Sunday 30 December 2012

Canadian Lemonade

You can only come to the morning through the shadows. - J.R.R. Tolkien


This is just something simple.  Perhaps, I even feel a little silly posting this...but sometimes something very simple...can be so very nice.  I found that one can survive winter, and in fact, enjoy winter if you try to see it with the right eyes.  I learned this from a very good Canadian friend.  She had come over one evening for dinner and had requested this drink.  She was shocked that I had never tried it...but honestly, I never had a desire for a hot drink down south.  I have called it Canadian Lemonade...because it is the same as lemonade...just hot....perfect for a Canadian cold Morning...


Canadian Lemonade

1 cup hot water
1/2 lemon
honey (to taste)

Stir all the ingredients together and enjoy!  

Friday 28 December 2012

First Snowfall ( or Winter Pictures, Part 1)

Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories - from the movie An Affair to Remember (quotegarden.com)


I found that living near Toronto people were always talking about snow.  They were talking about how they dreaded the hassels of snow...more work cleaning the drive...more trouble during the morning commute...more difficulty pushing shopping carts through the slush.
Now that I have moved to the Canadian countryside, I found that people still have snow on their minds.  Everywhere I have gone this past week, everyone has been talking about snow.  But when they say the word snow...they have a smile on their face.  They are waiting for the snow to arrive...not just a few flakes...but snow to cover the whole landscape.
And last night it came...

Searching for the perfect hill...
Taking a break...
First time down the hill....
Searching for a better hill....

covered by snow...

Winter homes...

animal prints...

shadows...
at the lake's edge...

our lake....

winter landscapes...


Monday 17 December 2012

Ice World

The snow is sparkling like a million little suns.  ~Lama Willa Miller



My grandfather passed away when I was ten years old.  He loved the sea.  In fact, he built his own sailboat and had plans to sail the world, but unfortunately, his health failed before he could take that trip.  I had heard it said that he never wanted to live far from the ocean.  For he thought it the most beautiful landscape to be found.  Everyday, the ocean would bring new surprises and was never the same two days in a row.  
I do not live by an ocean...but by a lake.  But the same still holds true...everyday can bring new surprises...and today we found a world of ice...as winter begins to set in.
Here is our world today....







Friday 14 December 2012

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Popcorn (or world peace through cultural food exchange)

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. - J. R.R. Tolkien

For me, being American, peanut butter is a staple.  But my husband, having Serbian parents, was raised thinking that Peanut butter was not even an edible substance. I think when he was young, he even pitied his poor neglected classmates who brought peanut butter sandwiches to school (back in the days when you could).
Thankfully, I have been able to instill the importance of peanut butter into my childrens' lives. So today, with my daughter, as my assistant, we created a recipe....a recipe, to foster a bridge of understanding between American-Canadian culture and Serbian traditionalism.

We present to you our very special peanut butter creation.  And yes,  this popcorn was loved.  My husband has now been converted, well at least in part.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Popcorn
(makes about 16 cups)

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
15 cups plain popcorn (I used stove popped popcorn-don't use microwave popcorn)
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1. Into a small saucepan, add butter, brown sugar, honey and baking soda.  While stirring, bring to boil.  Continue to boil for 3 minutes.


2.  Remove saucepan from heat.
3.  Add cocoa powder, peanut butter and vanilla.  Stir well, until the peanut butter has melted into the rest of the ingredients.

 4.  In a large bowl, combine popcorn and peanut butter-chocolate sauce.

5.  Let flavoured popcorn cool slightly (approx. 5 minutes).
6.  Fold  peanut butter chips and chocolate chips into the popcorn mixture.

7.  Let cool in the fridge for 60 minutes.
8.  Remove from fridge and serve...Enjoy!!

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Autumn Pictures, part 3

The milkweed pods are breaking, and bits of silken down, float off upon the autumn breeze, across the meadows brown. - Cecil Cavendish

Here's to the last days of fall...

Milkweed Pod

the last of the fallen leaves

waiting in ambush

the sky's mirror
last glimpes of fall




first flakes

last  flowers

welcoming winter