Perennials in the garden

(Rhubarb)

Not sure why it is, but every year at this time, I find it's always a bit hard for me to blog.  Maybe it's because I'm tired of cooking during the long winter which leads to a lull of activity in the kitchen.  Spring also tends to get busy with getting outside in the warmer weather and the urge to spring clean the house and the yard.

Went outside today and I'm starting to get a little more excited.  I didn't even realize all that has been sprouting up around my yard.  We have many perennials in our yard and I love it because they come back on their own every year, the ultimate low maintenance gardening.


(Horseradish and Chives)

Our rhubarb has gotten pretty tall already.  I read that it is good to chop away 1/2 the rhubarb bushel and plant it elsewhere every couple of years.  Something about giving it more room to continue to grow, so hubby did that last year for me.

I admit, I don't do much with the horseradish myself, though my hubby grated some one year for his food.  I think this might be the year I actually do something with it!  Plus, I love my chives.  So good in dips or on eggs in the morning.


(Raspberry bush)

We have apples trees, 2 varieties of cherries, couple of honeyberry bushes, small bushel of bluebberries and strawberry plants but my absolute favorite is the raspberries.  I always look forward to picking them every year.  We moved a bunch of the little raspberry bushes to new locations in the yard last year in hopes they would spread more and we'll have a large bumper crop. Looks to have taken well!  Yippee to making plenty of raspberry galettes this year!

Blossoms

I'm so fortunate to look out my kitchen window and see the above apple tree.  Spring is such a glorious time.  I've been watching new growth emerge around me and I can't seem to get enough of it.

Though I am not an outdoorsy kind of gal but I love that I can look through the windows and see all the green.  When I walk to pick up my kids from school, I can smell everything growing.  The leaves unfolding and the blossoms opening make me so happy.



I wish you all a glorious long weekend!

High Level Diner & Sugar Bowl: Eating Out

(Turkey Tuesday Lunch Special, High Level Diner)

Comfort food.

I'm a big fan of comfort food.

When I go out to eat, most times I am not interested in a salad or some other light fare, I want a mouthful with every bite.  I want salty fries with a crunch and a burger or sandwich that I must hold with 2 hands because it is made for the 200 pound hungry man. This is not a time to count calories or worry about losing pounds, it's full on fill-my-belly-fest.

With these 'get down and dirty' food cravings, I have a friend who joins me on this mission 1-2 times a month.  I've coined us "ladies who lunch" but there is nothing prim and proper about us enjoying our comfort food. We ventured to the University/Old Strathcona area for our need to feed lunch this past month.


(BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, Sugarbowl)

We decided to hit up the area's long time favorites: High Level Diner and Sugar Bowl.  With it's eclectic mix of people, young and old, adding to the warm and welcoming ambiance of the place, I can see why they have been around for so long.

Top it off with non-fussy food that hits the spot and now you have a happy lady who lunches :)

When Mom is a Food Blogger.

There are many funny things that happen when you are a food blogger.  You learn to wait for your food.  The family gets the boring plates while the one styled plate is being photographed.  You often eat your food cold and sometimes so does the rest of the family if the photo involves the entire casserole dish.  If you are entertaining, people wait and ask if you are getting your camera out.  "No, I don't photograph everything I eat! Dig in!" I reply.

But my children have been witnessing me taking pictures of food for as long as they can remember. They are used to seeing my camera and equipment around the dining room/kitchen that I don't worry about them knocking anything over. Often times they helped me by being photo assistants, holding up reflectors to bounce light for me.  They patiently waited, with spoons in hand and eyes the size of saucers, until I said the word and then they would dive into the dessert I finished photographing.

"My mom takes pictures of food" says my son in a very matter-of-fact voice to his teacher.  I've seen my daughter taking pictures of fruit with her little camera and tell her friends her mom puts pictures of food "on the computer".  They now want to pose with a dish if we are out to eat.  "Mom, get your camera out!  We need to take a picture of this hamburger and fries!"  It doesn't matter that we're at McDonalds.

Earlier this week, my daughter came downstairs one early morning and told us we were not allowed in the kitchen.  She was going to make breakfast for all of us.  Of course, thinking she would be putting out bowls of cereal for all of us, we waited patiently.  Finally, she reappeared and called us to the dining room.  In a small bowl, she spooned out yogurt for the four of us and with only two remaining chocolate chip cookies, she broke them in half and added them to the side of the dish, like garnish.  She folded napkins and placed them to the side of each little dish.  She was beaming with pride with what she had done.

We all sat down in our chairs and with a gasp, she yelled out "MOM! What are you doing!"

"WHAT?  What is the matter?" I answer back.

"You have to take a picture!" looking at me with a confused look on her face.

"Of course!  What was I thinking!  Of course we need to take a picture!" getting my camera.  "A picture with you and the food you made? "

"Are you going to put it on the computer?" she asks.

"You mean on my blog? Yes, yes. Of course."

Lemon meringue parfait flavored yogurt with 1/2 of a homemade chocolate chip cookie on the side.  Sorry, I don't have the recipe for that particular cookie.

And there you have it. When Mom is a food blogger.

Wordless Wednesday: Cutlery