December Welcome!

Hello!  How are you?  Happy December!  So much has happened since last week's post.  For one, December is here and it finally snowed!  See?  Here's proof...

This is the front of our house, snow falling steadily in the morning hours.

My snowman family covered in snow. 

This photo was taken on our morning walk to school

But, guess what?  It's all gone now!  Yep, all of it.  The mild weather melted all the snow and has been providing us with many rainy days. 

This past week, I started my Christmas shopping!  Nuno and I bought most of our gifts.  There are only a few more to buy!  And then we can enjoy waiting for Santa, without all the stress.

You can see me wrapping one of the gifts, here! 

This is my cat, Buddy; sleeping and covering his eyes.  I was wrapping gifts and listening

to Christmas music while he slept in the living room.

If you don't already know, Buddy is my baby.  He's lived with us for 11 years now.

He loves to cuddle and snuggle.  I love him.  He's actually sleeping on my lap

as I sit and type this.  His two front paws are wrapped around my right arm, as I type, and his head is resting on them.  He's just adorable!

I was also invited to a Cookie Exchange on Saturday.  My friend, Sandy, has invited me to her annual cookie exchange for the past three years.  Each of the invited guests picks a cookie recipe and bakes one dozen cookies for each person attending and one dozen for the table (for sampling).  She also provides the recipe for the others.  At the end of the night we go home with a vast assortment of cookies.  We can choose to eat some and then freeze the rest to have at Christmas and over the holidays.  It's really great!  This year, I chose to bake sweet and salty cookies. 

Blending softened butter with a combination of brown sugar and white sugar

After beating in eggs and vanilla, I stirred in flour, baking soda, and salt.  And finally, added chocolate chips, crushed regular chips, and chopped walnuts.

Here are the cookies ready to go into the preheated oven.

Here are the cookies, packaged in clear bags and tied with gingerbread ribbon

This is the cookie table at Sandy's home.  You can see the cookies lovingly packaged for gift giving.  Some in bags, gift boxes, and clear jars too.  Some had pretty ribbons and bows and others were wrapped in pretty tissue paper. 

Sandy provided punch, strawberry wine and coffee.  There was a shrimp ring with dipping sauce, delicious puff pastry appetizers and other yummies.  I think everyone's favourite, was the brie en croute.  It was all so wonderful! 

Cookie types included: orange glazed, molasses, chocolate candy canes, oatmeal chocolate-chip, raspberry jam thumbprint, hazelnut lace cookies, vegan carrot cookies and sweet and salty.

All the ladies from left to right (Me, Elisabeth, Sandy (hostess), Sharon, Michelle, Liz, Lucy, and Nancy)



Last, but not least, on Sunday morning, we went out for breakfast and then visited the Cookstown Antique Market for their 19th annual Victorian Christmas In the Barn.  The staff and barn were decked out in Victorian style and they were giving 10% off all purchases, all weekend long.

The double green doors are the entrance to the barn

As you can see, all the snow had melted

A peek at the top floor of the barn

Pretty table offering hot apple cider, apples, oranges, chocolate mints and
sweet treats, including nanaimo bars.  Mmm!

I could not resist a cup of hot apple cider and a treat or two from the table.  It was a great way to spend the morning and add to the Christmas spirit!



I must also add that I took the girls shopping for the Barrie Food Drive this weekend.  Their school is collecting non-perishable food items for those in need over the holiday season.  This is a cause I strongly believe in and always try to help out as much as I can.  I asked the girls to pick out ten items each, of their choice, to bring to school. We took the shopping cart around the grocery store and filled it up with items for the food bank.  It is important to give to those in need, especially around the holidays.  The girls love helping out and having them choose their own items makes it fun for them, too. 


So, as you can see, I've been keeping busy this past week.  I hope you are all enjoying these first few days of December.  There are only 20 more days till Christmas and it's really beginning to feel like it (except for the lack of snow).  I'm not complaining.  I know it'll arrive soon enough.  Happy December, everyone.  Thanks for stopping in!  Hope to see you here again soon! xo

Free Rhubarb Makes For Some Yummy Pie!

Today's post is first and foremost, about the making of a lovely strawberry rhubarb pie, but it is also about the kindness of strangers.  Last Friday, my husband and I took a drive to nearby Cookstown,  about 20 minutes from where we live in Barrie.  We were on our way to visit the Cookstown Antique Market where antiques and collectibles are housed in a century old barn.  I first had the pleasure of visiting this charming market last summer, when we drove by and saw a big sign leading to it. 

I didn't have my camera with me that day, so I've used a picture from their website.

I had a great time browsing through all the booths, upstairs and downstairs!  I even found a couple of treasures for myself, like a pink glass pedestal cake stand, and a beautiful cake/pie server (not that I needed another cake stand!).  Now, what I haven't mentioned, is that there was a sign by the entrance that read, "Free Rhubarb" - you can pick it yourself!  As I was paying for my items, I inquired with Debbie Lou about the rhubarb and how we could go about getting some.  Another of the girls, I didn't get her name, asked if either I or my husband had rubber boots (because it had rained and it was muddy by the rhubarb).  We of course, didn't, so the girls were kind enough to give me a large bunch which had been freshly picked. 

And here they are in all their glory!  Look at those crimson stalks!

When I saw the beautiful red color of the stalks, I was inspired to make rhubarb pie - the first rhubarb pie I would ever make.  There is something really special about pie.  Just the word "pie" conjures up thoughts and feelings of comfort, warmth, and happiness.  It reminds me of childhood books and cartoons where you see freshly baked pies cooling on window sills.  It was decided then and there - a pie it would be! 

First, I made the pie dough - an all-butter pate brisee - as I learned from Martha Stewart.

Here are my top and bottom crusts, ready to be refrigerated, for about an hour.

Measuring out the chopped strawberries and rhubarb - equal parts.

Ready to be filled

 

 

 

 

 

Filled with rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, a squeeze of lemon juice, and topped with bits of butter.  And in the center, is my beloved vintage pie bird, which I bought a few months ago.  This is the first pie I baked with him in it.  It reminds me of the old nursery rhyme:

Sing a Song of Sixpence

Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
The king was in his counting house counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlor eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!

 

Here, I brushed the top crust with egg wash and sprinkled it with turbinado sugar.

 

Fresh out of the oven, cooling on a rack, smelling delicious.  The only problem, is that we have to let it cool for at least a few hours, so it can set. 

 

Pie has cooled and is ready to cut...

 

 

"A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when he sees there isn't enough to go around"- Edgar Watson Howe

I would like to thank the girls at Cookstown Antique Market for the delicious tasting rhubarb.  Your kindness made my day extra special and I SO enjoyed baking this pie.  As well,  thank you to my followers and any new readers for visiting my kitchen today.  Hope you all have a wonderful day!  As always, I would love to read your comments.  xoxo