Mr. & Mrs. DoitAll

Mr. and Mrs. Doitall had very busy lives.

Mrs. Doitall was a full-time nurse working shifts and Mr. Doitall was a Vice Principal at a local high school. They had three little Doitalls that were all involved in sports and music.

The Doitalls were very health conscious. They loved each other and wanted to provide their family with an active, healthy, nutritious lifestyle.

Mr. and Mrs. Doitall wanted to have fresh, flavourful dinners with their family. They understood that family meals would provide them with time to check in with each other and find out what was going on in each other’s lives. Mr. Doitall was aware that  children who felt grounded in their home performed better at school. Mrs. Doitall wanted her children to know how to put a healthy meal together from basic ingredients--the skill  would benefit their health for the rest of their lives. However, they were depending on processed meals every day.

Mr. and Mrs. Doitall decided make food a priority in their home. They worked together and got their children involved so that they would reap the value of food time spent together. 

Mrs. Doitall took on the role of planner, she used the book Cook—You Can Cook Fast, Healthy Meals For Your Family, by author Deborah Anzinger P.H.Ec.. Mr. Doitall shopped, and all the little Doitalls were given a role in the kitchen.

Fresh, flavourful,  meals were coming together easier and, to Mr. and Mrs. Doitall’s delight,  the little Doitalls were involved!

Raspberries

Raspberries

I saw her sitting in the grass staring at the thorny stalks. I could almost see the mechanisms of her brain figuring out how to get the plump, crimson spheres out from amid the thorny branches littered with green. Her tail was wagging.

Oh how I love the cluster of small fruits with stones called raspberries. Raspberries are a member of the rose family and grow with thorny stalks similar to roses.

Raspberries in season force our attention, growing with juicy red abandon in back yards, parks, mountain trails and by lakes and cottages. In fact they grow wild in much of the Northern Hemisphere and in some Southern parts too.

 Dollops of raspberry jam sticky and dripping between my fingers is an early childhood memory.

Between July and October, prime raspberry growing season, the tasty crimson spheres can be popped in your mouth, warm from the sun and sweet from their prickly stalks, picked by the buckets full at U Picks or purchased in bulk at your local grocer or farmers market.  Raspberries the quintessential Canadian fruit are important for their abundance, comparatively low cost and their variety of uses.

Use your salad spinner to gently wash and dry them. Lay them out on a towel lined jellyroll pan to finish drying. Too many raspberries to eat? Freeze in a single layer on the jellyroll pan, when frozen remove to an airtight plastic bag and store in the freezer. You can pull them out by the handful. Or for making jam or smoothies you can freeze clean berries together in a mass in airtight plastic bags. If I’m too busy, or don’t want to make jam in the heat of the summer I freeze them and pull them out to make jam on a cold winter day bringing the heat and sunshine of summer back into our kitchen. I like to make raspberry jam with frozen cranberries harnessing the pectin in the cranberries to gel my raspberries. I also add fresh lemon juice, giving the jam a sensational burst of flavor.  I am attaching my raspberry jam recipe.

 Our Austrian grandmother, Oma, has a huge patch at the lake in Ontario, the grandkids encouraged to eat and pick berries for desserts. We have a small patch in our Alberta back yard and bike rides in the mountains of British Columbia are stopped abruptly when approaching a wild patch.

I want to share with you the things I do with raspberries, besides popping them limitlessly in my mouth and making jam.

I add them to baked recipes like brownies, scones and cakes.  Simply fold the berries in at the last moment, trying not to crush them. The Fast, Yummy Brownie recipe from Cook—You Can Cook Fast Healthy Meals For Your Family is scrumptious with a handful of fresh raspberries folded in at the last moment.

For breakfast fresh raspberries on your cereal raise it up a few elegant notches, or toss them into your morning smoothie with yogurt, fresh mint and a few squirts of fresh lemon juice. Simmer raspberries with a little sugar and lemon juice then add to raw oats and milk, soak overnight in the fridge and wake to a Swiss breakfast delight.

Make simple syrup with raspberries for cocktails or simply drop a few fresh or frozen berries into your favorite cocktail or glass of bubbly.

For savory raspberry delights sauté onions and garlic in butter then add a couple of handfuls of raspberries and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. The sauce is perfect for oven roasts on cold wintery days or bbq fare on hot summer days. Or make raspberry vinaigrette for your salads with crushed raspberries.

For dessert whip them into creamy ice cream or simply top fresh berries with whipped cream. On a cold winter night slice up whatever fruit you have on hand and drizzle with a little raspberry jam for an easy healthy dessert.

As I stood watching her stare at the thorny stalks, she gently reached in and plucked a perfectly ripe berry from between the thorns. A few days of watching proved to me that not only did she avoid the thorns; she was also leaving the green berries alone until they blossomed into perfectly red sweet ones. Lilly our black lab mix is a smart Gal.

Here’s to a Happy New Year and the sweet taste of raspberry jam in your home.

Simply Pure Cran/Raspberry Jam

Makes: 14 cups jam

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

6 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen

9 cups sugar

¾ cup fresh lemon juice, approx. 4-5 lemons

¼ tsp salt

Order of Events

1. 
   Fill a large canner with water and bring to a boil over high heat.  You will heat your clean jars in the water before filling them with jam and you will process your jam in the canner after filling your jars.

2.   
  Put your lids and screw bands in a separate small pot and heat to just below a boil. You want them hot when you put them on the jars of jam but you do not want to boil them before you put them on the jars of jam.


3.   
  Place raspberries, cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 15 minutes. Continue stirring. The raspberries will fall apart; the cranberries will pop their skin.

4.    
Remove from heat and skim any foam off the top of the berries with a stainless steel spoon.


5.    
Fill clean hot canning jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Cover with hot prepared disks. Screw on bands until resistance is met; increase to fingertip tight. Boil in boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Let jars stand in canner for 5 minutes. Lift up rack. With canning tongs, transfer jars to cooling rack; let cool undisturbed for 24 hours.

Moose & Deb Cruise The Rhine

Moose & Deb Cruise The Rhine May 2014

Never having been to Europe I was thrilled when my adventurous Dad invited me to navigate the Rhine River with him on a boat cruise. One on one time has been elusive among the two of us. I would be one of a contingent of 10 travellers from my hometown.

My husband Eric said, “I hope neither one of you gets pushed out the cabin door into the river!”

Day One & Two Amsterdam

We arrived in Amsterdam to rain and wind. No spring dresses will be worn meandering down the beautiful, picturesque streets or pattering through the willowy halls of museums. We fitted ourselves out with layers; t shirts, sweaters, jackets, hats, umbrellas. Wishing I had packed boots and a down jacket. The weather was quickly over looked as we took in Holland’s sophisticated, modern capital and its rich and fascinating history. Amsterdam’s architecture, cafes, restaurants, streets, squares and canals averted our attention with its charms. Dad and I visited the Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank’s house, did a cruise of the inner city canals, bus toured around the city and had beer with a couple of charming, grizzled locals.

By 4 o’clock on the second day we were on our boat meeting the captain and crew and settling into our tight but comfy stateroom. We stayed on the second floor of three and rocked our nights to sleep at river level. Lying in bed I could see the stars as we moved by. If I listened carefully I could hear the swoosh of the river water under Darth’s breathing apparatus as we cruised along from one beautiful city to another.

We argued weather the curtains should stay open all night or shut and if the sliding doors to the river could be opened while we slept. Maybe he was worried I would push him out.

Day Two Koblenz-Rhine George- Rudesheim

Barbara, the cruise director, called us the loud Canadians but we took no offence. Its good to know how to laugh with your belly contorting, a quality passed down to me by my Dad. He lives his life to its fullest with honesty. When he is mad he can be grumpy and let you know, when he is happy everyone around him can’t help but be happy too!

Koblenz is 2,000 years old. The age of everything filled me with reverence. I loved it, touching the stone trying to absorb the energies of those who passed before me working, living, loving, fighting and dyeing in these beautiful places.

The dramatic Rhine Gorge is the most beautiful stretch of river and not to be missed, high rising cliffs with ancient castles. We sat watching mesmerized as we passed one magnificent castle after another while sipping fabulous crisp, dry German Riesling from the area.

In the quintessential Rhine Valley town of Rudesheim we visited Siegried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. We saw large and small self-playing instruments built from the 18^th to the early 20^th centuries. The town was delightful with narrow cobblestoned streets, open-air wine gardens and live music. We sipped hot drinks with local liquor, coffee and whipped European cream.

Day Three Cologne Germany

Cologne is one of Germany’s largest cities and capital of the Rhineland. It straddles both sides of the Rhine and is known for its soaring, twin-peeked gothic cathedral. We took a guided city walk that included a Jewish Heritage walk and a tour of the Cathedral. The experience was breathtaking! I was not expecting all the Roman sights and was struck by the Roman Games floor that had been unearthed. Instead of moving it a museum has been built over and around it and you can peer down through the glass to view it imagining the dancing and activities that might have happened on it. The Jewish town being unearthed right now dating back to Roman times was also a highlight to take in and I wished I had more time to stay and absorb the history and culture. Dad and I walked together over the cobblestones back to our ship.

Day Five Mainz & Heidelberg

This morning I woke up again at 4 a.m. and quietly slipped out of our room. The rain had stopped the day before and the sky was clear except for a large, full, yellow paper moon. I went outside up to the top deck and spent an hour walking the deck as I watched the moon go down and the sun rise up. I watched as we smoothly maneuvered the confluence of the Rhine and Main Rivers and pulled into Mainz with origins dating to around 38BC. By these standards my 51-year-old self and 83-year-old dad are merely spring chickens.

A local guide walked us around Mainz along the river, through the old town, and to the captivating Gutenberg Museum. I could have spent much more time at the museum learning about Gutenberg, the man who invented modern printing and soaking in the ancient printing presses and books.

In the afternoon we travelled to Heidelberg, home of the oldest University in Germany and visited the imposing ruins of Heidelberg Castle. The castle towers magnificently over the city. Standing in the castle surrounded by stone it was easy to envision castle life, the comings and goings of its inhabitants.

Day 6 Strasbourg France

Strasbourg sits on the border of France and Germany blending the cultures of both countries. It is the capital of the Alsace region and seat of the Council of Europe and European Parliament. We visited the red sandstone Gothic Cathedral with its ancient murals, stained-glass windows and fascinating astronomical clock.  Sat at Christian’s Patisserie eating cake and sipping hot chocolate. We also toured the La Petite France district; exploring the large historic square in the heart of medieval Strasbourg. We took a bus excursion into the Alsace wine country and tasted four unique wines to the region. The most interesting part was driving through the medieval fortressed towns and their beautiful stone gates to reach the winery.

Day 7 Colmar & Breisach

Today we started in Colmar the birthplace of the father of The Statue of Liberty. Colmar is a beautiful small French town. A maze of cobble stoned streets lined with centuries old half-timbered houses. I bought cheese and a croissant at a local market.

In the afternoon we took a bus tour through the Black Forest. I felt I must have been moving through a movie scene, as the landscape was so picturesque and pristine. Green pastures, thick dark forest, wild flowers abundant along the roads, bubbling streams and at the top black forest cake, cherry schnapps and cookoo clocks created by a local wood carver.

To say we were tired in the evening would be an understatement.

Meals on the Ship were delightful, mornings and lunch a buffet and evenings 4-5 course meals with wine.

Before dinner cocktails in the lounge, dinner in the dining room and back to the lounge for conversation about our days and dancing if you could muster any energy.  

Dad started out a little stiff in Amsterdam, possibly the flight and cold wet weather, he refused to miss a single excursion the whole trip and was noticeably nimbler by our last day on board. The second night we even managed a few dances that left the boat a twitter and had the American’s questioning me during the next day’s tour if he was my partner. I laughed and replied no my soon to be 84 year old Dad.

Dad, I had the trip of a lifetime with you. You opened my eyes to Europe. Eric is in trouble now because soon I will want to return! Thank-you for the gift! I will always remember.

Eric was happy: neither of us got pushed out the cabin door into the Rhine!

 Moose soaking in the ambiance!