Waiting...

... for his owner to come home.

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Five Degrees

Warm enough for shorts.

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Easter Eggs and The Best Ever Carrot Cake

It's been a long time since I spent an entire day in the kitchen.  We hosted Easter this year, and spending an entire day in this kitchen was not exactly a hardship.  It was a great day of cooking with my Mom, my husband and my brother... without running out of counter space or bumping into each other.  I think I'd be happy to spend many days like that in  the kitchen.

Priority one was coffee.  Then the colouring of the eggs for Easter breakfast.

Next up, French Bread and Spinach Dip.  We'd need plenty of snacks to get us through our cooking marathon.

Crusty French Bread and the BEST Spinach Dip

This year's choice for Easter Dinner - Stuffed Pork Loins.  Recipes here and here.  I also give you two great video clips to illustrate exactly how to cut, stuff, roll, and tie up your pork loins.  This guy demonstrates it very well.

Of course, there were veggies, potatoes and gravy to prepare.  Plenty of snacks.  And wonderful family time.

My favourite part?  Dessert.  The star of the show for me was this Carrot Cake.  It was amazing.  Seriously, this was the best carrot cake I've ever made.  I slightly adapted this recipe by Trish at Mom on Time Out:

Best Carrot Cake Ever

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

2 cups sugar

3 eggs, whisked

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups grated carrots (mine were heaping, so likely closer to 2 1/2 cups)

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup crushed pineapple in juice (not drained)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine vegetable oil, yogurt, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients, then add in carrots, coconut, and pineapple.

Pour into a greased bundt pan or a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1 8oz package cream cheese (softened)

1 tsp vanilla

1 lb powdered sugar

Beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.  Allow cake to cool before frosting.  And if you love cream cheese icing as much as I do, double the recipe.  Extra icing is a good thing.

To-Die-For Carrot cake at Mom on Time Out

   

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Look for the Helpers

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Easter

Working on an Easter post.  In the meantime, colouring Easter eggs... seven years ago...

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Moving Discoveries and the Process of Purging

I recently discovered that I am the proud owner of 17 vases.  Not to mention countless mugs.

This move has provided a golden opportunity to purge and begin the process of simplifying.  When you come across a box while packing that hasn’t been UNpacked in three cross-country moves containing, among other things, a GLASS jar of mayonnaise (no modern day plastic here, thank you very much) that expired in 1989, you know it’s time to get rid of a few things.

Side note - the mayonnaise seemed to be well preserved and appeared to look quite normal, but we didn't open it to find out.

Seriously, some of the boxes we had in our basement had stickers on them from multiple moving companies.  Obviously we didn't really need whatever was in them.

There’s an ugly word that sometimes gets thrown around our house, usually when someone is frantically searching through the ever-present paper pile on the kitchen counter….or more recently, when a box of VHS movies made their way into the basement (we don’t even own a VCR anymore).

HOARDER.

I knew before we started packing that there were a lot of things that needed to go.  Knowing and DOING, however, are two entirely different things.   It’s not easy to find the time needed to sort through a lifetime’s worth of accumulated stuff.  Moving has forced me to make the time and start the process of purging.

Just to be clear, I am not one of those last-week’s-lunch-under-the-coffee-table kind of hoarders.  We don’t have 27 cats and I don’t need to walk through a sea of garbage to get to the kitchen sink.  I am the other kind of hoarder, the I-can’t-throw-it-away-if-it-has-sentimental-value kind of hoarder.  The thought of throwing away handmade Mother’s Day cards, kindergarten report cards, maps from our last family vacation, twenty year old programs from The Phantom and Les Mis, prom tickets, kids’ artwork, or any other kind of memorabilia just stresses me out.  Interestingly, being surrounded by clutter also stresses me out.  You see my dilemna. 

I am digging deep and finding my way through the process of purging while preserving.  It’s tricky and complicated and I wish I had started this a helluva long time ago.

If I was at the beginning of this journey with children, I would take photos of artwork and memorabilia to store electronically, keeping selected pieces to frame and/or scrapbook.  But twenty years ago we hadn’t yet entered this digital age, and developing film was expensive, so photography was much more selective.  You would have never caught me taking a picture of a plate of nachos or a cup of coffee.   I won’t part with all of the treasures my children have created over the years, but I do plan to digitally catalogue them so it will be easier to let most of them go.

When the kids were small, I kept every scrap of clothes to hand down to the next in line.  If it didn’t fit anyone right then, it would surely fit someone eventually.  Perfectly reasonable, yes?  Now they’re older, more fashion conscious, with different body types and personalities.  They aren’t wearing a whole lot of big brother’s clothing anymore…. so why are there 31 pairs of jeans waiting to be sorted into closets?  17 hoodies?  And this is AFTER having made multiple runs to Goodwill before we moved.  

Pokemon cards.

POGS.

Crazy Bones.

Beanie Babies.

Rocks.

Shells.

Kids love to collect, and these kids were champion collectors when they were small. 

Books.   Lotsa books.

We have a lot of stuff.  There are, after all, eight people living in this house.  I know some of this stuff can go, but it would be unrealistic to expect to see it all gone.  I can’t bring myself to be a complete minimalist because there is an emotional attachment to many of the things we own.  But I can find a way to trim it back and better manage what we do choose to keep.

This is going to be an interesting journey.

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We've moved...

...and we're living in a sea of boxes.

Note the abundance of snow.  Hello, tomorrow's the first day of spring.

I already love this kitchen.

I unpacked 17 vases.  Who the heck needs 17 vases??

Springing forward has left me feeling far behind!  More to come soon.

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Versatile Blogger Award

If you don't already know Bev at Black Ink Paperie, go check her out.  She is the funniest writer I've had the pleasure of discovering here in the blogosphere.  She is responsible for the sticky 'h' key on my keyboard, after having had coffee spewed onto it more than once.  She recently bestowed upon me the Versatile Blogger Award which, coming from her, blew my socks off.  So now I must 'put on my face' and graciously accept this award, albeit without nearly as much style as Bev.

The Rules are as follows:

             1) Thank the blogger who nominated you and include a link to their site.

Thank you Bev.  I'm repeating myself here, as I've told you this before, but you are an incredibly gifted writer and I hope to see you publish a book one day.  You're also a talented crafter, despite your recent funk.

             2) Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your blog post.

Check.

              3) Nominate 7 fellow bloggers and include a link to their site.

Em at Dartmoor Ramblings - I love her photos!

Tami at Pretty Purplexing -  We hockey mama's have to stick together.

Galina at Chez Maximka - This girl can cook!
Kristin at About A Girl - She's a rockin' Canuck!
Mary at The Sauers - Cutest family ever.
Angela at A Typical English Home - The UK's very own Martha Stewart.

              4) Let them know you have nominated them.

Check.

               5) Share 7 random facts about you.

   Click here to see some random facts that I shared not too long ago.  

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Pancake Tuesday

Today is Pancake Tuesday... or Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday... depending on where you live and how you  celebrate.  I have never been to Mardi Gras, nor have I ever participated in a Pancake Race, but in recognition of this day we will have pancakes for dinner. 

Which will make this breakfast-for-dinner-loving-girl very happy indeed.  My go-to pancake recipe is a standard buttermilk one, which I've shared at the end of this post.  It  makes wonderfully thick and fluffy pancakes, but I'm tempted to try something different tonight.  

Like these German Apple Pancakes at Jamie Cooks it Up!  Amazing, no?

There is no shortage of alternative pancake inspiration out there and in the spirit of true over-indulgence, I believe a Pancake Buffet may be the answer.  Seriously, check these out:



Whole Wheat Brown Sugar Banana Bread Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Glaze at How Sweet It Is

Orange-Vanilla Greek Yogurt Pancakes (Whole Grain) at Aggie's Kitchen

Pannukkau {Finnish Pancake} at the Recipe Critic



Pancakes Bananas Foster  from yours truly!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes at A Good Appetite
Including directions for making your own Ricotta!

Buttermilk Oatcakes & Berry Compote at The Curious Country Cook

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes at The Pioneer Woman

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce at Ambrosia Baking

Sparkling Apple Cider Pancakes with Sparkling Apple Cider Syrup at Chef in Training

Egg Nog Pancakes from yours truly!

Quinoa Power Pancakes at Rachel Cooks

Healthy Almond Pancakes at Wonky Wonderful

Of course, no Pancake Buffet is complete without an assortment of syrups:

Cinnamon Syrup at Jamie Cooks it Up!

Blueberry Syrup at Closet Cooking

Buttermilk Caramel Syrup at Creations by Kara




Coconut Syrup at Jamie Cooks it Up

Creamy Marionberry Syrup at Oh Sweet Basil

And if one wants to ensure their Pancake Buffet is completely over the top, I give you dessert pancakes:

Boston Cream Pie Pancakes at Country Cleaver

Sour Cream Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Maple Coffee Glaze by Melissa from No. 2 Pencil at The Pinterest Project

Oreo Cookie Pancakes at Minimalist Baker

Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 cups buttermilk*

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, melted butter and eggs in a separate bowl until well combined. 

*If you don't keep buttermilk on hand, make your own buttermilk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for each cup of milk.  Put the tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in your measuring cup, then add the milk to measure one cup of buttermilk.  Allow to sit for a few minutes before combining with the other ingredients.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients.  Allow batter to sit for a few minutes.

Lightly butter a large frying pan and set over medium heat.  Use a 1/3 cup of batter for each 6” pancake.  Flip each pancake when bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to brown, 2-3 minutes.  If your pancakes brown too quickly, turn heat down to medium-low.  Cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes or until browned. 

Serve right away or keep warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining pancakes. 

Maple syrup is required :)

Happy Pancake Tuesday!

Thank you for featuring me!

  

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Snow Day

Once upon a time an Alberta Clipper hooked up with a Texas Low Pressure System.

And Southern Ontario was closed.

The End.

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