emily & ashley's amazing bowen island scones

last Spring michael and i were able to spend time visiting with our wonderful BC friends - Thomas & Emily. they took us up to this beautiful little cabin on bowen island and we spent time enjoying the scenery and one another's company.

we made these scones while we were there, and they were so delicious that I asked em to send me the recipe. makes me think of her while I enjoy them. can't wait to see them again!! (my friends, not the scones... although they are that good! ha!)

ingredients:** I found everything I needed that was a bit more "obscure" at Bulk Barn
1 1/2 cup spelt flour (you can use a mix of whole wheat and white if you don't have spelt)
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp (scant) salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup canola or grape seed oil
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup yogurt or buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup frozen berries (optional)

other additions (whatever amounts you would like. i used about a tablespoon or so of each, to make it extra tasty)
flax seeds
hemp seeds
millet
sliced almonds (or another nut)
sesame seeds
cinnamon

Set the oven to 375 degrees

mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.

add in oil and mix with your hands until all crumbly. stir in chocolate chips and all additions you would like (except frozen berries).

add in yogurt/buttermilk and vanilla. on a floured surface turn out dough in a circle so it's about 7 inches across and 3/4 inch thick (if dough is dry, add in a little more buttermilk or yogurt. it should be slightly wet, but not overly sticky
cut circle into either 6 or 8 scones (depending on how big you want them)

take frozen berries and smooth them into the scones wherever you want them (you can mix the berries into the batter sooner, but then the dough is very cold on your hands, so it's a bit easier to put them in after)
line a baking sheet with parchment paper, transfer the scones to the sheet.

lightly brush the tops of the scones with milk and then sprinkle with sugar.
bake 19-22 minutes until tops are lightly golden and scones are firm to the touch. put on a cooling rack.

eat with a big smile on your face, and maybe a fruit smoothie :)

enjoy!

Thanksgiving Dinner

I have officially made my first thanksgiving dinner

with a lot of guidance from my wise mom (thank you mom!!)
and a lot of help from my sister phoebe

the hardest part of a dinner that big is the timing. once i had the turkey in the oven we had a lot of sitting around time, but within the last 1/2 hour before you serve dinner, there are a million things to get done! but it went off with a success.

For our meal we had: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, cooked carrots, garlic green beans, corn, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie, and "relax" red & white wines. delicious.

Thanksgiving Turkey:

I bought a frozen turkey.. next time I think I would buy FRESH as it takes away the task of defrosting the bird. For defrosting, there are 2 methods:

• the refrigerator method: place turkey on a tray on the bottom shelf of refrigerator. allow 10 hours per kg
• cold water method: place turkey (keep the plastic wrapping on) in a large container and cover completely with cold water. change water every hour (annoying i know - trust me, i was up in the night changing the water) but necessary to avoid salmonella  - although, to be honest, in the night I only changed it every 2 hours.. but so far we're all ok!!

Once it is fully thawed, refrigerate immediately and cook within 48 hours.

Use this chart to determine roasting times for your turkey, so you know when to put it into the oven in the morning:

• 6-8lbs (3.0-3.5 kg) - 3-3 1/4 hrs (stuffed); 2 1/2-2 3/4 hrs (unstuffed)
• 8-10lbs (3.5-4.5 kg) - 3 1/4-3 1/2 hrs (stuffed); 2 3/4- 3 hrs (unstuffed)
• 10-12lbs (4.5-5.5 kg) - 3 1/2-3 3/4 hrs (stuffed); 3 -3 1/4 hrs (unstuffed)
• 12-16lbs (5.5-7.0 kg) - 3 3/4-4 hrs (stuffed); 3 1/4- 3 1/2 hrs (unstuffed)
• 16-22lbs (7.0-310.0 kg) - 4-4 1/2 hrs (stuffed); 3 1/2-4 hrs (unstuffed)

Once you have figured out when to start cooking your bird, you should start "prepping" it about 45 minutes before, to allow time to figure out what you're doing!
Put the turkey in your sink, and remove the plastic wrapping. remove any of the "extra" parts (often they come in a bag - the heart, liver, etc) and the neck. I threw these away, but other people use them to make a broth later, or some people eat them. rinse the bird both inside and out, and then hold the bird up so that any extra water in the cavity will drip out. if the turkey is quite wet, pat it dry with a paper towel.

At this point you should have the stuffing made. I just used the "stove top" stuffing that comes in a box. I bought the "seasoned" kind, and chopped up 2 onions, quite fine, and added it to the stuffing. Empty out the contents of the box into a bowl, add the onions and 2 tbsp of butter or margarine. Boil some water, and add the amount that is called for on the box. stir everything together

then spoon into the cavity of the turkey. Put a lot of stuffing in, but don't pack it extremely tight as it will expand. Once you have all the stuffing in, place an end piece of a loaf of bread at the opening and close up the bird. This can be done by poking the legs through a piece of skin (often the turkey comes with the legs tucked into the skin, you can also make a slit in the skin to do this) I also used tooth picks (or skewers if you have) to hold the skin together over the opening, it helps the stuffing to stay in the turkey.

Place the turkey into a roaster, breast side up. pour some water into the roaster, about 2-3 fingers worth - not half of the pan, about an inch or so. The more water, the more you have to use for gravy later, but if you have too much water the flavour of the gravy will be diluted.

sprinkle the turkey generously with seasoning salt and garlic powder.

place lid on the roaster and put into the oven (have the oven rack on the bottom rung) Cook first at 450, for the first 1 1/2 hours, then reduce the oven heat to 350 for the rest of the cooking time. At the 3 hour mark (or with about 45 minutes to go, depending on your cooking time) take the lid off to check that the turkey is browning. If it isn't, take the lid off for the rest of the cooking time. To check if the turkey is done, put a knife into the meatiest part, away from the bone. When you pull it out the juices should be clear. if they are red or pink at all, it is not done yet.

If it is done, put the lid back on, and leave in the oven, but turn the oven off. Take it out once you are ready to carve and eat.

Mashed potatoes:

Peel and wash the potatoes, and cut up into small pieces. Place in a pot, and cover the potatoes completely with cold water. Put on the stove and bring the potatoes to a boil. Add a bit of butter if the water starts boiling over, it will help stop that. Once the water has come to a boil, reduce to medium heat. Continue cooking until the potatoes are soft (about 20 minutes). Drain the potatoes, and place in a bowl to mash. Add butter and milk as you go to get your desired consistency. At the end it helps to use a hand mixer to really get the lumps out of the potatoes. Place in an oven safe bowl and keep in the oven (still turned off) to keep warm with the turkey until you are ready to eat.

Gravy:

Take the drippings from the bottom of the roaster and place in a pot on the stove. In a separate container (like a tall plastic sour cream container) place 1 cup flour and fill the container 2/3 full of water. Cover and shake until well blended and no lumps. Set aside. Bring the drippings to a boil, once boiling, begin to add the flour/water mixture slowly, whisking as you go to avoid lumps. Add the flour/water mixture until you get the consistency you want. If it's too thick, add more drippings. If too thin, add more flour/water mixture.

Cooked carrots:

Place carrots in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cover. Boil about 10 minutes, checking that they don't get too soft. Once they are soft, with still a slight crisp to the middle, drain and serve.

Garlic Green Beans:

I used frozen green beans, place beans in a pot with a small amount of water (normally there is a ratio of beans to water on the package). Once cooked through, drain and set aside. In the same pot, melt about 2 tbsp of butter and add 2-3 tsp (or more) of minced garlic, and allow to sauté for about a minute. Add the green beans and stir on the stove until evening coated and nicely warmed. Remove from heat and serve.

Both the cranberry sauce, and the corn were from cans. So, I take no credit for that, other than opening the cranberry sauce and putting in a bowl, and heating the corn in the microwave :)

Get everything on the table, have everyone sit down, pour yourself a glass of red or white, sit back, enjoy and give thanks.

oh, and have a slice of pie or two after, just so you're really full :)

delightfully chaotic

for someone who bakes and cooks for FUN - this is the picture of a good relaxing day :)
ahhh the beautiful chaos of baking and cooking

hope you also had a delightful saturday

dispensing happiness

(source)

crepes

i am definitely a breakfast for supper kind of girl
when i can't think of something to make, or don't feel like making something, i normally choose to have cereal. if i ask michael to make supper, it's normally crepes that come out of the kitchen. good thing he's so good at making them :)

my grandpa klassen was also an excellent crepe maker. although, we called them german pancakes. and we only put corn syrup on them. then he'd show us how to hook one prong of our fork into the crepe & roll it perfectly.

when i met the thiessens, the simplicity of the corn syrup covered crepe was blown out of the water! (in a good way of course) crepes with the thiessens is more of an 'event' than a meal. there are so many options, that you can feel quite sick at the end because you want to try everything.

when it came to our wedding planning, we knew that we wanted the wedding to be uniquely michael&ashley - so we decided to have crepes. i remember the look on the caterers face when i started explaining the meal to him. he showed me this teeny tiny bowl that he would use for whipped cream & i said 'no no no, you obviously have never met my husband' and then he took me to his kitchen so i could find the right sized bowl.

the crepes themselves are the easy part. it's the toppings that really make the event, the event!

i also recommend getting a good quality crepe pan (about 25 bucks at home outfitters) it can really help.

crepes

2 cups flour
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

mix ingredients together with a whisk so that there are no lumps. heat pan over medium-heat. pour just enough batter to make a nice layer over the entire pan & tilt the pan as needed so that you get the batter covering the pan evenly. when it starts to brown on the pan side, loosen the edges with a spatula and flip the crepe over completely (this is where i'm terrible & michael is great with the flipping). cook the other side till it's browned (it won't get as golden as the first side) then put onto a dinner plate & make the next one. we stack all of the crepes directly on top of one another & cover them with a tea towel till we're ready to eat. ** for whatever reason, we think that the batter is easier to work with if left in the fridge over night, or for an hour or two.

suggested toppings:
whip cream
maple syrup
nutella
peanut butter
corn syrup
vanilla sauce (or a thickened pudding)
bananas
peaches
plain yogurt (with a bit of brown sugar & cinnamon)
strawberries

mike's mom also makes a meat sauce (almost like a stroganoff) to make a savoury crepe. the batter itself is a savoury crepe because of the salt & no sugar, so you can go either sweet or savoury.

my personal favorite? a thin line of nutella. half of a banana sliced up. a line of whip cream. roll it up & drizzle with maple syrup. mmm tasty.

**just an fyi - i have tried to make it easier to comment by removing the word verification step. so feel free to comment as you like!

stack them like so

this picture is from google images. i can't claim the beautiful presentation of such a tasty looking crepe! but mine do always look that good, trust me ;)

this picture speaks for itself.

fleish pereshki

one of my favorite things that my grandma baked were "fleish pereshki", meat buns "fleishers" as they were affectionately called. grandma was famous for her buns and her fleish pereshki. when grandma passed away, i was very sad that i had never made them with her and that i never learned her secrets! but i do have the very special gift of her recipe box and i love to try her recipes... trying to be a baker just like her!!

so today's undertaking was fleish pereshki, which also included attempting her buns.
well, a few hours & 4 1/2 dozen buns later... success! both of my mom's & my auntie ruth stopped by for a bun, and i sent some home for my dad & for josh&leah. michael has eaten a good handful already.. they aren't as perfect as grandma's, but they were a pretty good first start if i can say so myself!

give it a shot. they're worth the effort.

buns:

dissolve 2 tbsp yeast (not instant) ** with 1 cup warm water & 1 tsp sugar. let sit for about 10-15 minutes.
**if you use instant (i did) then only use 1 1/2 tbsp yeast, and don't dissolve it. just sprinkle it when you add the flour.

add 3 cups warm water, 2/3 cup oil, 1 tbsp salt, 3 eggs & 2/3 cup sugar (or less). Add about 7-8 cups (i used 8) flour & knead until the dough reaches the correct consistency.

there are no other formal instructions from grandma - but auntie ruth passed on the following directions from when she made them with grandma: let the bun dough rise till it's doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours (let the bowl sit in a sink of hot water to speed up the process). *form the buns and place on a greased sheet, let rise again for 3/4 hour and bake at 350 degrees till golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

*when making fleish pereshki follow this recipe from this point on.

fleish pereshki

filling: 2 lbs meat (my grandma used to use a low quality roast, and then put it through a meat grinder. i used ground beef)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup of beef broth
salt

brown the meat. add the onions & fry till browned. add broth & salt. let simmer for a few minutes, then let it cool. put meat into a blender (i use the magic bullet) until quite fine. (my own personal opinion: the meat looks really gross at this point. just keep going, it'll be worth it!)
flatten small pieces of dough and put a spoonful of meat in, close them up, place on a greased sheet and let rise for approximately 1 1/2 hours. bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

invite your friends over for a bun. this recipe makes 4 1/2 dozen large buns.

all formed up & waiting for the oven

like i said, the meat looks gross. similar to cat food, just keep going & it will look less gross!

make sure you have lots of space for pans. there are 6 pans in this picture.. can you find them all?

done! delicious.

and for my sister leah, as per her request for some genuine GERMAN in this blog post: Fleisch Brötchen sind es wert, all die Arbeit und schmeckt köstlich. nie jah!

turn the oven on.

i have decided to start another blog
now i offically have 3 blogs *gasp!* i must be a terribly interesting person
or terribly self involved??
or maybe just interested in too many things to jam into one blog

speaking of jam.. that is always something i've wanted to try making, which is a lovely segway into explaining this new blog.

i love trying new recipes. especially with baking, but sometimes with cooking as well.
with cooking I'm more of a "fly by the seat of your pants" type of cook
a pinch of this
a touch of that
and some faithful, tried & true staple recipes

i have always wanted to be an amazing baker
growing up my friends always wanted to come to my house because my mom was the best baker
her cookies were the tastiest
her puffwheat cake - the gooey-est

my grandma was an amazing baker (and cook)
when i would call her to ask for a recipe she'd say "well the recipe says this, but i do this" or "i add flour until it feels right" "i bake it until it's done"
once i watched her make buns. i'm convinced she was faster than any industrial mass producing machine.
baking for loved ones was one way that she showed her love
and i think i got that from her

when she passed away i was able to become the proud owner of her kitchen aid mixer
i think of her whenever i see it
i also have her baking/cooling racks and her cannisters
i love remembering the smell of her kitchen
the way she wore a shower cap to keep her hair out of the recipe

this blog is a place to list recipes
suggestions
experiments
results of those experiments
memories of making these recipes in the past
and so on

i have a newly painted kitchen
piles of recipes, new & old
a creative spirit
and many wonderful friends & family that can enjoy the experiments (at least the ones that turn out!)

so, enjoy
feel free to add suggestions or requests of a recipe you'd like to try or receive
or use the recipes
or ignore me completely :)
this blog is to share, but it's also just a creative outlet for a baker that misses her favorite baker
time to have some fun.