Waiting for Spring

Last week was cold and dreary and I started to feel the wear of winter on my enthusiasm. But things brightened on the weekend with the animals of spring all present on Saturday - robins, bald eagles, and prairie dogs. There is hope for warmer weather!

I have picked up speed on my new found hobby - knitting. I went to the local thrift store on Friday and rummaged through four baskets of yarn, jamming my re-useable shopping bag full for only $12. And because I dug through the treasures in those baskets, I only bought actual wool from sheep and alpaca as well as cotton yarn.

Hearty Mushroom Soup

There are times when I want something hearty, meaty, but... meatless. This soup is the solution.

What mushrooms should you use? As many different kinds as you can - variety is one of my favourite spices! I have used white button, brown button, cremini (baby portabella), large portabella, oyster, enoki, and shitake all in this soup.

My 7-year-old's Favourite Seaweed Salad

It's true! My 7-year-old LOVES this salad and it's quick and simple to make.

RECIPE: Seaweed Salad

Ingredients:
two handfulls of wakame seaweed, dried
2 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:
> place the seaweed in a glass bowl and cover with boiled water so the water is at least an inch above the top of the dried seaweed
> mix the other 4 ingredients in a bowl
> once the seaweed has re-hydrated, strain out the water and dump the seaweed into the dressing
> toss & serve with sliced tomatoes

Enjoy!!

Kitchen: Heart of Our Home

Regardless of the occasion or who is in our house at any given moment, we always end up in the kitchen. I usually end up recruiting my guests to help in the meal somehow, beverage of choice in hand, and we have a wonderful time. Food is prepared, we catch up, memories are made, and friendships deepened.

We wanted the kitchen to be warm and welcoming, with enough countertop to sink a ship.

 

Sometimes the Mug Makes the Drink

A couple of years ago, my mother- and father-in-law gave us some beautiful dishes from an artesian they know. We received four coffee mugs, a serving bowl, and a salsa & chip platter. They were gorgeous! Because we were in the midst of updating our kitchen at the time, we put them back in the box and tucked them away in a safe place.

This morning's latte

Fast forward two years and two months. The last piece of the kitchen is now done (the banquette) and we have unpacked all the kitchen things we had packed away. Many items will be given away. But not these earthenware dishes, they are too beautiful and precious. We now also have a matching teapot and sugar bowl.

So, instead of curling up on the couch with a warm handmade blanket, my second steamy hot latte, and a good book, I am going into that kitchen and I will make it sparkle! And it is likely that a sparkly kitchen will inspire me, leading to new creations. I can hardly wait!