Vitamix - the blender on steroids!

My Uncle Don always says that anything is possible with the right tool.  I would have to agree that this holds true in the kitchen, as well.

It might not look like much but this machine packs a punch!

So versatile but this is still my favourite use.  Smoothie anyone?

I was introduced to the Vitamix by my former neighbour, current good friend, and food blogger www.eatrealberealns.com - and it's "da bomb", baby!    You see, I am someone who wants needs to have her work surfaces completely clear - I'm a bit odd that way, don't you know.   But this little appliance holds some very coveted counter space in my kitchen.  We use it daily and it has been one of the best investments we have made.  Think blender....on steroids!

"Mom, we should add some watermelon too - it'll taste so good!"

See, now you are thinking that this girl must be drinking lots of margaritas but (... and I am just realizing now how boring this is) I actually haven't used it for that yet.  What's wrong with me?  Wait.  Don't answer that.

"Everyone stand back!  We're kickin' it into high gear!"

"Mmmmmm.......can someone get the straws?"

It's actually quite a versatile machine, we use it daily for our wonderful smoothies, and I use it to make great ice cream, sorbets and granitas for desserts.  It's great for making fruit purees and we use it to make our own flour and  nut and seed butters, too.  Soup is a snap to make in it, and I puree the vegetables from my roasting pan when making roast chicken or beef and add them back into the gravy for an amazingly tasty and more healthful way of thickening it.

AND.... it's super easy and quick to clean!  This is what truly makes it a pleasure to use daily.

Just add water and a drop of dish soap and turn on to clean!  It's sooooo easy!!

Any-who, now you know one of my kitchen secrets and you can't ever say I don't love ya enough to share.

Ta Da!  Looks good!!  Tastes better!!

xo

Jen

P.S.  Don't let your socks fly off when you see the price of these kitchen gems, as they are a little pricey.  Keep in mind that I use my Vitamix more often than my oven and I promise you it's worth the investment 100%.  Just saying.

Wholewheat Blueberry Pancakes - For Dinner. Oh Yeah!

Get 'em while they're hot!

We've clearly been stuck in a blueberry frenzy around here.  I hadn't planned for dinner tonight and when I asked what everyone "felt like", I got a resounding "PANCAKES"!  Oh yes, please!  

So good!  And in case you're wondering if I'd gone off my rocker and served up some weird neon yellow morsel to my cherished ones, you can relax and know that I still have most of my sanity.  That is actually some yellow-fleshed watermelon we got at the market last week.  It's incredibly sweet and colourful, and juicy...

You will note that I never use sugar in my pancake recipes.  We always have them with maple syrup or preserves of some kind and that gives enough sweetness right there.  My most fussy son has NEVER complained about the pancakes even though (gasp) they have no sugar in them - not that I mention that, of course.

Also, I always make a double batch, then freeze the extras for a busy morning or after school snack.  It's easy to pop 'em in the toaster and your family will think you're a whiz!  

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

• 2 cups Organic Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 2 1/4 cup Buttermilk*
• 2 TBSP Butter, melted + more for the pan
• 1 cup fresh or frozen Blueberries

*if you do not have buttermilk on hand you can add 1 tsp of white vinegar to a wet measuring cup and add enough milk to make 1 cup of liquid and let stand approx 5 min.  Makes 1 cup butter milk.

1. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl
2. Mix eggs and buttermilk together in separate bowl
3. Combine dry mixture to wet and stir until batter is well mixed
4. Here, you can either add the blueberries to the mixture or put aside to drop into batter in pan while the pancakes are cooking
5. Heat griddle or frying pan on med-high heat and brush with melted butter (this gives you the pretty finish on your flapjacks)
6. Ladle or spoon in batter and add blueberries if this is the route you choose 
7. Let cook until the batter begins to form bubbles and the edges start to brown (approx 2 min)
8. Then FLIP and continue to cook for additional 2 min (approximate, you will have to test for done-ness)
9. Serve with real Maple Syrup, spread with your favourite fruit preserves, or dust with a little icing sugar
10. Enjoy!!

xo

Me

My garden

I am REALLY new to gardening and am trying super hard to figure it all out.  Everyday I thank my lucky stars that the lady who previously owned our home was surely thinking of me when she planted this gorgeous Annabelle Hydrangea.

I do love my garden.  I bought these Celosia because they remind me of the brain coral my oldest seems to be so interested in right now.  So I got the thumbs up from Mr Science plus they are very pretty.

You can't go wrong with these "Supertunia's".  They just grow and make me happy.

Angelonia anyone?  For the purple-people in my life.  You know who you are.

More purple....

...and more purple....purple's just important to some.....

Pee Gee Hydrangea.  Maybe you have to be 13 to enjoy it.

And my rose.  I don't know what kind it is or how to take care of it but I love it and hope it loves me back.

What treasures do you have in your garden?

xo

Jen

Trip to Kusterman's Blueberry Farm

It's blueberry season and I am so thrilled.  These little gems are a staple in our house and although I picked until my fingers were purple and my back ached for a week, our freezer stores were completely depleted by about mid-November last year.  Looks like this year I will have to kick it up a notch, enlist some help from my dear, sweet husband and my boys in order to properly stock-pile my freezer with local berries.  I'm sure they will be ecstatic.

Our first visit to a near by U-pick farm was to Kusterman's, located near Mt Brydges (about 15 min West of London) and it was great.  I only had the boys with me and they were a good deal of help until the call of the zip-line was just too strong.  I did everything in my power to keep them focused on our task but alas, the hay bale mountain and petting zoo won out.

This is WAY more fun than picking blueberries!

Tarzan yell!  (You know the one)

"Mommy, can we put one of these up at home?"......they asked no less than 8 times

OK.  It was hard for even me to resist this little guy.

However, we did manage a beautiful start on our picking.

So lovely.  So beautiful.  I am at one with the blueberries.  In fact, that's me there.  You know - the crinkly-scrunched up, wrinkly one right there on the right.

The moral is to throw on some non-white clothing, toss your family into the car and go "picking".  It's good for the soul, ya know!

xo

Jen

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Muffins are so awesome!  Muffins are so nice!  Muffins are so tasty I will give you this advice...MAKE THESE MUFFINS!  Ha! 

These are simple and tasty and nutritious, too!  Please note that I try to use as many organic products as possible in our home but you can substitute whatever you have in your pantry.  I'm all about the substitutions...and the organics...so try 'em both!

Cast of characters:  Blueberries, White Vinegar, Coconut Oil, Coconut Sugar, Lemon, Salt, Baking Soda, Whole Wheat Flour (it's there..it's just camera shy), Milk (it's not there...I forgot to put it in the pic..oops)

Ha ha ha!  Naked Lemon!

Ready to go...it's now that the boys have started circling the kitchen like that shark in Cape Cod last week

Yummy! (sang in a high-pitched operatic voice)

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

• 3/4 cup Organic Coconut Sugar (or granulated sugar)
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/3 cup Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil (or Canola Oil)
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1 TBSP white vinegar
• 2 cups Organic Whole Wheat Flour
• 1.5 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• zest of 1 whole lemon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Lightly oil or line muffin pan with paper liners
3. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, milk, coconut oil, lemon juice and vinegar together
4. In a smaller bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt and lemon zest together
5. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just blended
6. Gently fold in the blueberries
7. Fill muffin cups approx 3/4 full
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from pan
10. Remove muffins from tin and allow to cool completely on baking rack
11. Store in sealed container on counter or refrigerator or freeze for longer storage
12. Marvel at yourself for being so darn awesome
13. Enjoy

That's it.  That's all.  I've had a ball.  Gotta go to the mall.  My pants are too small.....maybe it's from sampling too many muffins....with butter.

xo

Jen

Geocaching!

Do you know what Geocaching is?  

Sometimes it's a nature story....

Sometimes it's a love story....

Sometimes it's an animal safari...

It can be a comedy....

Or a tragedy...

MOSTLY, it's a treasure hunt!  And really fun!  And a great way to spend some time with your fave peeps out in nature and stuff.  Word. 

If you've ever been out for a walk in a park or for a hike in the woods, there is a good chance you've walked right by one of these hidden "treasures".  

These little finds are stashed in places all over the world.  So when we're bored and the weather is nice, we tie on our sneakers, pack some water and go hunting! 

xo

Jen

Ryan's Eyes

Ryan would say that he does NOT roll his eyes.  I would argue that point wholeheartedly.  He would like to think that he's sooooooooo mysterious but truly he is very easy to read.  It's all in the eyes, baby.....and the nostrils...they tend to flare when he's trying to keep from smiling.  But that's another story.

xo

Jen

Masonville Farmers' Market and Basic Vegetable Soup

I love my Friday mornings!  They start off the same as any other day of the week...me fumbling my way to the kitchen for a delicious cup of espresso followed by good morning hugs and kisses from my family but then, it's off to the Farmers' Market at Masonville Mall in London.

I love Farmers' Markets.  It is so great to get out and buy fresh produce and locally raised and butchered meats but also to actually meet and speak to the farmers, themselves.  They are really good about offering up new recipes or preparation ideas and for introducing heirloom varieties of vegetables and fruits that we don't often see in grocery stores.

Today, the kids and I got to pick out a few items and a yummy treat (aka, bribery for good behaviour).  We did, sadly, miss out on the bacon we usually buy from BaconAcres as they were already sold out when we arrived.  Here's what we did get:  zucchini, sweet corn, field cucumbers, sugar beets, purple carrots, muskmelon, a yellow-fleshed watermelon, and for a treat - bacon buns and soft pretzels! Yum!!

To me, this is like art.  The colours and the textures are so beautiful that I get totally caught up in the richness of it.....apparently I need to get out more.

And as much as I like to "look" at it all.....

This is my favourite way to enjoy it!

Basic Soup Recipe

• 1/2 large Onion, chopped
• 3-4 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 6 cups Chicken, Beef, or Vegetable stock
• black pepper

1. Cook in a large pot for about 15 min
2. Add in any or all of the following and continue to cook for an additional 10-15 min:

• sliced zucchini
• diced potato
• diced tomato
• kidney beans
• barley
• rice
• egg noodles
• diced, cooked chicken
• mini-meatballs, cooked
• peas
• shredded or diced beets
• fresh dill
• fresh parsley
• corn
• shredded cabbage

This soup is so easy and quick to prepare and as long as you have the basics on hand then you can really finish it with any left-overs or pantry items you already have.  Top it with some good croutons, a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt or just some nice fresh ground pepper or shaved Parmesan.  Serve with crusty bread and a smile and your tummy will thank you!  Good luck and happy eating!!

xo

Jen

Tubing On Newfound Lake in NH

I have a cousin.  His name is Bob.

Bob was totally awesome when we were growing up. He would play barbies with my sister and me if we wanted, and when we would stay the night at my Aunt and Uncle's we would spy on him getting ready to go out on dates and watch him slick his eyebrows into place and wink at himself in the mirror. 

Fast forward to today.  Bob met and married a beautiful, fun-loving woman who is just as wonderful as he and they have 3 gorgeous children together and are living in a small New England town just outside of Boston.  AND...they also have a lake house!!

and a boat!!

and we got to go on it!

Does this thing go any faster?

Ha!  There it is!

We also went tubing, well - let me clarify, my children went tubing while I held the handles on the boat with white knuckles and prayed my babies wouldn't fly off and turn into water pancakes.  OK.  Actually I took pictures and prayed they wouldn't fly off and turn into water pancakes.

Did you know that Newfound Lake in New Hampshire is said to be one of the cleanest in the world?  Also, I was informed that it is fed by 8 springs and reaches a depth of 182 ft!!  Note the crystal blue water and the big smiles on the kids.  I will admit to jumping in somewhere in the middle and found that despite the depth, the water was warm.

But not before we stopped at an organic farm stand - I have no idea what that has to do with anything, but we did.  And I felt good about it.  It was organic, did I mention?

But back to tubing...

Sorry it's a bit blurry, this is where I moved my camera ever so much in order to call out "HANG ON!".  I'm such a mom.

At this point in our vacation, there is one day left until my husband will be flying in from Toronto to meet us...so far he's missed out on some real fun.  Of course I will not show him the pictures to rub it in....wink, wink!

We had a great visit!  We loved the lake and the lake house, and my cousin and his super sweet family...and tubing, oh, the tubing!

xo
Jen