farm shared this amazing photograph of the solar eclipse, from the National Geographic “My Shot” gallery.  It’s wonderous.

This charming piece about Winged Tenants at Carina’s Craft Blog made me smile.

I’m inspired by people who have a gift for seeing the best in the things around them.  Donna of Funky Junk Interiors (a BC girl, from the Fraser Valley), proves that you truly can make one man's junk into another man's treasure. Check out what she did with this garden outbuilding.

On a day like today, I find myself wanting comfort food.  These Cowboy Beans from What's for Dinner? Mom would be just the ticket.

There are few dishes more comforting than polenta.  Chat ’n Dish has figured out how to make it in the microwave.  Clever woman!

Pizza can be comfort food too.  For many of us, it’s a go-to meal on busy nights when we want to treat ourselves.  Yummly shared some pizza recipes that would be perfect for a Friday night at home.

All in all, it turned out to be a very good day.
I hope your Friday was a happy one too. :)

News of the Day

“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”  - Henry David Thoreau

I saw this quote on Facebook this morning and it reminded me to be present in the moment.

I drive the same route to and from work every day, around Cowichan Bay, then through
some truly beautiful farmland, 

and window by my desk provides a sea view, across the water toward 
Saltspring Island.  Despite all this amazing scenery, I’m often so preoccupied 
that I don’t notice my surroundings at all.

Today I made a conscious effort to really see my surroundings and noticed:


-that there is nothing more wet looking than a wooly sheep standing in the rain,

-that mushrooms will pop up overnight, in perfect fairy circles, on even the most carefully cultivated lawns,

-and that my boss has pirate skulls and crossbones embroidered on the inside of the rolled up cuffs on the shirt he wore to work today.

Cool!

I adore both of my red KitchenAid stand mixers and wouldn't trade them for the world, but this video, shared by SweetArt Supplies, of a work in progress by Michelle DiNardo of Un Amore, is pretty amazing. I love the instinct we humans share to make art from and with the most utilitarian of objects.

And while I'm on the subject of creativity, check out these homemade popsicles made by Cool Mom Picks and shared by SweetArt Supplies! I'm not of a fan of uni-tasker 
kitchen appliances (I would have a tough time justifying the purchase of a freezer designed to make one single popsicle at a time) but, after seeing these, 
I have to that admit that I'm tempted.

I spend a lot of time taking pictures so I always like to see the work of other photographers.  Lately, I’ve been enjoying the work of Vancouver Island photographer, Randy Hall.  Randy has recently started a new website, featuring his work.  There are some very beautiful images there.

And, while I'm on the subject of looking at things differently:

Inspired by Charm posted this instagram photo, with a note that he likes to eat the
bottom part first. I cut my muffins in half vertically so I get some of each. 

How do you eat yours?

Who needs lettuce to make a salad?  So many other things can be used instead.
Blue Kale Road made a delicious slaw from turnips and carrots.  
Think how handy this recipe will be during the winter months!

I know that lima beans don’t get much lovin’ these days but it's always good to

take another look.  This is a recipe you'll actually like. 

Eat ‘em up!  They’re good for you!

So that was my day.

What caught your eye today?

What did you see that captured your imagination?

News of the Day

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I share information and conversation with my on line friends, and about how I can bring some day to day interest to my blog.  I decided I'm going to try a "News of the Day" post.  You won't find world events here, but you will find whatever shiny things my magpie mind has picked up along the way.  :)

It was rainy here today, but even wet days have a beauty all their own.  I do love our eagles, and they are very busy along the shoreline these days.  This one was flying so low that I thought his wing tips were going to brush the surface of the water!

Today I started my day with a little pancake love.    

Over the Big Moon shared a handy tip for making weekday breakfasts quick and easy. 

I found a tasty recipe for banana bread pancakes at Cooking with Sara 

 and some very pretty miniature German pancakes at Real Mom Kitchen. 

I indulged in a little bragging about my brother.  He's a Member of the Legislative Assembly and has been participating in BC's annual Bike to Work Week.  He lives in Duncan and has been riding all the way to the the legislature in Victoria, a trip that includes riding over the Malahat mountain (352 meters/1155 feet at the summit) every day!  Here’s what he had to say on Facebook this morning:

“I'm a little tired after having done the Bike To Work Week from Duncan to the legislature every day this week. Down Monday, down and back Tuesday and down today. I will do down and back tomorrow for a total of six passes over the Malahat and 372km. On Friday I will do a round trip Duncan, Ladysmith, Duncan for a total of about 425km for Bike to Work Week this year. I encourage everyone to get on your bike and ride. Its good for you, good for the environment and its "One Less Car". Plus...It’s so much fun!”

You've got to admit that's pretty darned impressive!

Lots of nice people shared my work today.  Mama Chocolate was kind enough to recommend my Puffy Omelette with Cheddar and Chives on her Facebook page.  She's one of the hosts of Delicious Dish Tuesday, a fun linky party I participate in every week.

Lady Behind the Curtain, host of Cast Party Wednesday, and Printabelle, host of the Wonderful Wednesday Link Party, both chose my recipe for Roasted Asparagus and Butter Crumbed Eggs as one of their party features for the week. I'm honoured! 

I came across some excellent kitchen tips today.

I don't usually link to videos but the title of How to Julienne Carrots Without Losing Your Fingers made this one from Beyond the Peel hard to resist. :) 

Good knife skills make your kitchen time so much easier!

Here's another good one, from A Life Unprocessed, on how to make a perfect frozen banana.

The 36^th Avenue posted a link to this quote, illustrated by Spiritually Speaking, 

on Facebook today. I like it a lot

and this self help advice from a 2-year-old, shared by Mama Chocolate, 
made me smile. 

SweetArt Supplies shared a creamy salad dressing from Mesa de Vida this afternoon.  The dressing, made with Greek yogurt and avocado, looks both tasty and nutritious.  I didn't make it this evening, but I'm sure to make it soon.

All in all, a pretty good day I think.  :) 

I hope all is well in your world too.

___________________________________________

This post is linked to Gallery of Favorites, hosted by Premeditated Leftovers and The 21st Century Housewife.

Paid Post Promotions on Facebook?

There has been a lot of talk lately about Facebook charging to promote posts.  I've heard this kind of rumour before and it's always been related to a hoax, so I decided to investigate further.  

It turns out that Facebook has, indeed, been testing this concept in New Zealand but has yet to roll it out system-wide.  

Current Facebook metrics are set up so that only about 12% of any page's fans or friends actually see their posts.  Facebook determines what you see on your news feed based upon how many "likes" or comments a post gets.  

If Facebook decides to move forward with the paid post promotion concept, Facebook users - both business and personal - will be offered the option of paying a scaled fee to promote their posts to a wider audience than the percentage provided by the current metrics setup.  The larger the fee paid, the wider the audience that will receive the post.

This new “innovation” opens the door to a whole new kind of spamming.  It will allow anyone with a personal or business page who is willing to pay a fee to post their advertising material or promotions to the top of your news feed.  If you do not wish to see these paid “highlights” you must either “un-like” or “un-friend” the page or person who has chosen to purchase them. 

At the same time, the pay per post concept penalizes honest, hardworking business people and bloggers who have invested countless hours in building an audience.  If the model moves forward, you can be assured that posts that are not promoted will reach fewer and fewer people over time, as Facebook –who now views its users as products rather than customers – limits access in order to create a need to purchase this new product.

It seems to me that Facebook has totally lost the plot lately.  They’ve always foisted unpopular “improvements” on their users but, recently, the network has been plagued with technical glitches and characterized by a steady withdrawal of services and features that they, themselves, actively promoted only a short while ago.

Google+ has been struggling to establish a user base.  It hasn't caught on because users perceive it as overly complicated.  Bloggers are also leery of the platform because it ties their Picassa albums to their membership.  If you have a blogger.com, blogspot.com or blogspot.ca blog and cancel your Google+ membership, you lose all the images you've posted on your blog.  (A good argument for backing up your blog to an external archive!) 

As unwelcoming and complicated as Google+ is, it is looking more and more attractive to Facebook users, who are growing weary of Facebook's constant changes, glitches, and greediness.  

Perhaps Facebook is striving to ensure its own demise?  It  certainly looks that way!

I am, at this point, uncertain about where I’ll go from here.  If Facebook continues to be such a pain in the neck to use, or if it further limits my audience, I’ll be leaving it behind.  Will I continue blogging and seek other avenues of promotion for my work?  I’m not sure.

I'd love to hear how you feel about all of this.  What do you think about the recent changes on Facebook?

If you would like to read more about the paid post promotion test, you may find these links informative: 

• http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18033259
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/would-you-pay-to-promote-a-facebook-post/2012/05/11/gIQA1nlSIU_story.html
• http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebooks-worst-idea-yet-paid-post-promotion/12925

It's Chocolate Chip Day!

I’m so glad that I visit with my on line friends every day.  If I didn’t, I’d never have known that today is Chocolate Chip Day in the US!

I love me some chocolate chips and I know that you do too.  Here are three recipes from earlier blogs to help you celebrate.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Crisps

Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

Triple Chocolate Brownies

Why I Broke Up With Kale

I used to like kale.  I bought it when I could afford it and, some years, grew it in my garden.  Last year, though, I grew to dislike it intensely. 

Last year, my husband and I bought a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share in a farm here in the valley.  Because I was hoping to build a catering business, I purchased a large family share, reasoning that I could incorporate the beautiful fresh produce from the farm into my menus. 

A friend of mine recently pointed out that if you want to make God laugh, you make plans. It certainly seemed that way at our house last spring.  I got sick and found myself unable to work.  I had to give up any hope of catering and was unable to work at anything other than my blogs for the next ten months. 

For the months of our CSA subscription, this change in circumstance meant that we had a weekly supply of produce which far exceeded our needs.  We dealt with the excess produce from our CSA by sharing it with friends and family members and by donating some of the excess to the food bank. 

Unfortunately our farmers were big kale enthusiasts and we ended up with huge amounts of kale every week.  No one in our circle wanted kale and I do mean no one.  Try as we might to find a home for it, we just couldn't give it away.

I strongly dislike wasting food so we ended up eating kale with at least one meal, every single day, for months.  I tried hard to vary the ways that I served it but both my husband and I got to a point where we just couldn’t stand to eat another bite or see another leaf of kale. We decided we couldn’t bring it home any more. 

We’d offer our share of kale to other CSA shareholders who were picking up their vegetables at the same time we were, but many of them were tired of kale too.  It was often refused.  If we couldn’t give it away, we just left it at the farm.   I still regret the money wasted on produce not consumed but, even now, I can’t greet kale with any enthusiasm.

It’s a shame, really, that kale has worn out its welcome at our house because it’s very nutritious.  World’s Healthiest Foods rates kale an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, and of manganese.  It’s a very good source of fiber, copper, tryptophan, calcium, vitamin B6, and potassium and it’s rated a good source of iron, magnesium, vitamin E, omega3 fats, vitamin B2, protein, vitamin B1, folate, phosphorous, and vitamin B3.[i] 

Kale is shown to help reduce cholesterol and to lower the risk of five different cancers.  Kale’s glucosolinates support the body’s detoxification system, and its flavinoids provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.[ii]

Curly kale has been with us for a long time.  It’s a descendent of the wild cabbage plant and is believed to have originated in Asia minor.  It was brought to Europe around 600 BC by Celtic wanderers and, because it grows well in cooler climates, has been a significant part of European cuisines ever since. 

Kale was an important food crop in ancient Rome and was widely cultivated by peasants and farmers during the middle ages.  The English brought it to North America in the 17^th century.

Here on the island, our mild winters mean that kale can be successfully over-wintered, providing greens from the garden during winter months when little else is available.  This, of course, explains its attraction for our CSA farmers.  It also explains why, when I went out to visit our new allotment garden last week, I found that the previous garden plot holder had left behind a crop of kale. 

The question now is if my frugal nature and good nutritional sense can overcome my previous overexposure to this healthy vegetable.

Do you have any favourite kale recipes?  If so, please share them with me.  I’m seeking inspiration.

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[i] http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=38&tname=foodspice#nutritionalprofile

[ii] http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=38&tname=foodspice#nutritionalprofile

[iii] Both ornamental and dinosaur kale are much more recent varieties. Dinosaur kale was discovered in Italy in the late 19th century. Ornamental kale, originally a decorative garden plant, was first cultivated commercially as in the 1980s in California.

[iv] photo source:  http://wholefoodscooking.ca/rays-transformation-embracing-whole-foods/staying-the-course-its-about-discipline/