A Front Porch Party, a Giveway winner and yet another Giveaway!

Good Morning and welcome to the Second Annual Celebration of Rhondi's Porch Party. Rhondi of Rose Coloured Glasses is our gracious hostess. Now, I really don't have a front porch here at Oak Cottage, I have an old stone patio and a beautiful garden but I don't have the front porch of my dreams . . . you know the kind . . . long and sweeping across the front of your house, a place to sit in a comfy chair and look out at the world and keep an eye on all that's happening in the neighbourhood, a place to greet neighbours and friends, a place to just sit and contemplate . . .

I have always wanted to live in a house with a wrap around veranda. Back in my home town there are lots of huge old Victorian homes. I used to have to walk past several of them on my way to school and as I did, I used to dream about what it would be like to live in one of them. To be able to sit on their porches and view the world from such a solubrious place . . .



Just imagine . . .



There would be comfy chairs sitting along the front, just right for you and me and mayhap another friend or two . . . sleepy dogs laying by our feet and keeping us company.



A swing in one corner, just right for a young courting couple to sit upon it, on a warm summer's evening, the swing gently moving back and forth . . . he flirts . . . she blushes . . .



Plants are everywhere, bring colour, and scent and humming birds . . . not to mention bumbly bees and butterflies . . .



Over in another corner a hammock swings, just the thing for aching and tired bones on a lazy summer afternoon. You lay in it and drift off, the sound of leaves tinkling in the breeze and the far off cry of a lawn mower . . . music to your ears.



Perhaps the trickle of water moving over pebbles and stones in a nearby a nearby brook . . .



Of an evening you can have friends over for a front porch supper . . . they only need to bring their appetites. I can hear the laughter and the conversation now . . .



The screen door creaks open and then slams and you think to yourself . . . I better get some oil out, that door is squeaking . . . you wave to a neighbour as she passes by. You haven't seen her in a while and so you invite her up for a sit together and a chat . . .



Perhaps an ice cold glass of lemonade, it's a warm day out there . . .

and some blueberry cupcakes. You didn't think I wouldn't bake did you???



*Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

From the minute I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, I knew I had to bake them. They looked so pretty, capped with that lucious looking cream cheese frosting and little blueberry jewels.
They are fabulous and best of all probably only half the calories of a normal cupcake. Rich, moist and chock full of lovely blueberries, these are real winners!

CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups plus 2 TBS flour, divided
10 TBS white sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1/2 cup 2% reduced fat milk
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
3/4 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
FROSTING:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) low fat cream cheese (Philadelphia)
2 TBS butter, softened
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
fresh blueberries to garnish (optional)



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. LIne a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, Set aside.

Measure out the 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1 TBS of the flour into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, baking powder, salt and soda.

Whisk together the butter, egg, buttermilk, milk, and lemon zest in another bowl.

Stir the blueberries together with the remaining 1 TBS of flour in a third bowl.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the floured mixture, stirring only until moist. Gently fold in the blueberries along with the 1 TBS of flour. Divide equally and spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes on a rack before removing them completely from the pan to finish cooling on the wire rack.

Once cooled completely make the frosting by placing the cream cheese and the next 4 ingredients into a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at low speed until blended. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, taking care not to overbeat. You may need to use a bit more icing sugar than the recipe states. I did, but the creamed cheese over here is not as thick as the cream cheese in North America. Stir in the lemon juice. (I left out the lemon juice in the frosting and just used 1/2 tsp of lemon extract instead, because of the cream cheese issue over here.) Spread frosting evenly over top of the cupcakes. Garnish with blueberries if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

Hop on over to Rhondi's Page to see some of the other Front Porch Party Entries. There are sure to be some beautiful porches out there.

In the meantime, I'd like to announce the winner of my last giveaway . . . the cupcake cookery book, cute cupcake liners and an assortment of five of my notecards which feature my own artwork.

Jan of Serendipity, you're my lucky winner! OH how exciting! E-mail me with your details Jan so I can get these goodies out to you. Don't forget to let me know which five cards you would like.

All you others take heart. TO celebrate the launch of my new cookery blog, The English Kitchen, I am hosting another delicious giveaway over there. Hop on over today to see what it's all about and get in on the chance of winning my wonderful prize! You just never know, the lucky winner could be you!!

Christmas is About . . .

In all the hustle and bustle that surrounds us during the Christmas season it is easy to forget what Christmas is all about. Christmas is really a time to celebrate the greatest gift ever given us in the birth of the Christ Child, and to take time out of our frantically busy lives to re-enforce our family and social bonds. It's not meant to be a time of craziness and hectic activity. There are really only a few things that truly matter, the rest is not really all that important, so relax and enjoy and let's put a few things into perspective . . .

Christmas Family Motto's

1. Reach Out To Others
It's not always possible to have all your family members or friends to be with you at Christmas for one reason or another. My own family is across the ocean in Canada and it has been 10 years since I have been able to spend Christmas with any of them. It would be really easy to feel alone and homesick for them at this time of year. The way I combat that feeling is to reach out to others. I have my Todd and our Jess, of course, but each year we try to share our Christmas lunch with other people that we know are in the same boat as us. Todd has children over here of course, but for various reasons (read D I V O R C E) they have nothing to do with him and so it can be quite a lonely time for him as well. We do have each other and that is pretty wonderful, but it's nice to be able to reach out and share that love with others as well. If doing that is not a possibility then why not consider going to the Salvation Army and helping them to prepare and deliver the meals that they put on for many homeless and lost people on Christmas Day. The best way to find yourself and start truly living your life is to begin to give it away, and that is done through service . . .

2. Appreciate what you have
This is the perfect time of year to sit down and reflect on all the blessings that have come your way over the past twelve months and the moments you have truly enjoyed, moments that have brought you pleasure , or taught you new things about yourself. It's easy to look at others who appear have a lot more than we have and to feel deprived or hard done by, but the truth is we, each one of us have things that are worth far more than anything we can hold in our hands. If we are healthy. If we are loved. If we have shelter over our heads and clothes on our backs. If we are warm and fed . . . the rest is only the icing on the cake.

3. Appreciate who you have
He may not be Brad Pitt or George Clooney, but he's mine and he loves me, and I love him. Jess may be furry and not a child, but she's the most loyal and faithful companion anyone could ever ask for in a pet. We have wonderful friends both in real life and invisible blogging friends. This is the perfect time of year to let those you know how grateful you are to have their presence in your life. Take a few moments to let them know how much they mean to you. Tis the gift that keeps on giving . . .

4. Think Harmony
It's quite easy to take little things that are said in the wrong context and to respond in a like manner. This is the time of the year to give the benefit of the doubt to others and to respond to what you hear, not to what you imagine is being said or done. Peace on earth and good will towards man and all that . . . when your Auntie Sheila asks you how you are, she really wants to know how you are . . . it does not mean she is taking a jibe at the fact that you still aren't married or whatever . . . It is a lot easier and healthier to think well of others than to think the worst! Be the bigger person. Lay down your slings and arrows.

Think L-O-V-E.

Even in the trenches during the first world war they stopped on Christmas Eve to sing Silent Night together . . . no longer enemies, if only for a moment.

5. Appreciate Yourself
Take a few moments to pamper yourself, as selfish as it may seem. Take a candle lit bubble bath. Go into a quiet corner and just close your eyes and think about all that is good about you. Book a manicure or a pedicure, or both! Crack open a package of smoked salmon and a mini bottle of bubbly and put on your favourite Christmas movie, lay back and watch and enjoy . . . either alone or with someone you love. Give yourself a foot bath. Fill a basin with some Epsom salts and warm water and then plunge your feet in for 15 minutes or so. Add a few large marbles or pebbles to massage the tender areas of your feet.
R-E-L-A-X

This is the season of JOY. Grab all that you can.



I spent a lovely day yesterday just lounging around in my pajamas and watching cheesy movies with Todd on the Movies For Men channel. (cheesy, really cheesy, but requiring no thought and for once it didn't matter if I snoozed through most of them) I did make the pecan pie for the dinner party I am cooking for tonight and then last evening I had a mini burst of energy and made my Christmas Short breads. A good friend of mine called Leona showed me how to make these years ago and they are the easiest short breads you could ever want to make. I never make them any other way now. These are the best! Thanks Leona!



*Leona's Whipped Short breads*
Makes about 36

What can be easier than dumping everything into a bowl and then beating it together? Low on effort, but mighty big on flavour. Use the best butter that you can, these are well worth it.

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
To decorate:
bits of candied cherries and fruit
icing sugar to dust over the finished cookies




Pre-heat your oven to 180*C/350*C. Line two baking sheets with some parchment paper and set aside.

Place the butter, flour and icing sugar into a large bowl and then turn on your electric mixer. Beat for 10 minutes. At first it will seem all lumpy and you won't be able to imagine them ever being a cookie, but persevere. After a bit they turn into a lovely silky mass.

Drop by teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets, about an inch apart. Decorate the top of each blog with a bit of candied cherry or fruit.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and scoop onto wire racks to finish cooling. Dust with some icing sugar just before serving.



These delicious cookies are headed over to Food Blogga's Christmas Cookie Blogging Event . . . Eat Christmas Cookies. Be sure to check it out often as new cookies are being added every day as they are received! Why not get into the spirit of things and bake your own favourite Christmas Cookies to share!!!

Want to know what else I got up to yesterday???? Click HERE to find out. I know, I'm incorrigible!!!

Celebrating the Best of British!

I was recently contacted by a man who felt I had an important voice, and who wanted to see if I could do something to inspire us Britains to buy "British" and rally around local farmers and producers and help support the industry of food producing here in the UK.

I thought it was very timely as this is British Food Fortnight, an event which is now in it's seventh year and is a celebration of the wide diversity of foods we have available here, locally produced and grown right in the United Kingdom.

There is a real feeling growing here in Britain that we should rally around our local farmers and buy "British," in order to help support British farmers and help to maintain Britains fresh and local produce and goods, rather than support goods and produce being shipped in from abroad.

My Todd, in his younger years, was once a cowman. He knows only too well how very hard these people work on their farms, and quite often for very little in return. So many of us never stop and take a thought for the hard work that often goes into producing these lovely things we enjoy on our tables every day and the history behind it.

I try, whenever possible to buy British products. It really annoys me when I go to buy blueberries for instance, and the only ones on offer are from Poland, especially when I know that beautiful British blueberries are being grown just down the road. Oftimes I know it is because of trade agreements our country has with the other countries in the European Community, but I think it's really sad when you can't get a British Blueberry and, to be perfectly honest, I am getting to the point where I just won't buy things unless it says on the label produced in Britain . . . I firmly believe that if we fail to support our local farming communities, they will be forced to shut down shop and then where will we be . . . we'll be at the mercy of foreign producers and investors and will have lost a lot of the charm and pleasures of our local farming communities.



One needn't only hold that resolve to buying only British produce and meat however. The store shelves are laden with butters imported from Denmark, and even New Zealand . . . but there are some wonderful butters produced right here in our own country that are just as good, sometimes even better and quite often much cheaper than the imports. I like to buy British branded butter myself. Country Life is the only major British branded butter in the UK market today. There are a few smaller brands that are a bit more expensive and more specialized, but Country Life is a very good butter and quite reasonably priced. In these days when every penny counts, that is nothing to sniff at!

The farmers that produce this butter work very hard and long hours, and are often very educated people with a great deal of knowledge about what they are producing and a care about the environment and the impact their farms have on it.



Peter Hawkins owns and runs Lingens Farm in Worcester. This is a farm that has been operated by his wife's family for many years. Having studied agriculture at college, Peter traveled all over the world with his wife, Helen, working on farms in Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia, before settling down on Lingens Farm in 1991.

The Lingens Farm is shrouded in heritage, retaining many of its traditional 17th Century buildings including two threshing barns and old orchards that remain from the time when the farm was used for fruit and hops. Peter is currently working with Natural England to try and restore the old buildings to their former state. Peter and his family work really hard to ensure that the farm works as a profitable dairy farm whilst remaining true to its traditions. To do this, they have created an environment where everything can live and over the years, as well as cows, this farm has become home to many other species of wildlife including hares, foxes, sparrows, wrens and owls who like to nest in the old barns.



Clive Guerney owns and runs Abbey Court Farm in Hereford. His family has owned and operated dairy farms since the early 1960's when his grandfather bought a small farm in North Staffs of 39 acres. Now Clive has his own farm with some 320 cows on an impressive 400 acres. Clive’s farm is very special in that, he has made a massive commitment to not only his cows, but also to the environment which he is very passionate about. He works very hard to ensure that his farm exists side by side with the natural backdrop and wildlife that exists all around him. As well as maintaining and replanting hedge rows and maintaining his woodlands and ponds, Mr Guerney has also created a wetlands area for the local wildlife. He is an active member of FWAG (Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group) and dedicates time to working with the countryside stewardships on annual projects. Clive is also a popular man around the village, having hosted the local village fete and donating a field to the village.

British Farms are not just farms . . . they are history and the soul of all that is good in Britain, rich in heritage and stewardship, and community. As intelligent consumers we need to make every effort to sustain and support our British farmers and this very vital industry.

Buying British is important for many reasons. In doing so we are the lucky recipients of some of the best quality produce and goods in the world and we can reduce our carbon footprint and the impact that it has on the world. I believe in doing my part, how about you?



To help celebrate British Food Fortnight, Antonia of Food, Glorious Food is hosting a blogging event which celebrates the very best of British Food . . . the challenge being to to create a thoroughly British dish from (where possible), locally-sourced ingredients.



I have decided to make a lovely Bread and Butter Pudding, using Country Life Butter, a uniquely British Branded Butter . . . Bread and Butter Pudding is a variation of custard, bread and butter that has become one of our great British Classic puddings. It's always been a good way of using up stale bread and a testimony to great British ingenuity and thrift!



*Bread and Butter Pudding*
Serves 6-8

This pudding has a delicious sponge like texture, just oozing with thick fresh custard between the layers.

12 medium slices of white bread
2 ounces british butter, softened (Country Life!)
8 egg yolks (British free range organic please!)
6 ounces sugar
few drops of pure vanilla extract
300ml of whole milk
300 ml double cream
2 ounces sultana raisins
more sugar for sprinkling

Grease a glass baking dish with some butter and set aside.

Butter all the bread, removing the crusts and cutting in half diagonally, creating triangles. Arrange the bread in layers in the prepared baking dish, sprinkling with the raisins in between the layers.

Whisk the egg yolks together in a bowl along with the sugar, mixing together well. Set aside.

Place the vanilla in a pan with the milk and cream. Bring to the simmer, then remove from the heat. Whisk a bit of this heated mixture into the egg yolk mixture, slowly to temper it, then whisk it in completely, stirring all the time. Pour the warm egg mixture through a seive onto the bread and butter layers. Leave to soak for 20 minutes before cooking.

Place a large roasting pan onto a baking tray. Place the dish with the bread and butter pudding into this roasting pan,a nd then fill the roasting pan with warm water to come up 2/3 of the way. cover the whole thing with buttered foil and then place in the heated oven and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, just until the mixture begins to set. You don't want it to become too firm.

Remove from the oven and the water bath and place it back on the baking tray. Sieve more sugar over the top and then place it under a hot grill to dissolve and caramelize the sugar. Watch very carefully so it doesn't burn.

Serve warm spooned out into individual bowls or plates. You can serve with ice cream or pouring cream if you wish.

*Note you can add some freshly grated nutmeg in between the layers if you wish for an extra spicy flavour.

Springtime Contests, Winners and Tomato Soup

"Give me a sense of humour, Lord,
Give me the grace to see a joke,
To get some happiness from life
And pass it on to other folk."
~Unknown

I found this little verse yesterday, and it so reminded me of what I try to do here on Oak Cottage, that I thought I'd share it with all of you. It was wonderfully spring-like yesterday here in the country. Our weather machine said it was going to be fine, which makes a change. There was that lovely spring smell in the air and the temperatures really were fair.



In mid afternoon as I was walking home from work, I spotted two collared Doves sitting in our garden under the trees out front. They are resident doves and are quite tame. You can get quite close to them before they will fly off. I don't know much about doves, but I do love to listen to them cooing in the trees. It is such a comforting sound . . . the sound of home.



All around me are signs of new life. That is what I love about spring the most . . . the freshness and newness of everything. The Peonies are popping up through the ground . . . their deep red branches and leaves pushing up through the hard dirt. It seems a miracle to me, that year after year these wonderful things happen without any prompting or cajoling from me.



Little bits of green are appearing everywhere and our rose bushes are covered in unfurling leaves and buds. Ordinary miracles that we take for granted every year, greet me at every turn. There is colour slowly appearing everywhere. This is the true magic of spring, and it seems as if after every shower of rain we experience . . . the garden colours up that little bit more.



One perfect ingredient, many ways to cook it

One competition, 5 LUCKY WINNERS!

Over on Maninas they're having a competition based on using your one favourite ingredient, the prize being, this lovely Marcus Waring cook book. I love a good competition, and I would never turn away the chance to add to my vast cookery book collection, so it didn't take much to tempt me into participating.

My larder, drawers and cupboards are always bulging with a wealth of ingredients, but I would have to say my absolute favourite ingredient is tinned tomatoes. (I bet you thought I was going to say chocolate there, didn't you!!) Tomatoes have always been my absolute favourite ingredient to use and my larder always has at least half a dozen or so tins of them stored, from pureed (passata) to whole, and everything in between. My motto has always been . . . if you have a tin of tomatoes in . . . you always have a meal ready and waiting. They're so very versatile. Mixed with some garlic and herbs you have a delicious sauce to be poured over pasta. Drain and add a cheese sauce along with some cooked macaroni, and you have the most moreish macaroni and cheese that you could ever want to eat. I always keep a tin in the refrigerator, for one of my most favouritest meals that I love to eat, is quite simply, a tin of chilled tinned tomatoes and a slice of buttered white bread . . . there truly is a multitude of ways to use this tasty and most resourceful ingredient.

Fresh tomatoes really only taste at their best during tomato season when you can pick them straight off the vine and use them while their skins are still warm from the heat of the late summer sunshine. The ones we buy during the year at the shops always taste a bit artificial to me and lacking in true tomato flavour, so when it's not tomato season, I always turn to tinned tomatoes to give me that lovely intensity of flavour that you get from a fresh and vine ripened tomato.



This delicious soup is one of my favourite ways to use them. It's the Mr up at the big house's favourite as well. I bet I make this at least once a week, as he never tires of it!! In the summer of course, you can use plentiful fresh tomatoes off the vine, but the rest of the year, nothing tastes or works better in it than a good tin of chopped tomatoes.

*Winter and Summer Tomato Soup*
Serves 6 - 8

This lovely soup recipe contains two variations using either fresh tomatoes or tinned tomatoes, each one creating their own character, allowing you to enjoy this lovely classic any time of year. As much as summer tomatoes can't be beaten for flavour, a good quality tinned tomato can create a sumptuous summer memory in the dead of winter.

2 TBS vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 rib of celery, trimmed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 lbs of fresh ripe tomatoes, diced
OR
2 (14 oz) tins of good quality diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chnopped
3 cups good chicken stock
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (winter)
OR
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (summer)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup double cream

Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan and saute the onion and celery over medium heat, until soft and transclucent, about 5 minutes or so.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, until fragrant, without letting any of your vegetables brown. Add the tomatoes (fresh or tinned), the sun dried tomatoes, chicken stock and herbs (except for the basil if using). Simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Puree the soup with a hand held stick blender or in a food processor. Strain through a fine sieve. Return to the heat and season to taste with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If using the basil, tear and add it now. Stir in the cream and bring the soup back just to a simmer before serving. Delicious!



Speaking of winners and books, I'd like to congratulate Angie (faveanti)! Angie you are the winner of the cookery book giveaway I did here recently on Oak Cottage! Contact me with your mailing details so that I can get it into the mail to you soon! I hope that you enjoy this lovely book as much as I do! In fact all the recipes in my Make Me Bake Poll come from out of that book this week, so everyone's a winner really! A hearty thankyou to everyone who participated. I promise to do something like this again real soon! It's always so much fun!

Nesting Birds and a Rarebit Risotto

"Such pleasure to be sleeping
In a cosy bed,
Tucked beneath the covers,
A pillow at my head.

Forgetting all the worries
And duties of the day,
Relaxed in blissful slumber
To sleep the night away.

Sleep, the blessed healer
Of tiredness and pain,
Wraps us in oblivion
To refresh us once again."
~Dorothy M. Loughran

What a riot of birdsong greets me early in the morning on these first spring days. I want to lay in bed and sleep for a bit longer, but I cannot, for all around the cottage . . . in the hedgerows and in the bushes . . . the birds are waking up, and I lay there listening to them, stretching one last time beneath the covers . . .

First there is the beautiful melody of the song thrush. He sits on the garden wall and goes through one delightful trill after another. It strokes my soul and bids me good morning in the most beautiful way. It always amazes me. There is so much of his heart behind the melody.

The blackbirds, of which there are many, add their beautiful voices to the mix as do the robins and garden sparrows. Altogether they sing a most wonderful song, which bids me to wake up and begin my day, all too soon . . . it sometimes seems. I want to lay there for just a few more minutes, but cannot tarry, my day is beginning.



This time of year I think the birdsong is even more spectacular and melodic than at any other. It's as if they cannot contain their excitement for one moment longer . . .

spring is here, the earth is coming alive . . . it's time for nest building and laying eggs . . . then the sitting on the nest and taking care of them until they hatch, protecting them and keeping them warm, and then . . . the busy work of feeding growing chicks will soon begin. . .

I often put the fluff from our washer and drier out, snagging it on branches in the garden for them to discover. They love to use this for their nests. It's a small gift from me and I love to think that somewhere a little piece of me is helping to make their cosy little home that much cosier . . . it's a beautiful thought . . . a simple gesture, which costs me nothing but gives me secret pockets of joy.



I found a picture of this delightful bed on the internet when I was browsing the other day, and thought to myself, how perfect that would be here in our cottage. I can just imagine it upstairs tucked in the corner of our cosy bedroom . . . except that I would cover it with a fluffy eiderdown, as that speaks nest to me, all cosy and soft. Then Todd and I could nest as well . . . but alas . . . there's no more eggs being laid by this chickie poo, although I do love to warble from time to time, and often do . . .



I love the springtime. Nature seems to be bursting out all around us and I just cannot help but be inspired with all the colours and sounds and smells. As I look out our upstairs windows across the hedge that separates us from the Orchard to the back of us, I can see that the view is distinctly greening up as each naked tree begins to take on that greenish hue . . . their trunks, their branches . . . it is their springtime dress . . .

This is but a mere dress rehearsal for the blossom that will soon be tickling us with it's riot of colour and beauty . . . for good things always come to those who wait.



Maryann of "Finding la dolce vita" and Marie of "Proud Italian Cook" are hosting a delicious new food event called "Festa Italiana". Imagine a huge Italian Banquet table set out under the trees in the orchard, with apple blossoms drifting down like huge fluffy flakes upon our heads . . . the table filled to groaning with dish and dish of delectable Italian delights . . . Now . . . my Todd says he is not fond of Italian food, but I can tell you he really tucked into this delightful dish. This is my British twist on an old Italian favourite and my tasty addition to this virtual Italian Feast.



*Rarebit Rissoto*
Serves 4

Now I know that things like cheddar cheese and beer are not usual ingredients when one thinks of making an Italian Risotto, but try it . . . this is one tasty risotto! The greedy glutton that lives inside me likes to sprinkle even more cheese on top before I eat it. I know, I know . . . but can you ever really have too much cheese???

32 ounces of vegetable broth
1 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 cups of Italian Arborio rice
12 ounces of beer
3 cups chopped broccoli, steamed until crispy tender, drained well and set aside
1 TBS Dijon mustard
10 ounces of grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups of chopped tomatoes, or halved cherry tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the vegetable broth into a large saucepan and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave it to simmer.

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the rice and stir, cooking until it is well coated with the oil. Add the beer and cook, stirring until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid which will take a couple of minutes. Continue to cook, ladling in the simmering broth one cup at a time, stirring frequently. Let the rice absorb most of the broth before adding the next cup. This generally will take about five minutes at a time. When the last of the broth is absorbed the rice should be al dente and the risotto moist.

Stir in the Dijon mustard and the cheese, stirring until the cheese is completely melted. Fold in the broccoli and the chopped tomatoes. Season to taste with the black pepper and serve.

Enjoy!!! Bellissimo!

And The Winner Is . . .

Happy Halloween everyone!

The day is finally here to tally up for votes for the Show Us your Sarnie competetion I hosted this month. All the entries were lovely and I would so love to be able to send each and every one a prize, but alas I must pick only three.

Winner of the first prize, a lovely selection Katherine Kidston Soaps with her delicious looking Thanksgiving Afters Sarnie is Sarah from What Smells So Good . Congratulations Sarah!

Then there is a tie between three for the next two prizes. Kevin of Closet Cooking for his delicious looking Croque Monsieur with Pear and Smoked Turkey , Kelly from Sass and Veracity for her lovely "So Cal Sarnie: Roasted Veggies & Goat's Cheese with Arugula on Ciabatta" and Tracy of Pink Purl for her lucious looking "Lancaster Sarnie!"

Kevin I am awarding you with the delicious box of chocolates, Kelly I am going to be sending you the lovely selection of Flower Salves and Tracy I am sending you a choice of either the chocolates or the flower salves, you pick which one you want!

If you could all send me your mailing addresses I shall get the prizes out to you post haste!

So, there you have it, all the winners, and YES there is actually four of you, not three, but how could I choose only two from the three sarnies that tied with each other??? Impossible!

Many, many thanks to each and everyone of you Sarnie makers for playing along and helping to make my event happen! MWHA!!! You're all winners in my books!

Down From Hand to Hand, Apples & Thyme

Inge of Vanielje Kitchen and Jeni from The Passionate Palate are hosting a beautiful Blog Event until the 10th of November. It's called Apples & Thyme ~ a celebration of mothers and grandmothers and time spent with with them in the kitchen . I was very excited when I found out about it as I am a real family type of person, and the women in my family have always been very important to me.



I'm very lucky in that I have been given photos through the years of various Great Grandmother's and Great Aunts and Aunts and I was old enough before most of them passed on, that I can remember them fairly well. All except for my Great Great Grandmother that is.



My Great Great Grandmother was a woman named Ida McNayr Smith. Her grandfather had emmigrated to Nova Scotia from Scotland as a young boy of 8 and become a Blacksmith there. Those were harsh times in a very rural, wild and young country. A lot of the recipes in my family have been handed down from those harsh times and incorporate very simple ingredients. Living in wilderness meant lots of hard work. Houses had to be built, land had to be cleared, food had to be grown and hunted. There was not a lot of time for what they might have deemed as "fancy" cookery, nor was there the availability of fancy ingredients. Life was harshest of all for the Scots who settled in Nova Scotia. The French had been able to make friends with the native Indians living there, called the Micmacs. The English and the Germans received rations, weapons and tools from the British Goverment. The New Englanders or Loyalists that came up during the American Revolution arrived armed with a knowledgeable experience of colonial life.

The Scots, however arrived poverty stricken, having been driven from their lands by the fall of the Clan system and the outrageously high rents imposed on them by landlords. They had no money and few personal effects, other than the clothing they wore. They were also highly un-educated and had the added disadvantage of not being accustomed to the type of land they were now faced in clearing and making their lives upon. They were a hardy lot though and determined and so they accepted the challenges set before them and thrived. I come from such stock as this.



My Grandmother, Nina Best was the Grand-daughter of Ida McNayr Smith. She, too, was a strong and determined woman. Bringing up a family during the Great Depression when employment was scarce, and money in short supply, meant hardship and economy on a grand scale. There was no place for "fancy" cookery or meals in those days either. This is the only picture I have of my grandmother. She was a very shy woman, and, even in this picture, she has her face buried in her breast.



I loved my Grandmother Nina more than words could ever say. She died when I was only six years old but, for the first year of my life I had lived with her. I was a very difficult baby and being my mother's first, she was a very nervous mother and could not cope with me, and so I was taken to my grandmother's loving arms very early on in my life. I stayed there until I was much older and my mother past her nervousness, but that first year of my life, spent in her tender care, forged a bond with my grandmother that I don't think any of the other grandchildren ever had.

I have loving and warm memories of cuddling into her lap and snuggling into her ample bosom. I can still smell her warmth. She smelled like spice and woodsmoke ... she smelled like love. She would sing to me lovely songs and I can still hear her shy voice whispering in my ear how much she loved me and cared for me. She was a fantastic cook. My mother can tell stories of wonderful meals prepared by her mother's loving hands and how good everything always tasted. She used to make wonderful soups and stews, beautiful fluffy loaves of bread, flaky pies filled with lovely fruit and meat fillings. My mother says that when she trys to cook the meals her mother prepared, they never taste the same somehow. . . but that is the way it always seems to go.



My own mother was not a fancy cook either. My dad didn't like a lot of spice in things and so she was never allowed to let her flights of fancy take hold or to explore her culinary fantasies to any great degree. She was a good cook though. Her home Baked Beans were legendary, as was her Pea and Ham Soup. Somehow mine never taste quite the same . . . not sure what the missing ingredient is, but I expect that oftimes things get built up in our memories and minds so much that we can never hope to replicate them in reality.



So it is with these cookies. This is a Molasses Cookie recipe that has been handed down generation to generation. My mom says her's never taste as good as her mother's did and mine, of course, do not taste as good as my memory of my mother's. I suspect that they all taste exactly the same, and that it is the memories of a mother's loving ministrations that make the difference. My own daughters will probably say the same about mine . . . love is the secret ingredient.

When I first got this recipe it was scribbled on the back of an envelope in my grandmother's un-educated scrawl in pencil that was beginning to fade quickly. She used to use rendered bacon fat in these, but one can scarcely afford the risk to one's health or cholesterol these days to be so indulgent! Oven temperatures were not given, nor were directions. Those I had to figure out by myself. Here is my interpretation of the "family" cookie. Simple and plain, wholesome and good. These are the stuff that dreams are made of . . .



*Grammy Woodworth's Molasses Cookies*
Makes approximately 4 dozen

Handed down through four generations of women in my family, this is the cookie that would have always held place of pride in the larder. Wonderfully fragrant when they were baking, a couple of these and a tall glass of cold milk were a special treat for us children after school on a cold winter's day.

1 cup sugar
1 cup mild molasses
1 cup of hot melted vegetable shortening
(my grandmother used rendered bacon fat)
2 medium eggs
3 heaping teaspoons of ground ginger
1 tsp salt
4 teaspoons of baking soda, stirred into 1/2 cup of hot water
enough flour to make a stiff dough (approximately 4 - 5 cups)

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/375*F. Lightly grease several baking sheets and set aside.

Put the sugar and the molasses into a large bowl. Pour the hot fat over them and mix it all together very well. Allow it to cool until it is just warm to the touch and then beat in the eggs. Mix in the ginger and the salt, along with the water and soda. Stir in the flour a little at a time until it is all incorporated. No amount of flour was given in the original recipe but I find that it ranges anywheres between 4 and 5 cups. This seems to depend on the weather and humidity. Some days 4 cups is enough and others I need more. You need a dough that is pliable without being sticky.



Dust the counter with some flour and roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a floured 3 1/2 inch fluted cookie cutter. Place onto the greased baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space in between each. Gather the scraps and re-roll until all the dough is used up. Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until dry to the touch and lightly browned on the bottom. Don't overbake. They should be nice and soft to the bite. Delicious!