Blueberries

Large amounts of fabulous blueberries at my grocery store today. Canadian blueberries. Big, firm and delicious. I wash them gently by filling my salad spinner with water, swish them around, then pick the berries up out of the water in the colander insert and carefully, so as not to squish a single one, deposit them on a clean dish towel to dry off. Then, after we have had our fill, I pop them by the handfuls into small freezer bags and stick them in the freezer for use when fresh ones are not around. Yumm and full of nutrients for healthy bodies and minds.

Five things to do with Bountiful Blueberries:
Blueberry Lemon Scones
Blueberry Pancakes
Blueberry Pie
Blueberries in your Salad
Blueberries by the handful

My tongue is Blue!

A Bike & A Mountain Flower & An Ice Pop

When in the mountains, my boys and I like to ride our bikes. Wild flowers, mountain streams and lakes attract us. Ice Pops hit the spot when we arrive home hot and dusty. Try making a different batch each night. The fruit and juice give you a pop of carbohydrate and the yogurt a little protein. Perfect.

Healthy, High-Energy Ice Pops

Freezing Time: 4-6 hours

Equipment: Blender or food processor, Popsicle forms

Servings: 6 Ice Pops, depends on size of form

Ingredients

1 cup favorite yogurt, flavored or plain

2 handfuls of your favorite fruit, cleaned, chopped  bananas,  berries, stone fruit, your favorite

1 cup fruit juice – orange, apple, your favorite

Order of Events

1. Blend ingredients together in a blender or food processor until well blended.

2. Pour into Ice Pop forms.

3. Freeze until solid, then remove by running the forms under hot water.

Enjoy!

Kitchen Gossip

A Popsicle sweet and sticky dripping down your arm on a hot summer day is a favorite childhood memory.

The Delegator Quietly Hovers

You can see me quietly moving in the background. A lunch inquiry was made, options were suggested, no move was made on my part to instigate the procedure. The sous chef moves in and starts the preparation. I step back and offer only enough assistance to keep the flow going. Miraculously lunch comes together and the herd eats. Pride and accomplishment subtly crossing the sous chefs face.
Bunny

Gingery Lemon Soda / Goofy Is As Goofy Does

Are there any like these, in your home?
I have a Tonic for that.

Gingery Lemon Soda

Ingredients
1/2-1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 inch nub fresh ginger, sliced thin

4-6 lemons,scrubbed
1 bunch fresh mint, cleaned

Ice
Soda water

Order of Events

1. Make a Ginger Simple Syrup by mixing together sugar, water and ginger in a small pot. Bring to a simmer and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Cool leaving ginger in until ready to store in the fridge or use, then strain off ginger. Traditionally simple syrup is equal amounts of sugar and water. I find this a bit sweet in my concoctions so I decrease the sugar up to a half. Find what works for you.
2. Slice one lemon into the thinnest possible slices and add them to a pitcher. Use a juicer to juice the rest of the lemons and add the juice to the pitcher. Pour in half of the Ginger Simple Syrup. Pack in a couple of handfuls of fresh mint, stems included.
3. Fill the pitcher with ice and soda water. Taste, add more Ginger Simple Syrup if necessary.
4.  Pour into tall glasses, garnish with a sprig of mint. Enjoy!

Fresh Currants Make Great Jam

On Saturday I went to the market. Red currants and gooseberries caught my eye. The currants were a mass of beautiful red jewels and a tangle of stems. The gooseberries were rosy red and reminded me of the farm when I was little. Both have good natural pectin perfect for jam.

Currant & Gooseberry Jam

Ingredients
2 cups currants, stemmed and cleaned
2 cups gooseberries, cleaned
1/4 cup of water

11/4-11/2 cups sugar

zest from 1 lemon

Order of Events

1. Crush the berries in layers in a heavy non reactive pot with a potato masher. The gooseberries are big enough to crush, the currants mostly missed the potato masher, that's ok.

2. Add the water and bring the fruit to a simmer, watch carefully and stir so the fruit does not scorch on the bottom of the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes, letting the natural pectin release from the fruit.

3. Add the sugar 1/4 cup at a time, simmering and stirring as you go. Stir in the lemon zest.  Taste to make sure you like the sweetness. When most of the currants have popped and you can see the jam thickening on the back of your spoon it is done. Remove from heat and pour into a clean glass container. Jam will thicken as it cools. Cover with a tight fitting lid when cooled and store in the refrigerator. With hungary mouths arond this jam will not last long but you can keep it in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

Enjoy!

Recognise This Man?

Recognize this man? He used to be a boy. This man works hard. When he looks at print it moves, up and down, in waves and from the end of one word down the line to another word. He has to work hard to make print stay still. Its tiring work but he persists. This man is smart. He is caring, empathetic, strong and goofy. Good qualities in a man. This man graduated high school this year and he is going to University! This man used to be a boy now he is a man.

Bunny Cleaver Loves A Mean Shoe

I love shoe shopping, I love wearing scrumptious shoes, I even like organizing and taking account of my shoes. I do not always buy expensive ones, although I have nothing against an expensive shoe if our budget allows it, I will look in high and low shops for the perfect find. I never wear heels when I am in the kitchen unless all the work has been done and I am bringing out the appetizers and starting to sip on a cocktail. My standard shoe for the kitchen is low with good support. I want to be comfortable while I am delegating duties, creating a new recipe or pulling dinner together. These classic nude shoes did not cost me a bundle, even though they scream that they did. Perfect !

Strength in Two

This is my man. Together we are stronger than apart. We bike, clean, cook, fight, raise children, make love and balance the books together. He makes tea for me in the morning, takes care of my car and smokes a mean roast.  I wash his socks, make his dinner and listen to what he thinks are hilarious stories. What he does for me I can usually do for him and vice verse. What needs to get done usually does. Each of us has power in One & Strength in Two.

A Tool For Your Kitchen

 

Today's tip, make salsa from something other than tomatoes. Try peaches, nectarines, pears or mangoes. 

Be creative and your salsa will be a hit!

I wrote Cook as a tool for the kitchen. A counter top book for all the basics we eat in North America from Monday to Sunday morning to night. How do you roast a piece of meat, make a soup, create a salad dressing, soft boil eggs, make a pizza dough? It is all in Cook, published by Whitecap Books. My call is to unite your own personal sous chefs and get them cooking. A skill that will empower your sous chefs for the rest of their lives! Cook!

Today go to the CTV Edmonton website, click on CTV Morning Live, scroll to Fun Summer Dips & Salsa, to see Deb making Salsa.

Hands Down Easiest, Favorite Dinner

 This is one of my go to meals. All my sous chefs can make it and love it. I hope yours do too. This is one recipe in my book Cook--You Can Cook Fast, Healthy Meals For Your Family, Published by Whitecap Books

Hamburger Pasta Meal

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Equipment: Heavy pot with lid

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red or green pepper, chopped

1 lb lean ground beef

¼ tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 clove garlic, crushed

1½ cups elbow macaroni

1 (700 mL) bottle spaghetti sauce

2 cups water

1½ cups cheddar or mozzarella cheese, grated

Order of Events

1. In a large skillet or heavy pot over medium-high heat, brown beef in oil with onion and pepper. With a wooden spoon, break beef into large chunks and stir constantly until completely cooked through and browning.

2. Stir chili powder, salt and crushed garlic into beef mixture.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low; add macaroni, spaghetti sauce and 1½ cups water. Bring to a simmer; cover with lid.

4. Simmer until macaroni is cooked and liquid is absorbed, approximately 6-8 minutes.

5. Stir in cheese and mix until melted through.

Kitchen Gossip

Vegetarian option – Omit the ground beef and substitute ground soy. You could also make the dish with ground turkey.  Pump up the vegetables by adding chopped carrots in step 1.

FOOD MECHANIC

Delightfully Cool Aprons

Aprons are cool. No really they are cool. They perk up a dowdy outfit and keep an especially delicious outfit clean. I have decided I am not old fashioned. I am modern traditional. This Saturday morning shot of pancake making proves how desirable a colorfully functional apron can be. I am not sure why my sous chefs chose not to be in the picture with me but I keep telling them, I'm Cool!

Banana Bread

The banana tree is actually an herb. My sister in-law, the fab lady who seems to be able to recite the botanical names of all the plants she comes in contact with refused to believe this. I had to go  and get my loved copy of Alan Davidson's, The Oxford Companion to Food, and show her. Bananas are a marvelous fruit. They travel well in their own carrying case, freeze well and whip up into delicious smoothies with a full, flavorful mouth feel and they make an amazing quick bread. I have made banana bread for my boys since they were young. For a treat I will throw a handful of chocolate chips on the top of the batter before I bake it. This banana bread comes form Cook--You Can Cook Fast Healthy Meals For Your Family, Whitecap Books.
This afternoon tea and a slice of banana bread!

Great Auntie Irene's Cookies

My Great Auntie Irene was a mod gal.  She was born in 1907 and passed away in her 99th year in 2006. She never had children  but embraced my aunts and uncles and all their broods as her own. She met and married my Uncle Charlie, an American, in 1953.

She was young in the roaring 20's and filled my head with fantastic stories. I loved hearing about the parties, hats, shoes and outfits best and bless her soul she remembered every one of them. I too love a great hat and a sparkling new shoe.

When my kids were little and new shoes were far and few between I was overwhelmed as the holidays approached. I wanted to bake cookies but could barley furrow up the energy for one batch let alone the  2-3 I wanted.  Aunt Irene came to my rescue and passed along one of her cookie recipes she had been making since she was a girl. They are simple and everyone loves them. She would make 3 different looking cookies from the same recipe. It looks like you have been baking all day. I included Aunt Irene's recipe in my book Cook--You Can Cook Fast, Healthy Meals For Your Family published by Whitecap Books.

Jam Thumbprints – Aunt Irene’s  Cookies

Oven Temperature: 350˚F

Baking Time: 10-12 minutes

Equipment: Cookie sheets

Servings: 40 cookies

Ingredients

2½ cups all purpose flour

½ tsp cream of tartar

½ tsp baking soda

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup non-hydrogenated lard

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

 Ingredient Options

Raspberry jam

Beaten egg and toasted pecans, chopped

Order of Events

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar and baking soda.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and lard with sugars.

4. Add egg and vanilla and blend well. Blend in dry ingredients.

5. Roll into small balls and press with thumb and put jam in center. Or press flat, dip in beaten egg, and press into chopped toasted pecans. Or press flat and leave plain.

6. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes until evenly brown, rotate pans half way through baking.

7. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet, remove to wire rack to cool.

Kitchen Gossip

For the timed-starved, you can make 3 different-looking cookies with this one recipe.

TELL ME AGAIN WHY YOU NEED TO BUY BOXED COOKIES

Deb Anzinger P.H.Ec.

Shadow Parents

Sometimes parents need to be in the shadows.
Standing back and letting my children make their own decisions is what I have to do. Its not easy. My nature is to organize, delegate and get everyone moving. My goal is to have independent, happy children who put their own partners first just as my partner and I do for each other. I need to give them space to organize and think for themselves. I will be there if they need me. Watching them take chances, reach for goals and grow their self confidence is a priceless gift.

My Sous Chef Has Flown the Coop

Big Burly Boys love to eat.

It is a joy to watch them re energize with healthy, colorful, good for you food.

I call my boys my Sous Chefs. I am the Big Kahuna, the Organizer, usually the Shopper and certainly the Head Chef! I relish my role and love to delegate.

One of my Sous Chefs has flown the coop. Not for good, thank god, for the summer.

Will I survive without my sous chef? Will he survive without a Head Chef?

Part of me wants to think he will be lost at sea without his mother to delegate jobs to him. One of his comments before leaving was" Mom what are you going to do when you can't think for me any more" That hurt but the comment had truth. Please do not tell him I said so!

When I asked him if he would be eating a lot of Burritos from the Burrito Grill, they are fabulous, he looked at me and smiled, " Mom as long as I have your book Cook with me I will be fine, I am hoping to invite the guys in for dinner."

Guys welcome to your new roles as Sous Chefs.

Deb Anzinger, Professional Home Economist, author of Cook--You Can Cook Fast, Healthy Meals For Your Family